Sigri

The picturesque village of Sigri, where the everyday life of its residents is mainly supported by fishing, is located about 92 kilometers away from Mytilene and it is the largest natural port of the island. The distance between Mytilene and Sigri, has never been a problem for the visitors, who even though it is far away from the capital of the island, keep preferring it for small escapes, due its special beauty.

At Sigri there is the oldest monastery of Lesvos, Monastery Ypsilo , founded before 800 AD by Saint Theofani of Sigri, and takes over the highest peak of mount Ordymnos.

Sigri ‘s gem is without a doubt the Petrified Forest, a monument of unique beauty as well as an extraordinary geological phenomenon. It was created due to the existence of favorable conditions for fossilization, in this northeastern part of Lesvos island, 15 to 20 million years ago, when it was completely covered by lava of the mount Ordymnos. The result of this natural process was the revelation of an ancient forest.

This monument it the main characteristic of the area, as it seems because of the creation of the Park of Petrified Forest, which covers a total area of 286 acres, as well as the Museum of Petrified Forest ’s Natural History. Grab the chance to climb the hill side from where you will be able to admire the biggest coniferous tree trunk that measures more than 20 meters. Of course, there are also the still standing trunks of Sequoia trees which reach a height of 4.5 meters.

Another interesting activity would be boating to Nisiopi, which lies right across Sigri, in order to see the huge lighthouse, Agios Dimitri’s little church and also the famous petrified tree trunks that lie in the sea.

One more sightseeing in Sigri, is its Castle, built by the Ottomans in 1757. The characteristic Arabian narrow over the gate stands out.