Travel Diaries✈️, Episode 1: Lesvos🏝️

Hello! 🙈 For everyone new here, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Chara, and I absolutely love travelling and making fun lists of all my favourite places ✨. In this first episode, we’re going to explore Lesvos Island — or Mytilini, as most locals call it. My connection with this island began in 2002, when I was just three months old. I come from a small village in the heart of the island called Filia (Φίλια, Fília). I’ve spent all my summers there and have visited countless places around the island. So, without further ado, let’s explore my beloved island🏝️! (Θα είναι μία σχετικά μεγάλη λίστα και μέχρι να γράψω τα πάντα και να τη διορθώσω θα πάρει καποιες μέρουλες, οπότε θα την ανανεώνω μέχρι να ενσωματώσω τα πάντα👉🏼👈🏼)

There are two main ways to reach this beautiful island: 🔺 By Airplane: The easiest and fastest way! The flight takes approximately 40 minutes, and you’ll land at Mytilini Airport — Odysseas Elytis, named after the famous Greek poet and man of letters. Interestingly, his real name was Odysseas Alepoudellis, which includes “-ellis,” the most common surname suffix in Mytilini. 🔺 By Ferry: This is the most common way to travel, although definitely the most time-consuming, as the journey lasts about 10–11 hours. Lesvos has two main ports: one in the capital, Mytilini, and one in the northern part of the island, Sigri. Depending on where you plan to stay, you can choose the port that suits you best. Despite the long duration, the ferry ride offers a unique experience — especially during the stop at Chios Island. For about 30 minutes, local vendors board the ship selling traditional sweet treats, loudly advertising their goods (usually shouting things like “loukoumia! masticha!”). If you’ve opted for the night ferry to Lesvos, this little spectacle usually happens around 4 AM — the perfect time for a spontaneous snack. Over the years, passengers — especially locals — have built a kind of ritual around this, often engaging in “pazaria” (bargaining) to get a better deal on their midnight cravings.

The locals of Lesvos are some of the warmest and most welcoming people you’ll ever meet. In the island’s more traditional villages, don’t be surprised if a giagia (grandma) or pappous (grandpa) invites you to rest in the shade of a platanos tree and offers you a glass of cold water — a small gesture that reflects the deep-rooted hospitality of the island. The Lesvian dialect is strongly influenced by the Turkish language, due to the migration of Greek refugees from Asia Minor after the 1922 Catastrophe. You’ll notice Turkish-origin words with Greek endings still in daily use. Some distinct features include the soft pronunciation of “ni” (νι) and “li” (λι), and the beloved suffix “-eli” added to many words — like “Moreli,” a sweet way to say “little one,” derived from “moro” (μωρό). While most locals are easy to understand, some villages like Agiasos have a notably stronger accent that adds color to the island’s linguistic identity. Beyond language and hospitality, Lesvos is alive with shared traditions. In many villages, horses are treated like companions and take part in religious processions during panigyria (festivals), proudly carrying icons through the streets. And of course, no panigyri is complete without traditional dishes like Trahanas and Keskek (a word of Turkish origin ✨). These are lovingly prepared in giant cauldrons using ingredients offered by local herders — milk, wheat, and meat — and are served to everyone attending, turning food into a communal celebration. From its kind-hearted people to its cultural blend of East and West, Lesvos is a place where tradition, language, and hospitality beautifully intertwine.