Molyvos, Lesvos Island, Greece: A Walk Through Time

Molyvos is a fantastic place for walking.  Yesterday, Stellios and I had a spontaneous lunch in the picturesque Molivos harbor and then took a walk on the astoundingly beautiful Molyvos coast.  There are so many walking trails here — a walker’s paradise.

Molivos is a volcanic island and the north/western region was formed some 16-22 million years ago.  Its violent origins created a varied and unusual landscape.  It’s impossible not to be astounded by the many types of rocks and formations found here.  If you’re a rock collector, Molyvos is a jackpot of fun.

On our walk, we ran across the remnants of an ancient road, left exposed to be walked on in modern day.  To an American, it’s mind-boggling that in Molyvos, or Greece in general, these relics of the past are so ordinary that nobody takes much notice.  In town, 2000 – 3000-year-old tombs and streets are on display with no fanfare.

The remnants of an ancient road. That’s Turkey across the water.

As we walk, the ground is littered with thousands of fragments of broken pottery, much of it blackened by age.  When I stumble across a piece of pottery, able to discern a painted pattern on its surface, I yell to Stellios in excitement, thinking I’ve just discovered a museum find.  He is routinely unimpressed and one by one the “big finds” are nonchalantly tossed back to their resting places.

Likely very old pottery fragments are scattered about.

The treasure hunter in me is frustrated to learn that so much of this place has never been explored by archaeologists due to a lack of funding.  Oh, to be a gopher!  What fun that would be.

I imagine the relics under my feet and the generations that looked across the Aegean from these same dramatic shores.

As you can see, the volcanic origins of the island have resulted in a dramatic landscape.  With the wildflowers blooming now, well, as walks go, it just doesn’t get more beautiful.

Molyvos Walk Photos (click to view):

Are you following me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter?  If you liked this post, please share it with the buttons below.