It was a couple of enthusiastic birdwatchers (thank you, Jool) who made me aware of Lesvos. Still, it wasn’t until I cheekily invited myself to join my brother Mick, for a week away with a couple of his keen birdwatching mates, that I ended up visiting the island.

Well, I never. What an overdue trip this is turning out to be. I don’t know if this comes from spending your life looking through a pair of binoculars at birdlife, but no one told me how beautiful this island is. And when I say beautiful, I mean stunning.

Is it like other Greek Islands? Well, yes, in some ways, but not in many. My usual image of Greek Islands is of those further south — arid, craggy outcrops basking in blue blue Mediterranean skies and scorching sunshine. Small, charming, pastel-painted, bougainvillaea-covered stone houses tumbling down to the sea, where tiny blue and white boats fly that most cheerful of national flags. Oh, I love all of that.

But this is vastly different from that. I suppose size, time, and location matter here. Its size, being the third biggest island in Greece after Crete and Evia (yes, I too had to check where this was), means it has large, wide, sweeping, and diverse landscapes with few people. Its location in the Northern Aegean gives it fresh water and greenery. And importantly, time—coming here at the end of April after a wet winter—the island is absolutely covered in wildflowers and grasses. I’ve truly never seen wildflowers so beautiful and abundant.

Now, I have spent most of my time with those wonderful, keen, and engaging ornithologists, so I have seen little of the island’s sights or walking trails, but they too look interesting and inspire a return visit.

Staying in the village of Scala Kollanis offers a central location and a taste of authentic ‘real Greece’. The sea, the beach, bobbing boats, tavernas, and delicious Greek cuisine.

Still a couple of days left before leaving, but I am already thinking about my return trip and friends who would also love this place.

Lesvos: The birding…..coming soon.