Lesvos, one of the most colourful Greek islands, has the ideal habitat, mild climate, geological morphology and the abundance of natural spring water for 1400 plant species, thus creating a botanical paradise of trees, shrubs, aromatic herbs, ornamental, medicinal wild flowers and rare orchids.

Naturalists and authors, Brian and Eileen Anderson, write: "Lesvos remains one of the most natural and unspoilt islands in the whole archipelago". It is never without any blooms of some kind but from the middle of March onwards, the island is covered with a stunning carpet of wild flowers, including 70 different species of wild orchid.

This secret garden was well known in ancient times. In the 6th century BC, the poetess, Sappho hailed the island's beauty in her poetry and, three centuries later, the philosopher Theophrastus marked the beginnings of the science of botany by recording the large number of plants on his native island.

The undisturbed soil in the very old olive groves continues to produce beautiful and sometimes rare flowers, plants and herbs. Road-sides and river beds are also a riot of colour with an abundance of hollyhock, oleander and rhododendron. In Greece, the yellow Rhododendrum Luteum Sweet is only to be found on Lesvos. It grows, amongst other places, on the edges of the Gulf of Kalloni. Paionia, a rare and beautiful flower with therapeutic properties grows in the slopes of mountain Olympus. The islanders have a rich knowledge of herbal healing and many herbs are all collected in the wild E.g. Rosemary, Fennel, Bay, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano and Chamomile .
 

In 1889 & 1897, the French botanists Candargys, listed 27 species of orchids in Lesvos. Further research has increased this list to 59 discreet species with 10 additional varieties. This figure exceeds the numbers found on any other Aegean island. The island has even its own endemic species in Orchis lesbis.

It has been documented by experts, that from Skala Polihnitos up to the Derbyshire area, across to the east at Pirgi Thermis, down south to Charamida and back again to the central triangle of the island which includes the areas of Melinda and Plomari, Agiasos and Vatera, you can find the largest number of orchid species presenting in the whole of the island.

The best time to see the orchids in flower (apart from spiranthes  spiralis in October) is from the February to May, although slight variations are to be expected due to yearly changes in weather conditions (rainfall, temperatures, sunshine) and the flowering habits of each species.

Therefore in all respects VATERA (with all the other attractions it can offer) is an ideal base for your botanical excursions (orchids and wild flowers) and not only.