Visitors say
Absolutely worth the 10€!! We came here before the museum and it was stunning. It gets really hot, so bring water and go early if you can. Took us about an hour ish to walk it all.
Fascinating place to see million year old trees! I’d recommend visiting the museum in Sigri first to understand the petrification process which will make the trail more enjoyable. Recommendation it to get there at least 2h before closing time (4pm).
About
On the remote western tip of Lesvos, near the quiet village of Sigri, lies one of the most extraordinary natural monuments in Europe: a vast petrified forest stretching across the volcanic landscape of the island's interior. Formed roughly 20 million years ago when volcanic eruptions buried an ancient subtropical forest under layers of ash and lava, the trees were gradually mineralized over millennia, their organic matter replaced molecule by molecule with silica until they turned to stone. What remains today are upright fossilized trunks, fallen logs, and exposed root systems that give the hillsides an eerie, timeless quality — a forest frozen mid-breath, preserved in extraordinary detail including bark texture and wood grain.
The Sigri Petrified Forest Park serves as the gateway to exploring this remarkable geological heritage. The site is managed in connection with the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in Sigri, and the park itself allows visitors to walk among the fossilized specimens in their natural setting — scattered across open terrain with views stretching toward the Aegean. Interpretive signage helps contextualize what you are seeing, transforming what might appear to be curious rocks into a coherent story about ancient climate, catastrophic geology, and deep time.
A visit here rewards those willing to make the journey into Lesvos's less-traveled west. The landscape is wild and sparsely populated, the light dramatic, and the silence profound. Whether you approach from Sigri or from Pedino through the rolling hills, the park offers something rare in modern travel: genuine wonder at the scale of geological time, paired with the simple pleasure of wandering an open-air museum that no human hand created.
Before you go
What to expect
The park pulls you into an uncanny stillness: fossilised trunks stand at odd angles across the open hillside, their wood grain and bark patterns locked in silica, while fallen specimens expose root systems splayed against the earth. Interpretive signs give you the vocabulary to read what you're seeing — volcanic layers, mineralised fibres, growth rings preserved across 20 million years — turning a walk across scrubby terrain into something closer to reading a geological library.
Best time to visit
Spring (April–May) and early autumn are ideal; the site is fully exposed to the sun and midsummer heat on the open hillside can be fierce.
How to get there
Sigri sits at the far western end of Lesvos, roughly an hour and a half to two hours by car from Mytilene along rural winding roads; the park lies just outside the village.
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Visitor Reviews
Renee Fenker
June 2025
Absolutely worth the 10€!! We came here before the museum and it was stunning. It gets really hot, so bring water and go early if you can. Took us about an hour ish to walk it all.
M. Engin Satana
June 2025
One of the most fascinating places you must see in the world. It makes you realize how small and insignificant human life is when compared to nature — like a mere drop of water. The presence of these millions-of-years-old petrified trees stands in stark contrast to the brief moment humanity occupies in Earth’s history. The entrance fee is €10, and I highly recommend taking your children as well. There's a short 20-minute tour, and also a longer, 1-hour tour available.
Sarah
May 2025
Fascinating place to see million year old trees! I’d recommend visiting the museum in Sigri first to understand the petrification process which will make the trail more enjoyable. Recommendation it to get there at least 2h before closing time (4pm).
Rachel Shaw
April 2025
Fascinating place to visit. The museam and the site in the hills above sigri is included in the one ticket. Staff at the centre were very knowledgeable and had a very enjoyable day
Niklas Da Silva
August 2024
Fantastic historical place starting at the drive down to the museum, with petrified trees along the road. At the museum the tour will start with a short lesson about the different species of trees in the area and why the park of Sigri is so special
Jag Grewal
September 2023
Well presented park that shows off the petrified forest really well. Very helpful staff and only 5 Euros entry. When you turn off the main road keep going until the very end - it’s a bit longer than you think!
Magdalena Franquet Piotrowska
September 2023
The BEST part of the petrified forest! Absolutely worth the visit. The path’s are incredibly well maintained and it’s just a great experience to walk around in such a historical place + incredibly breathtaking (literally) mountain views. The place is really well advertised as on the way to go to Sigri, suddenly there’s many signs indicating‘petrified forest’. For a moment you think you might be lost, but keep on driving!
Radek Wylon
August 2023
Unique place on the world scale. These thees were turn into rocks 20 millions years ago. Hard to imagine, but it's true prehistory
Sue Vogt-Skard
September 2022
This is an amazing petrified forest in the middle of nowhere (but within the Geopark). This is supposed to be Lesvos’ top attraction but seems so unsupported for such a fabulous place. Way better than I imagined. The petrified tress are amazing to look at, and the area is great to wander around. There is a set clearly marked footpath to take to ensure you see all the exhibits. There is also lots more of them than I thought there would be, and so better preserved than I imagined. It’s wonderful to see. The area takes about an hour or so to wander around and see the trees/trunks, although there is a short or long route depending on how long you want to walk around. There is no café/drinks area in the park so make sure you bring your own refreshments. There are toilets but they are holes in the ground (in cubicles of course) so be prepared. The staff running the park are young and highly engaged and enthusiastic and really welcome questions from visitors.
Stratis Kamatsos
August 2021
An amazing experience. Nice boat ride from Sigri village to the Geopark Nisiopi island. A hike across the island stopping on the way viewing various petrified trees. Tour guide was very nice and have us a nice synopsis history of the island and how the trees became petrified. Amazing views and great walking path. Hike ends at the other side of the island. All in ask, your lasted 1.5 hours.
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