Prepared by Jana-Michaela Timm
The little habour with small memorial SIGRI - that is vitality, tranquillity, familiarity, local cuisine, lonely beaches and a breathtaking sunset. But what else is so special about this little tourist place? Two travellers and one native explain why they come here, live here and would always come back…
All roads end in Sigri… By all means this holds true for the island of Lesvos. Sigri - the name of the little town of 300 souls in the farthest western point of the island of Lesvos comes from the Latin word 'securo' which means safe harbour or haven. And that’s what it is: a refuge for overworked people looking for relaxation and calm vacation without any big hotels or tour operators who bring masses of tourists.
Sunset in SigriWe meet Maria* in one of the few little cafés on the small plaza right beside the church which constitutes the heart of the little town. She sips her Frappé – a typical Greek cold frothed instant coffee with ice cubes – and with the other hand she dips her spoon into the creamy home-made yogurt with local honey. Maria is the first time in Sigri. Like so many tourists who visit this remote place, she started her discovering tour over the island in Molivo, another nice but more tourist town in the north of Lesvos. Maria is an open, sociable 28 year old Spanish girl, and as we are talking, every now and then she greets passer-byes and tells us that she starts already feeling familiar with this place and its people. Like other individual tourists she found her way to this little fishing village in her rented car through the windy roads and now enjoys the picturesque little harbour, from where every night it looks like the sun kisses the Sea. She shows us her latest acquisition: a new necklace from the local handicraft shop where some of the sold things are produced by the owner himself, and all the others hail from Lesvos or, the farthest, from Athens. In Sigri, Maria has found a nice place with few tourists and no hotel. In fact, there is only one little hotel called Orama outside the town offering 15 rooms which is the biggest tourist place you can find here. Instead of hotels, about 300 beds are dispersed over little apartments which are integrated into the townscape, and rented only by local families. Actually all apartments are owned by locals, as it is tradition that houses are inherited within the families. Only two foreigners have property here after years of negotiation. Both of them have settled in Sigri and have become “locals” as well.
The little handicraft shopAlthough a lot of tourists come regularly over the years, few of them speak Greek. Adonis Chiotis, a local bar owner, tells us that most of them intend to learn the language but have not got far yet. He assumes the main reason is that most of Sigri’s inhabitants can speak English or German as many of them have worked abroad, in Athens or have gone to sea. This means that the locals themselves come back after some months or years abroad. People in Sigri are like a “big family” Adonis says; “everybody shares everybody’s happiness and sadness. You can smell what your neighbour is cooking. Sometimes you eat what they cook and sometimes they might eat your food.” This personal contact is also essential in business. Adonis explains that he purchases a lot of products for usage in his bar from local or providers. “If you buy from someone you know in the area, he will also buy from you.” Thus, this little town does not only depend on the income from tourists but has its own businesses. People work in several sectors: fishing, shepherding, production of cheese and butter. This authenticity seems to be the main reason for people to come to Sigri.Sally and Jack, an English couple, support this assumption. We meet them buying fruits from the mobile seller. As there is no big supermarket in town which offers fresh fruits and vegetables he comes here every day in a little van to provide people with it. The couple is coming to Sigri every year during springtime, for about 8 years now and love to walk the area. They enjoy the familiar atmosphere with the result that they feel at home even on vacation. They say Sigri offers different activities for everybody over the seasons: in winter walking and visiting the Petrified Forest, in Spring bird watching, in summer enjoying the beaches. As special attraction Sally and Jack mention the national park of the Petrified Forest which surrounds the town and of which the museum – mainly operated by locals – with its demonstrative explanations of the impressive history of this area. This is the only place that attracts a greater number of tourists. They arrive in coaches, visit the museum and sometimes come down to have a coffee and to take pictures. But they never stay longer than three hours. After their stay they leave Sigri’s characteristic peaceful tranquillity which is its secret and, hopefully, will stay for a long time…
All roads end in Sigri… By all means this holds true for the island of Lesvos. Sigri - the name of the little town of 300 souls in the farthest western point of the island of Lesvos comes from the Latin word 'securo' which means safe harbour or haven. And that’s what it is: a refuge for overworked people looking for relaxation and calm vacation without any big hotels or tour operators who bring masses of tourists.
Sunset in SigriWe meet Maria* in one of the few little cafés on the small plaza right beside the church which constitutes the heart of the little town. She sips her Frappé – a typical Greek cold frothed instant coffee with ice cubes – and with the other hand she dips her spoon into the creamy home-made yogurt with local honey. Maria is the first time in Sigri. Like so many tourists who visit this remote place, she started her discovering tour over the island in Molivo, another nice but more tourist town in the north of Lesvos. Maria is an open, sociable 28 year old Spanish girl, and as we are talking, every now and then she greets passer-byes and tells us that she starts already feeling familiar with this place and its people. Like other individual tourists she found her way to this little fishing village in her rented car through the windy roads and now enjoys the picturesque little harbour, from where every night it looks like the sun kisses the Sea. She shows us her latest acquisition: a new necklace from the local handicraft shop where some of the sold things are produced by the owner himself, and all the others hail from Lesvos or, the farthest, from Athens. In Sigri, Maria has found a nice place with few tourists and no hotel. In fact, there is only one little hotel called Orama outside the town offering 15 rooms which is the biggest tourist place you can find here. Instead of hotels, about 300 beds are dispersed over little apartments which are integrated into the townscape, and rented only by local families. Actually all apartments are owned by locals, as it is tradition that houses are inherited within the families. Only two foreigners have property here after years of negotiation. Both of them have settled in Sigri and have become “locals” as well.
The little handicraft shopAlthough a lot of tourists come regularly over the years, few of them speak Greek. Adonis Chiotis, a local bar owner, tells us that most of them intend to learn the language but have not got far yet. He assumes the main reason is that most of Sigri’s inhabitants can speak English or German as many of them have worked abroad, in Athens or have gone to sea. This means that the locals themselves come back after some months or years abroad. People in Sigri are like a “big family” Adonis says; “everybody shares everybody’s happiness and sadness. You can smell what your neighbour is cooking. Sometimes you eat what they cook and sometimes they might eat your food.” This personal contact is also essential in business. Adonis explains that he purchases a lot of products for usage in his bar from local or providers. “If you buy from someone you know in the area, he will also buy from you.” Thus, this little town does not only depend on the income from tourists but has its own businesses. People work in several sectors: fishing, shepherding, production of cheese and butter. This authenticity seems to be the main reason for people to come to Sigri.Sally and Jack, an English couple, support this assumption. We meet them buying fruits from the mobile seller. As there is no big supermarket in town which offers fresh fruits and vegetables he comes here every day in a little van to provide people with it. The couple is coming to Sigri every year during springtime, for about 8 years now and love to walk the area. They enjoy the familiar atmosphere with the result that they feel at home even on vacation. They say Sigri offers different activities for everybody over the seasons: in winter walking and visiting the Petrified Forest, in Spring bird watching, in summer enjoying the beaches. As special attraction Sally and Jack mention the national park of the Petrified Forest which surrounds the town and of which the museum – mainly operated by locals – with its demonstrative explanations of the impressive history of this area. This is the only place that attracts a greater number of tourists. They arrive in coaches, visit the museum and sometimes come down to have a coffee and to take pictures. But they never stay longer than three hours. After their stay they leave Sigri’s characteristic peaceful tranquillity which is its secret and, hopefully, will stay for a long time…
