Plaka Park

You have the chance to admire the impressive fossilized trunk of a poplar tree in the coastal zone of Plaka Park, as well as the giant fossilized trunk of a cinnamon tree, 13.7 meters in perimeter and 3.70 meters in diameter, which is - according to the world bibliography - the largest standing fossilized tree trunk in the whole world.

In both parts of the Park you can visit fossil-bearing positions with impressive plant fossils, which were discovered during the research of the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest. These are mainly root nodes, root systems and lower trunk parts.

During your tour in the Plaka Park, you can get to know the pine trees and a wide variety of fruit-bearing plants (angiosperms), which do not appear in such a great variety in any other place, thus composing the vegetation of Lesvos 20 million years ago. You can find plant fossils that correspond to present-day pines, cinnamon and laurel trees, poplars, plane and palm trees. It is a different zone of forest vegetation, in which the broad-leaved and fruit-bearing species are found.

The finds include the giant fossilized trunk, with a perimeter of 13.7 meters and a diameter of 3.70 meters, which is - according to the world bibliography - the largest standing fossilized trunk in the whole world. This tree belongs to the Laurel family. Part of its root system was discovered in the lower part of the trunk, which proves that the trunk is in exactly the same position where the tree grew before it was fossilized.

At the coastal zone of the park you can find the impressive lying petrified tree trunk, 14 meters long.

Following the walking trails, you can visit all the fossil sites. There are also three resting points that offer great view to the village of Sigri and the islet of Nissiopi.

At the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest you can find the Guide to the Plaka Park that provides detailed information about all the fossil-bearing positions and the walking trails.