“WHAT gays in Lesbos, stays in Lesbos,” laughs a blonde as I queue for a drink at the bar in the island’s biggest lesbian club.
And she’s not wrong… two minutes earlier I kissed a girl – and I think I liked it.
The Sun’s Georgie Culley visits the Island of Lesbos for its yearly lesbian festival in the town of Eresos
Women – aged 25 to 80 – from all over the world flock to the island to sunbathe topless by day and grind by night
Inside Flamingos the air is thick with perfume, sweat and sexual tension
It’s 11pm and more than 400 women are crammed into Flamingos, the notorious nightspot at the heart of Skala Eressos – the so-called “sapphic mecca” of .
Every year, over 5,000 women descend on this sleepy seaside village for the International Eressos Women’s Festival.
What started in 2000 as a niche celebration of sisterhood has snowballed into a two-week-long pilgrimage of partying, flirting and female solidarity – and this year marks its 25th anniversary.
And trust me, it’s carnage.
Inside Flamingos the air is thick with perfume, sweat and sexual tension. As my curvaceous colleague – generously blessed with double Ds – squeezes past the crowd, she’s stopped repeatedly by lusty revellers begging to “motorboat” her. She politely declines… but not before one insists: “Please – it’s a festival tradition!”
Despite being as straight as a pole, she eventually gives in.
And you know what? I think she liked it too.
At the bar, I meet a 42-year-old Londoner clutching an Aperol spritz.
With a cheeky grin, she tells me: “Loads of lesbians on a Greek island, what could possibly go wrong? It’s f***ing brilliant.”
And brilliant it is. Women – aged 25 to 80 – from all over the world – UK, , in particular – flock here to sunbathe topless by day and grind by night.
’s even in on the action – the hashtag #lesbiantiktok has racked up more than 1.1 million posts, with thousands showing off their trips to .
Within just a few days, I’ve learnt more about lesbian “types” than I ever thought possible – from “butch” to “chapstick” to “femme”. And judging by the flirting flying around, it seems every category is accounted for in lesbos.
So, how did the island become THE Destination for same-sex love?
The island’s sapphic claim to fame actually dates back to Sappho, the legendary poet from 600BC. Her odes to women were so scissoring, I mean sizzling, they make look tame – and it’s from her very name that we get the word “sapphic,” meaning women loving women.
Legend has it, Sappho even ran a school for young women, teaching them poetry, music and – perhaps a few extracurriculars, ahem.
But she’s not the only Greek goddess in town. Aphrodite – later reborn by the Romans as Venus – was the original queen of passion, desire and .
And after just 24 hours on this sun-soaked island, cocktail in hand and surrounded by sapphic sisters, I can confirm, I’m feeling every inch the Greek goddess myself.
Arias, 46, who runs a popular cafe a stone’s throw from Flamingos, tells me how the Lesbian tourists and the locals “have found a balance” in recent years.
“When lesbians started to visit in the 80s, times were different,” he explains. “But now they come and they have their place on the island and it’s fine.”
He leans in and tells me he’s heard the stories – women going wild, romping on the nearby nudist beach and indulging in all sorts of late-night shenanigans.
“A lot of wild sex stuff goes down here,” laughs Anna, 28, an artist from .
“There’s this restaurant right on the beachfront with a real octopus hanging from it – and apparently a couple once got frisky underneath it.”
Mak Winoana, 25, an exotic dancer from Sydney, with her girlfriend Audrey, 25, from London
Anastasia and Stacey got engaged on the beach last year, in front of both their families, and say it’s a ‘magical place’
Every year, over 5,000 women descend on this sleepy seaside village for the International Eressos Women’s Festival
My mind is instantly swirling with octopussy puns, but before I can get one out, another woman, Rosanna, 45, cuts in with an even juicier confession.
“The sex is everywhere on this island,” she grins. “The washrooms are a very popular location… as are the sailboats – and the sea.”
I’ve been on Lesbos less than 48 hours and I’ve already spotted several couples sneaking out of the loos together – and now I know they were definitely doing more than just powdering their noses.
While Lesbos has long been a playground for queer women, Greece itself only officially caught up this year. In February 2024, same-sex finally became legal – making it the first majority-Orthodox country in the world to not only allow gay , but also give same-sex couples the right to adopt children.
‘PILGRIMAGE OF WOMEN’
It’s a historic milestone – and judging by the scenes on Lesbos, the community is celebrating in style.
“It’s a pilgrimage for women all across the world,” says Anastacia Walker, 29, from Doncaster. “We’re the majority here, not the minority.”
Her fiancée, Stacey, 35, a singer from, laughs as she tells me she didn’t even know she was a lesbian until she came here at 19.
“I’d never even questioned my sexuality before,” she explains. “When I got here, it just created a space for me to figure out who I was – without even realising it.”
One of the island’s famous rituals is to swim out to Sappho’s Rock in the middle of the ocean – about 350 metres from shore – to prove your lesbian credentials.
“That was our first date,” Anastacia grins. “Stacey thought it would be romantic, but I nearly drowned.”
The pair got engaged on the beach last year, in front of both their families, and say it’s a “magical place.”
And that’s not the only test for newcomers. Another? Stripping off and dancing naked in the moonlit sea under a full moon.
I’ve been on Lesbos less than 48 hours and I’ve already spotted several couples sneaking out of the loos together
The island’s sapphic claim to fame actually dates back to Sappho, the legendary poet from 600BC
Mak Winoana, 25, an exotic dancer from , is here with her girlfriend Audrey, 25, from London.
Mak, one of the festival’s stars, is teaching an exotic dance class – and she’s invited me to join.
Soon I’m in a room with more than 18 women – mostly Brits, Dutch and Germans – as we’re told to “unleash our inner goddess”.
Within minutes we’re swaying, stroking and caressing our own bodies to the beat, hips rolling like we’re auditioning for a very sapphic music video.
Afterwards, she sits down and tells me about why she’s here.
“Discovering your queerness is something really beautiful,” she tells me, her eyes shining. “I was lucky enough to figure it out young – but that’s not always the case.”
She teases Audrey, saying she isn’t a “true lesbian” yet because she hasn’t swum out to the famous rock.
“The water’s gorgeous,” she grins. “Swimming to the rock is basically a rite of passage.”
When I got here, it just created a space for me to figure out who I was – without even realising it.
Stacey
And it’s not the only ritual on Lesbos. Alongside naked moonlit dancing, there’s a full-on nudist beach – with one section strictly reserved for women only.
“I have checked out the nudist beach before, but not with Audrey,” explains Mak. “So it’s on our list. We’ll definitely be heading down there.”
Nearby, Anastasia and Stacey – donning a cowboy hat – are heading out for the night.
“There’s nowhere like this in the world,” says Anastasia, a multi-instrumentalist who has toured with, , Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, to name a few.
“When you’re here you feel totally free. It’s even inspired us to set up our own women’s festival back in the UK called Out Out, which will be held in Scunthorpe.”
‘It’s a pilgrimage for women all across the world’, says Anastacia Walker
Flamingos, the notorious nightspot at the heart of Skala Eressos
As the sun dips below the sparkling sea, painting the sky in pinks and golds, my time in this magical corner of Lesbos draws to an end.
I spot Mak – wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘All the cool girls are lesbians’ – and Audrey nearby.
When I ask what she would say to women struggling with their sexuality, her expression softens.
“I think it’s really important to be safe,” Mak says gently. “The world wants you to come, to be part of this, to find your people. Connect with us, however it’s safe for you to do so and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
“Come find us,” she adds with a smile. “We’re waiting for you.”
