Lemnos
Discover Lemnos
With an area of approximately 480 km², Lemnos is the ninth largest island in Greece. While the other two North Aegean islands of Thasos and Samothrace, are mountainous and forested, Lemnos is hilly and barren. In summer, the predominant color of the landscape is brown. Lemnos is a destination for a relaxing holiday in close contact with nature. Sheltered bays, long sandy beaches and landscapes of volcanic rocks, interspersed with small hills and plains where durum wheat is grown and there are traditional villages of stone houses. Some of the beaches are excellent and uncrowded. From mid-August usually strong winds can affect the bathing, but are welcome by the windsurfers who come to the island because of those winds. The island does not live completely by tourism, as many of the other known Greek islands, but mostly still on agriculture. Therefore, life is still original and not focused exclusively on tourism. The best time to visit Lemnos is from May to end of July and from 15 August till end of October. In the first two weeks of August, the island is full of Greeks from the mainland who return to their villages for holidays and family meetings. From mid-August, winds get stronger which is interesting for surfers.
Taste of Lemnos...
Lemnos is a most appropriate place for a fulfilling meal. The taverns found in almost every village offer simple but plentiful seafood and meat dishes, variants with the goods from the island inspired from the overall Greek cuisine. Residents prefer a 20-minute drive to either the boat dock of Kotsinas for fish taverns by the sea, to Tsimandria for roast and wine, or ascend up to Sardes for traditional local recipes (try rooster with handmade pasta). In Myrina however, a couple of restaurants are more challenging, even specialising in Italian cuisine. You can go for a drink in most cafés in Myrina, shifting to small bars at night, at the quay of Romeikos Gialos, at the quay facing the port, or uphill near the castle. Try also Moudros and Diapori in summer. You should not miss to drink an ouzo in one of the "Kafenios" in the villages to see real Greek village life. Nightlife is seasonal, small beach bars and night clubs open from mid-June till early September. However restaurants, fish taverns and leisure cafés serve till late night all the year. Most accommodation services are provided by small apartments, pensions and traditional villas. There are high-rated (3- to 5-star) hotels at Platy, Androni and Myrina. Early booking with a fax or e-mail is suggested for late July and August. Most accommodations are listed and evaluated in the well known internet portals (Booking, Airbnb). The west coast is by far the most popular and touristically most developed area on Lemnos.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFerries change their routes monthly, there are at least 4-5 ships a week, usually departing from the ports of Lavrio, Piraeus (both serving Athens), Thessaloniki and Kavala. It's important to inform yourself about the departure times at the day of travel because changes in arrival/departure times are common. Delays are frequent. Ferry routes often change within a year, reaching a peak during summer. Ferries need about 14 hours from the port of Piraeus to cover the distance and about 5 hours from Kavala. There is limited anchorage available for private yachts, but services and supplies are very good. Arrivals should report to one of the port authority posts located at Myrina or Moudros. The port authorities are also good sources of information for weather forecasts (especially gale warnings), as well as about any military exercises in the wider region. It's an easy 15-minute walk from the new port to the town centre. Buses only run two times a day from Myrina to the villages....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
It's an easy 15-minute walk from the new port to the town centre. Buses only run two times a day from Myrina to the villages. Usually you cannot return to your starting point on the same day as local buses run one-way routes to destinations. There are two one-way routes to the destinations, the first usually at 12:00 and the other at about 14:30, which is usually crowded by teens after school returning home at their villages. Check departures at the local bus station square in Myrina. Taxis are also available, widely used to carry passengers between the airport and Myrina or the rest of the village. A May 2022 taxi trip from the new port to Laktara on Keros Bay cost €40. Road conditions are good with sealed roads between villagers and then dirt roads to the last leg of many scenic spots. Be prepared to navigate through the tight roadways of the old villages and also on the lookout for wildlife and stock on the roads.
Where to Stay
Most accommodation services are provided by small apartments, pensions and traditional villas. There are high-rated (3- to 5-star) hotels at Platy, Androni and Myrina. Early booking with a fax or e-mail is suggested for late July and August. Most accommodations are listed and evaluated in the well known internet portals (Booking, Airbnb). The west coast is by far the most popular and touristically most developed area on Lemnos. Here you can find accommodation in large numbers. Overall, the island has a variety of smaller hotels, hostels, apartments, rooms, but only a few large hotel complexes. These are: The well-developed infrastructure provides Internet access for a visitor available in cafés, game spots and several public places in Myrina. Most tourist businesses all over the island provide a free limited wireless connection. Limnos hosts a hospital in Myrina; apart from this, many of the villages also host drugstores, even private clinics.
Money & Budget
The Market Street (Agora) of Myrina is worth walking where clothing and jewellery shops deserve some attention. Furthermore there are big supermarkets in Myrina and all kinds of specialist shops. In every bigger village are bakeries and little supermarkets to cover everyday shopping needs. The local economy based on agriculture, and offers a variety of farming and dairy products, with a distinctively good quality of wine. Best known is the white wine made of the cultivar "Muscat of Alexandria". There is also a red wine of a local cultivar that is quite good. Another speciality are very tasty egg noodles, called "Flomaria". Also thyme honey is offered and was a speciality of Lemnos. Due to the dry character of the island the quantity produced is low but the demand is high.