Lemnos, North East Aegean
Ancient Theatre of Hephaestia, Lemnos - 2.jpg · Annatsach · CC BY-SA 4.0

North East Aegean

Lemnos: an airport, corn fields and a Byzantine castle

A Greek island with an airport that mass tourism never found, given mostly to corn fields and cattle, with a Byzantine castle over the old harbour.

It is indeed rare for a Greek island with an airport to remain untainted by mass tourism, and it is hard to name another Greek destination this easy to reach that has held on to the heart, soul and spirit of island life. That life is centred round the main town and port, Myrina. Although Myrina contains all the essential prerequisites of Greek island holiday life, that is 3 good sandy beaches, and a wide choice of tavernas, cafes and shops, it also has the perfect counterbalance of going about its daily business, almost oblivious of the minority tourists. Therefore, life is low-key in spite of a bewildering array of local shops and markets tucked away in the warren of backstreets. The town’s scenic nucleus has to be the old harbour, especially in the evening when the floodlit Byzantine castle, perched on a craggy promontory between two of the town’s beaches, looks down benevolently on the bobbing caiques bathed in the light of surrounding cafes and tavernas.

The village of Plati and its bordering crescent of golden sand, although only 2 km. south of Myrina, is a quite different area. The beach itself is superb with very safe swimming due to the gently shelving sandbanks. Eating establishments are not as numerous as in Myrina but there is a very reasonable choice including 3 beach tavernas and 2 in the village at the last count.

Outside Myrina and Plati, the island of Lemnos is mostly given to agriculture with corn fields and cattle occupying large areas in equal measure. There are however more remote, glorious beaches and villages worth exploring if you hire a car.

Things to do

Water sports enthusiasts are very well looked after with sailing boats and motorboats available for hire as well as the possibility to water-ski and windsurf. Anglers will be interested in the fishing excursions which operate some evenings. Boat trips include full and half day journeys with good food and local wine on the former and just refreshments on the latter.

Once a week, there is a guided tour of the neighbouring islands of Samothraki and Agios Ephstratios. The water shy will probably join the ubiquitous tour of the island by coach or weekly walking excursions from Agios Dimitrios to Kondias.

Islands that pair with Lemnos

1 route

Lemnos: the practical questions

How do you get to Lemnos?
By air, which is the unusual part. Lemnos has an airport and is easy to reach, and has still held on to the character that easily-reached islands usually lose. Ferries also connect it to Piraeus and to the northern Aegean routes.

What is Myrina like?
The main town and port, with three good sandy beaches and a wide choice of tavernas, cafes and shops, and a working life that goes on largely oblivious to the visitors. Local shops and markets are tucked away in a warren of backstreets. The old harbour is the scenic heart of it, best in the evening when the floodlit Byzantine castle looks down on the caiques.

Where is the best beach?
Plati, two kilometres south of Myrina, where a crescent of golden sand shelves gently enough to make it notably safe for swimming. The village behind it has fewer places to eat than Myrina but a reasonable choice, including beach tavernas.

What is the rest of the island like?
Agricultural. Outside Myrina and Plati, Lemnos is corn fields and cattle in roughly equal measure, with remoter beaches and villages worth finding if you hire a car.

What is there to do on the water?
Sailing boats and motorboats for hire, water-skiing and windsurfing, evening fishing excursions, and full or half-day boat trips. Once a week a guided trip runs to the neighbouring islands of Samothraki and Agios Efstratios, and there are weekly walking excursions from Agios Dimitrios to Kondias.

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