🪪 The island at a glance
📍 Where it is
Lemnos lies in the northern Aegean, between the Athos peninsula and the Dardanelles. It is a volcanic island, low and open. From Athens it is easy to fly there, while the ferries leave from Lavrio, Kavala and Thessaloniki and take many hours.
📍 Where Lemnos is
Lemnos is in the northern Aegean, between Mount Athos and the Dardanelles. The island is in red, and in green are the ports the ferries leave from, Lavrio and Kavala.
🗺️ The map of the island
Lemnos has two large bays that almost cut it in two. On the west side are Myrina, the capital, and most of the tourist beaches. The east side is flatter, with lakes, Moudros and the antiquities. There are many small villages and the roads are good, but you will need a car.
🗺️ Map of Lemnos
Myrina and its beaches are on the west coast. The sand dunes are in the north, and Moudros and the large bay in the middle of the south coast. The antiquities, Poliochni, Hephaistia and the Kabeirion, are in the east. Tap each number to see what it is.
Map: Benedetto Bordone, 1547 (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
⚖️ Is it worth it? The pros and cons
Lemnos is not an island for those who want a green landscape and nightlife. It is an island for sandy beaches, food and history. Here is an honest picture.
📊 At a glance, from 1 to 5
👍 The pros
- Dozens of sandy beaches, often almost empty.
- The castle of Myrina and its deer.
- The sand dunes and the flamingos.
- Very good food, cheeses and wine.
- An authentic island, with good prices.
👎 The cons
- Far from Athens, the ferry is a very long trip.
- A bare landscape, with few trees.
- Often windy.
- You need a car.
- Little nightlife.
🏰 Myrina and the castle
Myrina is a pretty little town, with stone houses, a long market street with shops and a harbour with fish tavernas. Above the town, on a rock between two bays, stands the castle, built by the Byzantines and enlarged by the Venetians and the Ottomans. Inside it, deer roam free, and from the top, on clear days, you can see as far as Mount Athos.
On the north side of town, Romeikos Gialos is a sandy beach with old mansions and cafés. Nearby is the Archaeological Museum, with finds from Poliochni, Hephaistia and the Kabeirion.
The rock above the harbour.
A Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman castle.
Roaming free inside the castle.
Fishing boats and tavernas by the water.
Myrina after sunset.
Finds from all over the island.
Photos: Annatsach (CC BY-SA 4.0), zoipapacha (Public domain), Tomisti (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Go early in the morning or just before sunset, when it is not hot and the deer come out. Wear closed shoes, because the path is stony.
🏜️ Sand dunes, lakes and windmills
On the north coast are the sand dunes, or Pachies Ammoudies: dunes that look like a small desert, where sea lilies bloom in summer. Next to them, Gomati beach has clear water. On the east side, the lakes of Alyki and Chortarolimni fill with flamingos and other birds in winter and spring.
All over the island you will see old windmills, because Lemnos was once the granary of the Aegean. Kontias, a pretty village with stone houses, has windmills on the hill above it.
A small desert in the Aegean.
They bloom on the dunes in summer.
A beach next to the sand dunes.
They come to the lakes in winter and spring.
The village of windmills.
Old windmills all over the island.
Photos: Anna Boukorou (Public domain), Cyan Star (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zachariou Fotini (CC BY-SA 4.0), Athanasios Lampridis (CC BY-SA 4.0), Politicslover2 (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
🏛️ Antiquities, Moudros and the east
On the east coast is Poliochni, a Bronze Age settlement and one of the oldest organised settlements in Europe, with streets, houses and public buildings. Further north, Hephaistia was the city of the god Hephaestus, who according to myth fell from Olympus onto Lemnos, and it has an ancient theatre. A little further on is the Kabeirion, a sanctuary of mysteries above the sea.
Moudros is built on one of the largest natural bays in the Aegean. In 1915 it was the base of the Allied fleet for Gallipoli, and in 1918 the Armistice of Mudros was signed here. Two Allied war cemeteries recall those years. In the east, Keros beach has waves and wind for kitesurfing.
One of the oldest settlements in Europe.
The city of the god Hephaestus.
The great bay of history.
Waves and wind for kitesurfing.
A village with a sandy beach near Myrina.
Photos: ale3andro (CC BY-SA 2.0), Spyros Salamouras (CC BY-SA 3.0), Zachariou Fotini (CC BY-SA 4.0), Tomisti (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🏖️ The beaches
- Romeikos Gialos: a sandy beach in Myrina, below the castle.
- Platy: a long sandy beach with shallow water, near Myrina.
- Thanos: a sandy beach with clear water in a sheltered bay.
- Gomati: a sandy beach next to the sand dunes.
- Keros: waves and wind, for kitesurfing.
- Evryali: a small sandy beach with rocks in the north.
When the north wind blows, the southern and western beaches, such as Platy and Thanos, are calm. When the south wind blows, go north.
🍽️ What to eat
Lemnos is one of the islands with the best food in the Aegean. Try kalathaki Limnou cheese, a PDO product, flomaria, a local pasta, and melipasto, a spicy cheese. Drink Lemnos Muscat and wine from the Limnio grape, one of the oldest grape varieties in Greece.
📅 When to go
The best time is June, July and September. The sea in the northern Aegean warms up later, so in May it may still be cold. In August the island fills up, mostly with Greeks, but there are so many beaches that you always find space. For flamingos, go in spring.
✈️ How to get there from Athens
| How | Duration | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | Less than an hour | Athens airport | The fastest way. The airport is in the middle of the island. |
| Ferry | Many hours | Lavrio | A long trip, often overnight. There are also ferries from Kavala. |
From Ioulianou 50, take Line 1 to Monastiraki and change to Line 3 for the airport. For Lavrio, there are buses from Pedion tou Areos. On the island you need a car. To compare ferry and plane, see our guide to ferry or plane.
🗓️ Four days on Lemnos
Myrina
Climb to the castle early in the morning, walk through the market and the Archaeological Museum, swim at Romeikos Gialos and watch the sunset at the harbour.
The sunset
A swim at Platy and Thanos, a walk to the windmills of Kontias and a meal in a village.
Sand dunes and the north
The sand dunes and Gomati in the morning. In the afternoon Hephaistia and the Kabeirion.
The east
Moudros, Poliochni and Keros, with a stop at the lakes for the flamingos.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I stay on Lemnos?
In Myrina, for the town, the castle and the restaurants. In Platy or Thanos, for a sandy beach next to where you stay. The distances to the east are half an hour to an hour.
Do I need a car?
Yes. Lemnos is large and buses are few. With a car you can see the antiquities and the sand dunes in one day.
Is Lemnos good for children?
Yes. Most beaches are sandy with shallow water, and children will enjoy the deer in the castle and the dunes.
How many days do I need?
Four to five days for Myrina, the antiquities, the sand dunes and several beaches. To try many beaches, a week.
— Kathy
