Lemnos

North-East Aegean Islands

Lemnos (or Limnos) produces some of the best retsina in Greece, and other wines too for those whose palate does not take to Greece’s unique resinated drink. The vineyards are in the western and more volcanic half of this island, which is almost cut in two by the deep gouge of Moudros Bay, one of the biggest and best natural harbours in the Aegean. 

View of Myrina

In complete contrast to the barren and rocky western half of Lemnos, the east is mostly low-lying and agricultural, apart from several areas of marshland. There are a number of good beaches scattered around the coast, although nowhere has really developed very much in terms of tourist facilities. The main town is Myrina, or Kastro, on the west coast, which is also where the ferries call in that link the island with towns such as Kavala and Rafina on the mainland, and other islands like Lesbos and Chios. There is also a small airport with daily internal flights to Athens, Thessaloniki and Lesbos.

Myrina

Myrina is an enjoyably ordinary town, with an attractive waterfront, a couple of decent beaches close at hand and a picturesque small fishing port. There are also the ruins of its Byzantine Castle to explore, and from here there are excellent views over the town and the whole west coast from the site where the original acropolis once stood. In the old part of the town there are cobbled streets and some grand Ottoman houses, some of which have seen better days.

In one 19th-century mansion is the Archaeological Museum, which does its best with the limited displays that it has. There are several minor classical sites around the island, such as Polyochni (which dates back to 3000BC), Ifaistia and Kabireio, but much work remains to be done on these.

Retsina - Yammas!

Getting to Lemnos

Flights to Lemnos
You can fly to Lemnos International Airport from Athens on Olympic Air. There are also flights on Sky Express to Lemnos from Thessaloniki, Lesbos and Ikaria. British Airways also do direct summer charter flights from London Heathrow Airport to Lemnos. 

Ferries to Lemnos
There are daily ferries to Lemnos (or Limnos) from Kavala on the Greek mainland, with a journey time of between four and five hours. There are also one or two ferries a week to Lesbos (journey time over five hours). Ferries between Athens and Lemnos depart from the ferry terminal at Lavrio, about 30 miles south-east of Athens. There are 1-2 sailings per week and the  journey time is 10-11 hours.

Ferries in Greece

Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.


Where is Lemnos?

Where to Stay on Lemnos

We have more pages about the North-East Aegean...

  • Chios

    The Greek island of Chios or Hios is a large island in the North East Aegean close to the Turkish coast, south of Lesvos and north of Samos, and famous for its mastic trees.

  • Lesbos or Lesvos in the North East Aegean Islands of Greece

    The island of Lesbos or Lesvos is in the North East Aegean Islands in Greece, and on this page you can see information including flights and ferries.

  • Thassos in the North East Aegean Islands of Greece

    Thassos is in the North East Aegean and on this page from the Greece Travel Secrets website you can also see information about flights and ferries to Thassos.

  • Samothraki

    Samothraki (Greek) or Samothrace (English) is a small island in the north-east Aegean Sea with the closest Greek islands being Thassos and Lemnos.

  • Samos in the NE Aegean Islands of Greece

    Samos is in the NE Aegean islands of Greece with attractions including Heraion and Pythagoreio, and this page tells you what to see and how to get there.

  • North East Aegean Islands

    The North East Aegean Islands include Lesvos, Thassos, Chios, Samos, Fourni, Ikaria, Limnos, Samothraki and here are tips on ferries, flights and what to do.

  • Museum of Samos Wine

    A visit to the Museum of Samos Wine to learn about the muscat grapes that produce the best dessert wines in the world and also the Greek spirit, Metaxa.

  • Best Things to Do on Thassos

    The best things to do on Thassos in the North East Aegean islands of Greece include its beaches, mountain hikes, and visiting its ancient archaeological sites.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. Greece Eases Some Covid-19 Lockdown Rules, Keeps Movement Restrictions in Place

    Greece’s authorities have announced the opening of high schools in the country and the loosening of a few lockdown measures, but said that the night curfew and movement restrictions would stay in plac…

    Read More

  2. Greece Domestic Air Travel: Only Essential Trips Allowed Until February 1

    The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Saturday updated an aviation directive (NOTAM) that allows only essential domestic travel between all Greek airports. The directive that bans trips betw…

    Read More

  3. Greece’s 7-day Quarantine Rule for Air Arrivals Extended to February 8

    Greece is extending the mandatory 7-day quarantine rule for all international travelers arriving by air. In an announcement on Friday, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) issued an update for…

    Read More

  4. American Airlines Announces Athens-New York Route for Summer 2021

    American Airlines, as of June 3, will launch a new service connecting Athens with New York, JFK airport, for the 2021 summer season. Flights, to be conducted on a Boeing 777-200, will be available for…

    Read More

  5. Where To Enjoy The Most Amazing Views In Athens

    When you set off to discover Athens, you will be surprised by the amount of amazing vantage points the city has to offer. Due to its unique geography, Athens offers a number of places to visit and tak…

    Read More

  6. Tough Measures Continue in Greece Due to Covid-19 Variant

    Greece plans to keep its strict lockdown measures in place in view of a Covid-19 variant which appears to be spreading at a fast pace. The new strain of the deadly virus believed to be more contagious…

    Read More

  7. Strefi Hill Revamp to Create an Oasis in Athens for Residents and Visitors

    The Strefi hill, located in the neighborhood of Exarchia near the center of Athens, is set to undergo a major revamp, as part of an ongoing drive for the overhaul of the Greek capital, the Municipalit…

    Read More

  8. Commission: All Non-essential Travel ‘Strongly Discouraged’

    One day before EU leaders meet to discuss actions in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis, the European Commission called on member states to discourage non-essential travel and to accelerate vaccina…

    Read More

  9. Underwater Excavation Off Kasos Uncovers Ancient Shipwrecks and Cargo

    A shipwreck of the Roman period and its cargo are among the significant finds of an underwater excavation that was carried out by archaeologists off the Greek island of Kasos in the Dodecanese. Accord…

    Read More

  10. Conde Nast Traveller Shares its List of the Best Greek Islands to Visit in 2021

    UK travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller (CNT) has compiled a list of the “Best Greek islands to Visit in 2021” and features some of Greece’s most popular vacation spots. After a challenging summer sea…

    Read More