Greek Island of Limnos or Lemnos (N.E. Aegean)

Click for map Limnos Greek Island Guide

Greek Island of Limnos or Lemnos

Though there are 10,000 soldiers stationed on Limnos, this hasn't deterred tourism, the military garrison being concentrated around Moudras Bay.

The island also produces some good wines, for which it has been famous since antiquity.

Rose, dry white, and some of the best retsina in Greece are produced here, with the town of Kondias making ouzo, the town very picturesque, its stone houses with red tiled roofs, and some natural pine forest on either side. The small port capital, on the west side, though not overly attractive, has an old quarter with some stone houses built during Ottoman times, and some neoclassical mansions near the beach.

There are also ruins of a Byzantine fortress, later added onto by the Venetians, with wonderful views of Mt. Athos peninsula; the archaeological museum is housed in an Ottoman mansion. Though the island is on the dry side, there are many trees, including oak, jujube, myrtle, fig, mulberry and poplar, cattle and sheep are pastured on the land, and agricultural produce includes grain, cheese made from sheep's milk, honey, vegetables,sesame and cotton.

There is also rugged, hilly land on the west side, with cultivated land inbetween mountains. Streams come out at some of the nice island beaches along indented coasts, and there are hot springs, ancient sites, and some appealing villages. To the south of Limnos, the smaller island of Aghios Efstratios has wooded valleys and long, wild beaches where freelance camping is permitted.