Northeastern Aegean Islands - Greece - page 1170

Poliohni , on the southeast coast, considered the first prehistoric settlement in the Ae-
gean, has the remains of four ancient settlements - the most significant being a pre-My-
cenaean city that predated Troy VI (1800-1275 BC). The site, with a tiny and free mu-
seum, is fascinating, but remains are few.
The Sanctuary of the Kabeiroi (Ta Kaviria), lies at the northern tip of remote Tigani
Bay. The worship of the Kabeiroi gods here actually predates that which took place on
nearby Samothraki. The major attraction is a Hellenistic sanctuary with 11 partial
columns. Nearby, the legendary Cave of Philoctetes is supposedly where that Trojan
War hero was abandoned while his gangrenous, snake-bitten leg healed. A marked path
from the site leads to the sea cave.
Once Limnos' main city, Hephaistia (Ta Ifestia) is where Hephaestus, god of fire and
metallurgy, was hurled down from Mt Olympus by Zeus. Little remains, however, other
than low walls and a partially excavated theatre.
Limnos' northeastern tip has some rustic, little-visited villages, plus remote Keros
Beach , popular with windsurfers. Flocks of flamingoes sometimes strut on the coastal
salt lagoon, Lake Alyki , and the nearby salt marsh, Lake Hortarolimni . From Cape
Plaka, at Limnos' northeastern tip, Samothraki and Imvros (Gökçeada in Turkish) are
visible. These three islands were historically considered as forming a strategic triangle
for the defence of the Dardanelles, and thus İstanbul (Constantinople); this was Turkey's
case for clinging to Imvros in 1923, even after Greece had won back most of its other is-
lands a decade earlier.
AGIOS EFSTRATIOS ΑΓΙΟΣ ΕΥΣΤΡΑΤΙΟΣ
POP 370
Little-visited Agios Efstratios lies isolated in the Aegean, south of Limnos. Abbreviated
by locals as 'Aï-Stratis', it attracts a few curious visitors drawn by the island's fine, re-
mote beaches and generally escapist feel. They certainly don't come for the architecture:
a 1968 earthquake destroyed most of the port village's classic buildings, a bad situation
made worse by Greece's military junta which hired crooked contractors to manage the
reconstruction. Nevertheless, this sparsely populated place has domatia, good seafood
tavernas, relaxing hill walks and fine beaches.
During the 'time of the colonels', as Greeks refer to the military dictatorship that ruled
from 1967-74, many dissidents and suspected communists were exiled here, including
renowned composer Mikis Theodorakis and poets Kostas Varnalis and Giannis Ritsos.
Sights include the village beach , which has dark volcanic sand and warm waters.
You'll find few vehicles on Agios Efstratios and fewer roads. The island's two best