The East and North Aegean - The Rough Guide to Greece - page 649

Ì O Platanos Kydhá T 22540 22070. Excellent
traditional mayireftá such as papoutsáki and highly
quaffable aromatic Limniot wine draw big crowds to the
atmospheric little square beneath two plane trees. Daily
11am-6pm, until midnight June-Sept.

Kosmos Romeïkós Yialós T 22540 22050. The most
reasonable of the establishments on this popular but
mostly overpriced strip of seafront offers fresh fish, a
range of mezédhes and glorious sunsets across Mt Áthos.
April-Oct daily noon-1am.

9

Western Límnos
Nearly all the tourist amenities are concentrated in the western third of the island,
mostly in and around the coastal stretch between Mýrina and the vast Moúdhros Bay.
This area includes many of the best beaches and most picturesque inland villages .

Coast north of Mýrina
Beyond Mýrina's respectable town beaches, the closest good sand lies 3km north at
Avlónas , unspoilt except for the local power plant a short way inland. Just beyond, the
road splits: the right-hand turning wends its way through Káspakas , its north-facing
houses in neat tiers and a potable spring on its platía, before plunging down to Áyios
Ioánnis , also reached directly by the left-hand bypass from the capital. The furthest of
its three beaches is the most pleasant, a curved cove punctuated by a tiny fishing
harbour and offshore islet named Vampire Island.

Thérma and around
Daily 10am-2pm & 5-9pm • W thermaspa.gr
Six kilometres northeast of Mýrina, the old Ottoman baths at Thérma , complete with
calligraphic plaques, have been restored as an eye-wateringly expensive contemporary
health spa, with all conceivable treatments available - or you can just have a
hydromassage soak (€12). Unusually for a hot spring, the water is non-sulphurous and
is the tastiest on the island, so there is always a knot of cars parked nearby under the
trees while their owners fill jerry cans with warm water from a public fountain , which
has a bilingual Greek/Ottoman Turkish inscription.
Just south of Thérma is the iconic poster image of Límnos: the chapel of Panayía
Kakaviótissa , tucked into a volcanic cave on the flank of Mt Kákavos (360m).

Sardhés
Some 7km north of Thérma, SARDHÉS is the highest village on the island, with
wonderfully broody sunsets and a celebrated central taverna. The handsome local
houses are typical of mountain villages on Límnos in having an external staircase up to
the first floor, as the ground floor was used for animals.

Gomáti
Beyond Sardhés and 5km below Katálakkos lies the spectacular, well-signposted dune
environment at Gomáti , one of the largest such in Greece. There are two zones, reached by
separate dirt tracks: one at a river mouth, with a bird-rich marsh, and the other to the
northwest, with a beach bar and sunbeds. The latter portion especially is a popular outing.

Platý
PLATÝ , 2km southeast of Mýrina, has had its traditional profile somewhat
compromised by modern villa construction, but it does have two nocturnal tavernas.
The long sandy beach , 700m below, is popular, with non-motorized watersports
available at the south end through Babis, below the Lemnos Village complex.

Thános and its beaches
THÁNOS has more architectural character than smaller Platý, 2km southeast. Paralía
Thánous , 1.5km below, is among the most scenic of southwestern beaches, flanked by