If you arrive on Limnos and spend some time in Myrina, the island’s charming capital, you soon realise that this is much more than a place to catch the ferry. Spread around a beautiful bay and dominated by an impressive castle on a rocky peninsula, Myrina is an easy town to explore on foot, with a lively market, old cobbled streets, charming little cafés, and two very different seafronts.
The market street is one of the best places to get a feel for everyday Myrina. Running through the heart of the town, it is busy with shops, bakeries, cafés and other local businesses. In summer, it buzzes with tourists and locals sauntering, shopping, or sitting at a table with a coffee or one of the local pastries on offer.
Note: The pies are unmissable! Just ask a local to direct you to the nearest ‘Chrisafi’ shop. I recommend the spinach-and-cheese pie 🙂
A partial view of the old harbor of Myrina with the castle in the background
Myrina Castle rises dramatically above the town, and is one of the largest fortresses in the Aegean. There have been fortifications here since prehistoric times, and in the twelfth century, the Byzantine rulers built a fortress on the ancient acropolis. Much of what stands today was developed through Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman additions.
Exploring the castle of Myrina often comes with an unexpected surprise that offers much delight, as deer roam freely inside the castle walls. Around 50–70 animals now live there, descendants of three deer brought to Limnos from Rhodes in the 1970s. Just the other day, on Facebook, I came across a short video of a deer having a cooling dip in the sea, just under the castle, at the beach ‘Romeikos’.
Note: Spotting deer in town is a rather common sight for the locals at the end of the day. It’s hard to believe, I guess, so here is the link so you can see for yourselves! While walking in the residential lanes under the castle, I encountered a fine specimen of the local wildlife too, and that was in the morning. It was a male wild goat with massive horns on its head! It was standing outside someone’s house in a cobbled lane, like nobody’s business, and it clocked me at once. Let’s just say I didn’t want it to come any closer, so I scurried away, haha, missing the chance to photograph it.
The best time to visit the castle is near sunset. The view from up there is phenomenal. Plus, you get to avoid the fierce heat that pummels the peak all day during summer. There is ample artificial light along the path, so you can make your way back down comfortably as the last light of day fades away.
Myrina is unusual in having two shores separated by the great rocky peninsula on which its castle stands. On one side is Romeikos Gialos, the “Greek Shore”, and on the other, Tourkikos Gialos, the “Turkish Shore”. The names are a reminder of Myrina’s divided past under Ottoman rule, when the Greek and Turkish communities lived in separate parts of the town. Today, the difference is much more charming than political: Romeikos Gialos is a beautiful mansion-lined bathing shore, while Tourkikos Gialos has a more working-harbour feel, with fishing boats, tavernas and the old port. Still, many locals and visitors choose to swim there too.
A partial view of the harbor of Myrina with Tourkikos Gialos (The Turkish Shore) in the background
The word “Romeikos” refers to the Romii — the name traditionally used for the Greeks in Byzantine times and during the Ottoman occupation of the country. This ended for Limnos in 1912, when the island was liberated by Greek forces during the First Balkan War.
Romeikos Gialos (The Greek Shore) is favored by the locals. It is lined with stunning neoclassical buildings and cafes. The latter are very popular among the locals and tourists because of the fabulous views to the sea and the castle that they offer.
Romeikos Gialos is particularly stunning. Elegant 19th- and early-20th-century neoclassical mansions stand along the seafront, many built by wealthy Limnian merchants and members of the Greek diaspora who made their fortunes in Egypt. Look out for their symmetrical façades, tall windows, balconies, stonework and impressive entrances. These houses give the seafront a refined, almost grand atmosphere.
Tourkikos Gialos has a different character, with the old harbour, fishing boats and traditional tavernas. It is a lovely place to sit down for fresh fish or seafood while looking back towards the illuminated castle in the evening.
Note on eateries: My favorite haunt for coffee and a pie stands on a corner at the old harbor, right at the end of the market street. It is called ‘Aigaion’ (Aegean) and it serves the best ‘bougatsa’ (custard cream pie) in town. My other favorite pie shop is a local ‘Chrisafi’ franchise, again on market street, but further inland, at a square with about three bank buildings around it. Its facade is on a side road with tables and chairs right on the square. Ask a local to direct you. It has the best savory pies in town. As for restaurants, I can recommend “Platanos” (plane tree). It’s the locals’ best kept secret and right at the heart of the market street. This small family taverna is easy to spot as it has a plane tree on its humble facade, and you get to sit under its shade. Best ambiance, best homecooked, authentic Greek food in town!
Myrina has been inhabited since before the Bronze Age, and its long history can be explored further at the Archaeological Museum housed in a handsome 19th-century neoclassical building. Well worth a visit are also the Metropolitan Church of Agia Triada, an Ecclesiastical Museum, and Dapia on Tsas hill – a historic 18th-century military outpost and fort.
But perhaps Myrina’s greatest attraction is simply its atmosphere. Wander through the market, swim at Romeikos Gialos, admire the old mansions, climb up towards the castle and finish the day at a harbour taverna. It is a capital, certainly — but can still feel like a small Greek island town.
Seeing that I always stay in my family home when on Limnos (my father hailed from the village of Lychna near the airport and Moudros) I don’t really have any hotels to recommend. But I can tell you that Limnos offers a wealth of interesting places to see – places of archeological and historical interest, for one. If this sort of thing interests you, a good place to stay is Moudros, as it has many places of interest (and stunning beaches) nearby.
Because of its rich geological diversity, the landscape of the island can change dramatically from place to place as you discover it. For example, there’s a large lagoon and marshes that fill with flamingos all winter until the late spring (in Alykes and Lychna), and even a huge area of sand dunes that looks like a desert!
As for the beaches, they are magnificent… Watch this space, as in my future posts I will be sharing information on a couple more parts of this blessed island, including the aforementioned lagoon that is transformed into a desolate salt flat each summer.
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