Limnos Mesta ferry

Limnos Guide

The Greek island of Limnos, sometimes called Lemnos, is the 8th largest island in Greece and lies in the Aegean Sea. The island's main towns are Myrina on the island's west coast and Moudros on the east coast, on the shores of a large bay in the middle of the island. Myrina is the island's capital and port and is characterised by its pretty, traditional, paved alleys, its old stone mansions, its coastal promenade and its Byzantine Castle which overlooks the town. The castle is located on a steep, rocky, peninsular on a hillside where visitors can often see small deer grazing. The island has many things to do and see including the Petrified Forest near the town of Moudros where it is possible to see fossilised tree trunks, leaves, fruit and palm tree roots that are around 20 million years old. Also worth visiting is the prehistoric settlement of Poliochni which is thought to be the oldest Neolithic city in Europe. There is a rectangular building there that has a double row of stepped seats that resembles a parliamentary architectural structure. It is because of this that it is thought to be the oldest parliament discovered in the world.

There are ferry connections from Myrina to the islands of Agios Efstratios, Lesvos and Samothrace (in the summertime only) and with the mainland to the ports of Piraeus and Lávrio (Athens area) Thessaloniki and Kavála.

Mesta Guide

Mesta is a town that is located on the Greek island of Chios that lies in the north east Aegean Sea and is the fifth largest Greek island with a coastline of around 120 km and a population of roughly 54,000. The island is only 3.5 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. Although it is not universally agreed, the island is thought to be one of the likely birth places of Homer and of the ancient mathematicians Hippocrates and Enopides. One of the most picturesque villages on the island is the medieval village of Mesta which has been preserved as a monument. The village has been built like a castle and dates back to the Byzantine period. In order to fortify the village, its houses were built close together in order to form a protective ring around it and the village's current residents still maintain the traditions of a 14th century village. The most important custom that takes place in the village is where the "Agas" trials, a satirical replica of the trials that used to take place under the occupation of Turkey, are presented.