Myrina

Myrina, the island's capital and port, a population of around 5,000 inhabitants. has built on the same spot where the old city of Myrina was located. It extends from two seashores which are joined by a castle-crowned rocky headland with a splendid sea view. It is a beautiful town builtin a traditional style with many picturesque, narrow streets, houses and a market place. The impressive, fortified castle which hovers over the town can be reached either from the market, the harbour, or the Romeikos waterfront. The stairs which begin at the church will lead you straight to its entrance. The rocks on which it was built make it impregnable even today. Deer and roebuck roam freely in the nearby caves. Worth seeing in the town are the Karatzadios Library, the Cathedral of Agia Triada with its two splendid belfries, and the Archaeological Museum with its huge collection of finds. The harbour is always animated and most of the town's services are located there. The commercial street begins from there and connects the two shores. The town is filled with fragrances emanating from the white plane trees, eucalyptus, jujube trees and tall almond trees which dot the area. Myrina is divided into two suburbs, "Tsas" and "Androni". The name "Tsas" is a Russian word meaning" station" which has
been used since the Orloph brothers defended the town from Turks.The name Androni is derived based on the legend that tells of the Limnian women who threw all the men from a cliff at the cape of Petassos. The men had deserted them due to their body odour caused by a curse bestowed apon them by Aphrodite. Initially this area was called "Androphonion" (Man killer) and later "Andronion" (Androni).

In the centre of the island is Atsiki, a village named in ancient times. When the island was under Athenian rule, the people from Athens that immigrated and settled in the area named it "Attici"in memory of the region they had left, they also planted olive and fig trees from Attica. Later with the "tsitakismo" (Tsitakismos is an idiom of the language according to which the "t" is pronounced as a "ts") which was dominant in the island at the that time the name changed to "Atsiki".Its a large village 22 kms from Myrina, near the airport, with 800 residents. It cultivates wheat, raisins and dairy products. In addition to the women's bakery co-operatives, the village operates a distillery.

There are two versions as to the name kontopouli. The first derives from two words linked together "konta-poli" (near the city) because it's built near the ancient city of Hefestia. The second is that in the area there was a large agricultural community which belonged to a land owner called Kontopoulos.Kontopouli is a main village with stone houses built on a large plain where wheat used to be cultivated. It is located near two scenic lakes, Aliki or Asprolimni,where salt used to be gathered,and Hortarolimni, which is a marine park. Also worth visiting in the area are the archaeological site on the gulf of Bournia, the remnants of Hephestia, Limnos' oldest town from the Ancient Greek period, the temple of Kaviria and finally,the cave of Philoctetes on the other side of the cliff.

Moudros is named from the term" mydro" (a granite rock composed from solid lava). This formation once existed near the port and was used by sailors for docking their ships. There was also a castle in Moudro which was a focal point in Limnian history for several centuries. It was destroyed by the Venetians in 1656. Moudros once had a monastery, it was burnt by the Turks along together with 7 monks. There reason for this destructive act was that they found several dead Turkish military officers in its well. Legend has it that two monks escaped and found refuge in the monastic community of Agio Oros. The monks accused the people of Moudros for these killings and told the father superior of the Koultoumousio monastery that it was to provoke the Turks into destroying the monastery so the land would remain theirs. The legend has it that the father superior cursed the whole village. Its not known if the curse was ever lifted. Moudros is an attractive, scenic town built on the eastern shore of a wide, shallow gulf. It is one of the country's largest natural harbours and an important marine environment of great ecological MOimportance. The commercial port is located on the town's shore where it is also possible to find pleasant tavernas and hotels. On the southern coast of Moudros, remnants of a castle, known as Paliokastro (Old Castle), can be seen. Other sites worth visiting are the church of the Taxiarchon, the British cemetery beside the road that leads out of town eastwards towards Roussopouli,as well as the church of the Theotokou Virgin. The coastal road leads to a beautiful beach surrounded by jujube trees, Agios Pavlos. The beaches of Fanaraki and Havouli are even more attractive.

Nea Koutali is one of the prettiest villages in Lemnos. Built on the bay of Moudros, it spreads from the Agfa Triada pine forest to the graphic, stone-built port where fishig boats and caiques are moored its houses a well-kept and their gardens are covered with rose bushes and vines. A clearly immigrant village, Nea Koutali was built in order to receive the flood of refugees from Marmara's Koutali, home of the legendary Panagis Koutalianos. These immigrants were
mainly seamen and sponge divers who used their profession to surpass their problems and later contribute in the development of the island. Today, Nea Koutali is a lively village where visitors can enjoy a tour of the sponge museum and the museum of nautical tradition.
Visitors can also taste fresh fish and seafood in the graphic tavernas, enjoy a drink in the many nice bars overlooking the sea, and spend an exciting evening in one of the clubs.

Portianou, it's possible this village took its name from the fact that it lies between two ports( Moudros and Kontia). The word "porto" means a beach appropriate for ships to dock. Other places of interest in the village are its Folklore museum and British cemetery.
Legend has it that the village Kontias was named after two land owners. One was called Kondeas and the other Handreas. The first gave his name to the village, the second to the torrent nearby called (Handrias). Kontias is one of the biggest and nicest villages on Limnos,

Kontias

with pine hills and abandoned windmills, tree-lined streets, a characteristic local colour and its scenic chapel which hovers over the hill. Two kilometres from Kontias is Diapori, a small, natural harbour which can shelter both small and large boats. A "must see" on your way to Fako, with its seaside tavernas and cafe-bar.