Gomati Dunes

On the north coast of Lemnos, behind the beach at Gomati, wind has piled a field of pale sand into dunes that shift and reform, some of them several metres high, covering an area large enough that from within it there is nothing to see but sand and sky. Local name for the area, Ammothines, simply means dunes, and it is often called the desert of Lemnos. The sand comes from the volcanic and sedimentary rock of the island's north, ground down and driven inland by the strong northerly winds that shape the whole coast. The beach beyond is long, empty and usually windy. Access is by a road to Katalakko and then a dirt track; nothing is developed and no facilities exist.

What you actually see

• The dune field - shifting pale sand hills behind the coast.
• The empty beach - a long exposed shore beyond the dunes.
• The wind forms - ripples and crests reshaped constantly.
• The volcanic backdrop - dark rock formations along the northern coast.

When to go

Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; the dunes are hot and shadeless in summer and windswept year-round. Early morning and late afternoon give the strongest light and shadow on the sand.

Honest expectations

There is nothing here at all: no shade, water, toilet, sign or path, and the sand gets extremely hot. The dirt access track is rough and can be impassable for low cars after rain. Wind frequently makes conditions unpleasant.

Nearby

Katalakko village is the last settlement; Myrina and the Fakos peninsula are on the other coasts.