The desert-like areas for the majority of people looks like eerie, mysterious, exotic. They refer to distant lands and stories with windswept Bedouin caravans, crossing vast inaccessible areas, riding their camels.
For those who want to live the experience of desert and there isn’t the possibility to go far away from Europe, don’t have to worry. The solution goes by the name Lemnos and more specifically, in the name Ammothines. Τhe eighth largest island of Greece, hosts the only desert of the country and one of the few in Europe.
Pahies Ammoudies as is the other name of Ammothines, known as Greek Sahara.
A landscape that looks eerie and you can feel that it is inconsistent with the region. This is a deserted area of about 70 acres and is located in the northwestern part of the island, surrounded by green hills. The area of sand dunes is one of the most intriguing parts of our country. It has divided the scientific community regarding the creation, but everything indicates that is there from Stone Age.
This is really a scene from a western movie. The fine sand dominates the landscape and changes depending on the moods of the wind. Around this small desert grow certain species of flora tolerate sandy soils, such as wild olive, thymus, etc. .
In the heart of the dunes, no plant has the ability and power to grow. The sand overcomes everything and maybe it is possible to survive certain types of imported cactus.
If anyone wants to found Pahies Ammoudies, you can follow the road to the village Katalakkos. The marking is satisfactory and 4 km after the village you will get to the target. The last kilometers of the route consists of dirt road through beautiful vineyards areas and some small streams. The small information kiosk that will meet anyone in its path, the starting point for the Ammothines. There the motor stopped you keep on foot. It is good to be sure that you have comfortable shoes and know that sand during the warm months burns too (as is reasonable).
It is nonetheless a place so strange for Greek standards and is the scene of many commercials and films that require scenes from deserts. For those who still want to feel like children, Ammothines is a good solution to feel the “painless” free fall from dunes. Just to be sure that you have the enough energy for the ascension.
The northwestern part of Lemnos, deserves our visit and the only desert of our country adds another reason. The beach of Gomati is nearby and is ideal to live moments of coolness, after the trip to Greek Sahara.
* Runvel, after Ammothines and following the advice of local friends from Pravlis Travel and Taste Lemnos, soaked in the hot springs of the island. In the historic Therma Spa in Therma village.
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