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The northern Aegean island of Lemnos will soon be connected by ferry to Türkiye’s northwestern port of Canakkale, creating a new cross-border maritime route expected to support tourism and travel between the Greek island and the Turkish coast.
The route is scheduled to begin on June 13, with the journey expected to take about 2.5 hours. Tickets are already available on Turkish reservation platforms and are priced at €75.
The development was announced by Lemnos Sub-Regional Governor Apostolos Koutsogiannis, who said the island had been added to the company’s booking system.
“Lemnos has officially been added to the booking system,” Koutsogiannis said in a social media post cited by Greek media. “Since yesterday, Lemnos is now available in the company’s booking engine, marking the start of the new ferry connection with Türkiye.”
The route links Lemnos, also spelled Limnos, with Canakkale, a key port city in northwestern Türkiye near the Dardanelles.
Greek media described the connection as a significant development for the island’s tourism sector, particularly because Lemnos is considered a frontier island in the northern Aegean.
The new service is expected to make the island more accessible to visitors from Türkiye and strengthen regional travel links across the Aegean.
The route also adds Lemnos to a growing network of Greek island destinations benefiting from increased passenger movement from the Turkish coast.
The new ferry announcement comes after Greece extended its fast-track visa scheme for Turkish travelers visiting selected Aegean islands.
The Greek Foreign Ministry extended the program for another year after strong demand from Turkish nationals and their families.
The scheme, developed in coordination with the European Commission, was originally launched in April 2024 after an agreement signed in December 2023.
The program first covered a smaller number of destinations before expanding to 10 and later 12 Aegean islands.
Greek authorities have linked the extension to the scheme’s popularity among Turkish travelers and its effect on regional tourism.
According to figures from Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, 1.1 million passengers traveled from Türkiye to the Greek islands last year, with Kos, Chios, Rhodes, and Lesvos among the most popular destinations.
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