Limassol Things to Do

1 more image

Just a general note that at least I have always booked a hotel room with kitchen or kitchenette and balcony (summertime) whenever possible. This is handy for many reasons. Naturally depends on people's routines, likes and dislikes of course.

I like to have lunch and dinner outside; picnic or restaurant naturally; I didn't come to holiday for cooking...But I am not rich either :) And very often breakfast is not included in the package tours; at least to the cheapest ones. If there is the kitchenette in the room/apartment, it is handy to prepare the breakfast yourself. We do it every time when possible: you don't have to dress up for breakfast, can have it soon after having woken up. Can have what you want. Don't have to go out and search every morning some café and pay for each item separately.

We always go to a local shop the first day and buy everything: eggs, orange juice, bread, cheese or something else with the bread, coffee and tea.
(Pack from home your own "cups"/"holders" for eggs - they never exist in any hotel! Another good thing is to take a beer bottle and wine opener. In Europe the beer bottles cannot be twisted open).

It is also nice to make a cup of coffee once you have come "home" after a hot day with lots of walking.

The balcony is very handy and nice too; you can eat your breakfast there (weather permitting), it is even romantic. Also, the afternoon coffee can be enjoyed there. Again, late in the evening/night as I come home I like to enjoy a glass of local wine or a bottle of beer - in the balcony and looking at the ocean or another nice view. Those who smoke might smoke easily there. Some people might want to dry clothes or a towel quickly outside.

3 more images

A natural must while in Limassol is walking down the streets of the city, by the ocean front walk and near the beach. It is relaxing and nice to watch people passing by, beautiful scenery with palm trees and the Mediterranean, nice little souvenir and handicraft shops, cosy bars and so on.

1 more image

KEO is the largest drinks manufacturer on the island. In the space of about half an hour we were shown the cellars of the heavy sweet Commanderia, where a third of each barrelful is retained as the mana or mother ferment for the next cycle. The tasting session proved to be a wonderful opportunity to familiarise ourselves with Cypriot wine types.

Just show up at 9.50am

2 more images

Ancient Amathus us among the oldest if Cyprus's city kingdoms. Founded by a son of Hercules who was revered as a god here. The remains of this city are dominated by a vast paved agora studded with a dozen restored and re-erected columns, including 3 spiral-fluted and 2 square foundation filled with rubble and masonry fragments. Its original function is uncertain though it was probably a fountain.

There are also what appear to be waterworks system, the terminus of an acquaduct which supplied the city from the north.

Daily - June - Aug - 9am - 7.30pm
Sept - May 9am - 5pm
CYP£1.00

Just finishing from sight seeing Kolossi Castle, don't miss out on tasting some delicious oranges. Once you get out from the castle, there's a wooden kiosk where a nice old Cypriot man sells oranges (either squashed or whole) for ridiculous prices.

It is know that giant cypresses were planted long ago as windbreaks and these have grown up to form lofty tunnels over the road leading to Kolossi village. Eucalyptus clumps drained the swamps here and allowed extensive orange groves to flourish, most of them originally planted by Jewish settlers at the end of the 19th Century

The most spectacular of the South's Archeological sites. It consists of two sites: the ancient city and the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. This sacred precinct was consecrated during the 8th Century BC but the present buildings are early Roman, flattened by the great earthquake of 365 AD. The two columns, a wall corner and an angle of the pediment enclose the altar area - the most holy to appease the god's wrath.

1 more image

It is situated just south of Kolossi village amid the vineyards that helped make it famous. The Story of this castle is linked with the Knights Hospitallers, whose commanderie, it was - the name was later bestowed on the rich dessert wine - Commandaria, still made from vines in the Limassol foothills.

The Knights were first granted land here in 1210 by the Lusignans and the castle that grew up became their headquarters after the Crusaders' final loss of the Holy Land. Today's 3-storey, keep-style structure stands among the ruins of a much larger castle, from the coat of arms of the Grand Master Louis de Magnac

In 1974 after the Turkish invasion in Cyprus, Limassol had to change rapidly. Overnight, from a sleepy tiny town it became a major shelter for refugees. Many houses had to be built to give these people homes and stabilise their lives but it all happened at a great cost to historic heritage