Limassol wasn’t on my travel list until my niece and her fiance were attracted to the guaranteed sunshine of Cyprus for their wedding. With three nights to spare between an already planned trip to nearby Rhodes and wedding week in Paphos, my friend and I decided to visit Limassol and were very glad we did.
Despite being one of the country’s most underrated destinations, Cyprus’s second-largest city (also known as Lemesos) has a lot to offer. Here are five reasons to add it to your Cyprus travel planner.
1. Limassol has a pretty port and a lovely seafront promenade
Limassol’s Molos is a park and promenade created from reclaimed land that is the perfect spot for a seafront stroll. Peppered with sculptures, playgrounds and piers the 3km long promenade is one of the largest parks in Cyprus and attracts both locals and tourists alike.
At the end of the promenade is Limassol’s Old Port which underwent a major renovation and restoration project. The result was a vibrant area of offices, restaurants, shops, a large square and a cultural events hall, hosting a range of activities throughout the year. When we were there a tech trade fair was underway and the whole area was buzzing.
2. The old town features a medieval castle, cathedral and more
Just behind the port is Limassol’s historic old town area where narrow cobbled streets are packed with souvenir shops, boutiques and restaurants. At its heart is Limassol’s medieval castle. Built in around 1000 AD, it’s claimed to be where England’s King Richard the Lionheart married his sweetheart. The castle was originally used as a prison so there’s plenty to explore and the castle museum provides lots of information about its history. You can also head up to the rooftop for great views across the city.
Also in the old town area is Ayia Napa Cathedral. It was built at the end of the 19th century on the ruins of an older Byzantine church and is said to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The exterior is lovely to look at and inside are marble columns, chandeliers and brightly coloured frescoes.
3. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars
Limassol has lots of options for eating and drinking. One of the first places we came across was the Agora, an old market building that now hosts a modern food court with a range of eating options. There are also great cafes and restaurants around the square next to the castle. We had an excellent Village Salad (the Cypriot version of a Greek Salad) and smoked salmon wrap for lunch at Il Castello. Then we booked dinner at Karatello Tavern, which is diagonally opposite on the other side of the square and has a large meze menu as well as fish and meat specialities. Karatello also has a good wine list and an excellent wall of wine inside the restaurant. After dinner, we found great cocktails at Guest Bar, which is tucked in behind the nearby mosque.
4. Limassol offers easy access to the vineyards of the Trodos mountains
On our second day in Limassol we headed out of the city as it’s a great jumping-off point for the Trodos Mountains. It’s a lovely area to visit, not least because it’s significantly cooler and less humid than the city. But it’s also packed with vineyards, so we booked a small group day tour with Cyprus Taste Tours. Anyone who reads my blog will know I’m a wine lover, but I’d never tried wine from Cyprus or even realised it was produced there. It is and there are some excellent ones, they just aren’t widely exported to the UK.
During the day we sampled wines at three vineyards (Monolithos, Zambartas and Ayia Mavri), all in beautiful settings, and stopped by Omodos village to visit a monastery and explore the craft and food shops. Lunch was at Makris Restaurant in Moniatis and was an extensive and delicious meze. I think we tasted 16 wines throughout the day and had wine with lunch too. By the time we got back to our hotel, we had no reason to head out for dinner in the centre, so we thought it was a great value day out. The company also runs tours to the mountains from other cities.
5. It’s only 20 minutes from Kourion’s incredible archaeological site
One of Limassol’s closest and most impressive sights is just a 20-minute drive away and on the route to Paphos, so we visited on the way there. Ancient Kourion is perched on a hilltop and is really something special. The coastal setting is stunning and there is a Roman Theatre and some incredibly well-preserved mosaics. The theatre and the House of Eustolius Roman villa are close to the visitor centre and were a bit overrun with tour groups. We figured they were on a whistlestop tour of the island as when we headed across the site to the agora, basilica and other villas, we left them all behind and pretty much had the place to ourselves.
The only other thing to add is that our Limassol accommodation, the Pefkos City Hotel was great. It has free parking, a pool and a nice restaurant and bar. But it is about a 15-20 minute walk to the main square in the old town. That was fine during the day and early evening but it wasn’t the nicest walk to do in the dark after dinner, so you might want to take a taxi. I’m sure there are also good hotels closer to the centre, but we arrived on an evening flight to Paphos airport and easy parking was a priority. So we were happy with our choice and very pleased that we included Limassol on our Cyprus itinerary.
For more ideas for European holiday destinations, why not visit the Europe section of my blog?