14 Top Tourist Attractions in Limassol

1 Old Kourion

One of Cyprus’s most spectacular archaeological sites, the ancient city-kingdom of Kourion (sometimes spelled Curium) has been ancient since Neolithic times, although the major monuments on show all date from the Greco-Roman period. The small theater (with seating for 3,500 spectators) was built in the 2nd century and then expanded by the Romans. It has been completely reconstructed and was destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century. The views over the rugged coastal cliffs and the Mediterranean Sea are fantastic here.

For mosaic fans, the most interesting area of ​​Ancient Kourion is next door in the House of Eustolios , which originally functioned as a rather beautiful private Roman villa, but was turned into a public recreation center and public baths during the Byzantine era. The fine mosaic floors here are exceptionally well preserved. Look for the mosaic of Achilles disguised as a woman and the famous four-panel mosaic depicting a partridge and the god Ktisis.

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Further along the edge of the cliff lie the ruins of a 5th-century Byzantine basilica building , a Roman Nymphaeum (decorated fountain), and extensive public bath remains. From here a short path leads to the small House of the Gladiators ; so named because of the mosaics of a gladiator fight that still lie on the floor on site.

Location: 20 kilometers west of Limassol

2 Limassol Old Town

 

Limassol’s lively old town is the most interesting part of the city to explore. Right in the center, on the main square, is Limassol Castle , built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine construction. Some of the earlier fortifications can be seen just inside the walls. This is where Richard the Lionheart of England married Berengaria, and later the Ottomans used it as a military base. The entire interior of the castle is now home to Limassol’s Medieval Museum with a fascinating collection of armour, weapons, religious icons and tombstones.

The main square is lined with cafes and restaurants that are always buzzing with Limassol’s bright young things. After soaking up the castle’s history, check out the city’s modern vibe at the innovative Lanitis Art Foundation (also on the main square), housed in an old Carob Mill and home to a rotating schedule of exhibitions. A hop-skip-and-jump east from the square is voluminous Limassol Cathedral , with a beautiful Baroque facade, while up a twist of an alley is the small Grand Mosque , surrounded by palm trees.

Location: Central Limassol, near Sp Araouzou Street

3 Kolossi Castle

 

Probably the smallest castle you will ever see; Kolossi Castle was built in AD 1210 by the Knights of St. John. It is a fine example of military architecture and served as the Grand Command center of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem until it was taken over by the Knights Templar in the 14th century. You enter the castle via a small drawbridge, which takes you to a large room with a decently preserved fresco depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus on the main entrance wall. A narrow spiral staircase takes you to the second level with two stone rooms and then to the parapeted roof with stunning views over the village of Kolossi below. Next to the main castle are the ruins of a medieval factory where the knights processed sugar cane.

Location: Kolossi village, 10 kilometers west of Limassol

4 Archaeological Museum

 

Just behind Limassol Municipal Gardens , is the city’s archaeological museum, home to an interesting collection of antiquities in the Limassol area dating from the Neolithic to Roman times. Room One contains Neolithic tools and pottery excavated at Kourion and Amathus as well as the city itself. It is a dazzling display of Cyprus’ vast history spanning a huge time span from 3000 BC to 1300 AD.

Room Two holds artefacts from the Greco-Roman era, including a beautiful bronze bull and some delicate figurines. Room Three contains some of the most important finds from the area, including statues of the Egyptian god Bes and the goddess Artemis excavated at Amathus. Outside, in the pleasant garden, is a sundial, once owned by Lord Kitchener.

Address: 5 Vyronos Street

5 Aphrodite’s Rock (Petra tou Romiou)

 

This is the legendary spot where the goddess Aphrodite is said to have emerged from the waves and is one of the most magical places on the island to be at sunset. The Greek name of the rock “Petra tou Romiou” or “Rock of the Greek ” is associated with the legendary Byzantine border guard Digenis Akritas. It is said that he kept Arab pirates at bay by throwing stones at them from the hill above.

Two large rocks protrude into the sea here, creating one of the most photographed beach landscapes in Cyprus. The setting has been the source of inspiration for many poets and painters; most famous Boticelli’s Birth of Venus painting (in Florence). Although the actual beach is gravel rather than sand, this is a top picnic spot and a must-stop for anyone tootling along the coastline between Limassol and Paphos.

Location: A6 Highway, 43 kilometers west of Limassol

6 Oude Amathus

 

According to mythology, this is the place where the god Theseus left the pregnant Ariadne after his battle with the Minotaur. Amathus has ruled since about 1000 BC and was one of the island’s original four city-kingdoms. The first inhabitants here were probably Mycenaean, although there is no definitive evidence to prove this. The remains on display today mostly date from the Roman and Byzantine eras.

During the Roman period, Amathus was an important port city that made money by exporting the island’s copper and timber, but the city’s glory days began to crumble in the 4th century after it fell victim to a series of devastating earthquakes. The ruins are scattered and there is not as much to see as in Kourion . The most visible feature is the Agora where a large number of pillars have been reconstructed and the remains of some early walls can be seen. On the hill above are the remains of the Acropolis and the Temple of Aphrodite , with the entrance marked by a large stone pot. At the bottom of the hill is a ruined Byzantine basilica .

Location: 11 kilometers east of Limassol

7 Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats

 

The Akrotiri Peninsula slides south from Limassol covered in citrus plantations and great stands of cypresses and with a salt lake at its core. Much of the peninsula is part of the British Sovereign Base of Akrotiri, although driving its length there isn’t much sign that you’ve passed from Cypriot to British territory. At the very end of the peninsula is the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats, founded in 325 AD, although the current buildings date from the 13th century. Above the northern entrance is a marble section dating from the Middle Ages and depicting four coats of arms.

The monastery gets its rather long name from the multitude of cats that dotted the grounds and were first introduced from Egypt here in the 4th century to try to control the peninsula’s snake problem. The method worked and instead of snakes, the monastery (and Cyprus as a whole) is now overrun by cats. The small community of nuns who live here sell their own jam and honey to visitors.

Location: Akrotiri Peninsula, 16 kilometers southwest of Limassol

8 the beach

 

For many visitors, a holiday in Limassol means one thing: the beach. The long, sandy eight-kilometer stretch of Lady’s Mile Beach (13 kilometers southwest of Limassol) is located on the east coast of the Akrotiri Peninsula and is one of the most popular local beaches, with the interesting landscape of the salt lake behind the coast. Kourion Beach (17 kilometers west of Limassol) lies beneath the mighty ruins of ancient Kourion and features a wide range of golden-beige sand backed by rocks, and the remains of a 6th-century basilica nearby – just in case you need a dose of culture with your sunbathing.

Avdimou beach (27 kilometers west of Limassol) is a long beach with a sandy shore, pleasant swimming, and a small cafe and jetty at the eastern end. Pissouri village (10 kilometers west of Avdimou) has an inviting beach with a pleasant stretch of sand. The village is perched on a cliff top and has plenty of lovely cafes and boutiques to visit once you’ve had your fill of sandcastle action for the day.

9 Plates

 

High in the Troodos massif is the tiny village of Platres, which bustles with visitors both nearby and in summer, as the coastal temperatures begin to sizzle. This is the ultimate high-hills resort, which first came to prominence in the British colonial period and has played host to many famous heat escapes including King Farouk of Egypt. Today it is a favorite loophole for hikers and nature lovers attracted by the lush and beautiful Troodos Mountains.

Despite the onset of tourism, the village has retained much of its traditional character. The narrow streets are lined with well-preserved, sturdy stone houses; many sporty creaking overhanging balconies. Just outside the town are the cool waters of the Kaledonian Falls , while those in the mood for more than a meander can put on their walking boots and make the descent into the village of Foini or, for something a little more exercise, the walk uphill to the village of Pouziaris . Buses from Limassol leave for Platres three times a day.

Location: 35 kilometers north of Limassol

10 Sanctuary of Apollo

 

Celebrating Apollo Hylates, the god of the forest and protector of ancient Kourion, this temple ruin dates from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Excavations have uncovered other structures that once stood on the site, including a bath complex, a pilgrim hall and a sacred area. Today, however, the triumphal pillars of the lonely main building are the only well-preserved part of what must have been a rather impressive religious compound.

Visitors can also visit the Priest’s House , where there are remains of a mosaic. A paved route then passes past the portico of the South Building and down a flight of stairs to a palaestra (sports arena) once used for athletic games. The Sanctuary of Apollo is located just three kilometers west of ancient Kourion and is best visited as part of a trip there.

Location: 23 kilometers west of Limassol

11 Lofou Village

 

Pretty little Lofou is all cobbled alleys and limestone walls and red-roofed houses – the epitome of the typical villages of the Mandaria region. Surrounded by orchards and fields of wild fennel, this snoozy spot is the perfect opportunity to wander aimlessly and soak up traditional Cypriot life. Old ladies sit on their front steps and gossip between the kinks of their knitting needles, while goats lie in back lanes filled with colorful baskets of geraniums and marigolds.

The Church of Panagia Chrysolofitissa dominates the western side of the village and is said to have been built directly on the spot where local shepherds saw a light emanating as they tended their flock. Investigating this phenomenon, the shepherds found an icon of the Virgin Mary and built the church here to honor her. The interior was built between 1854 and 1872 and offers beautiful frescoes depicting the lives of various saints and a particularly beautiful mezzanine.

Location: 24 kilometers north of Limassol

12 Choirokoitia

 

Choirokoitia

Choirokoitia is one of the most important Neolithic settlements in the world. Archaeologists working here have dated the remains of foundations of circular houses and tombs surrounded by a defensive wall to around 6,800-5,250 BC. Each hut had a flattened floor on the ground, raised platforms at the edges for sleeping, a fireplace and a central post to support the roof. The houses were built close together and connected by narrow corridors across the slope. The site has four main areas. The first area contains important remains of house foundations, including a larger house up to nine meters in diameter. The second area, further up the street, has houses B and C, where archaeologists have excavated numerous grave sites. Area 3 again has different house foundations, including house F, which contained 26 graves. The final area is at the end of the site, up the hill. From here you can explore the remains of thedefensive walls and it is possible to get a clearer impression of the site as a whole, which is, by the way, quite confusing.

To the layman the site may be somewhat disappointing as the basics are still there, but the significance of Choirokoitia cannot be underestimated. The work of archaeologists here has produced numerous finds, including decorated pottery and artefacts that prove this Neolithic culture was highly advanced. Most finds can be seen in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia.

Location: 37 kilometers east of Limassol

13 Kykkos-klooster

 

This Greek Orthodox monastery is one of the most important in Cyprus and was built under the orders of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I. After a local hermit received a vision of an icon of the Virgin Mary painted by St. Luke arrives in Constantinople, Cyprus (modern-day Istanbul) and convinced a local governor to go to the Byzantine capital to collect it. The governor, who had been suffering from illness, became well upon completing his mission and convinced the emperor to build a church near the hermit’s cave. Today, that same icon takes pride of place in the monastery, despite most of the original monastery structure being destroyed by fire. The current building dates from 1831.

Next to the monastery is a very interesting Byzantine Museum , which holds an important religious artefact collection belonging to the monastery. There is a huge amount of iconography, manuscripts and religious art here. Both the Kykkos Monastery and the Byzantine Museum are located 20 kilometers west of the village of Pedoulas in the Troodos massif.

Location: 74 kilometers north of Limassol

14 Pedoulas Village

 

Pedoulas is nestled in the Marathasa Valley of the Troodos massif and is home to a range of cultural attractions including the UNESCO-listed Church of Archangelos Mikhail , a fantastic Byzantine museum and a Folk Museum . The church is the village’s most famous tourist attraction and dates back to 1474 with some beautiful frescoes depicting Biblical scenes adorning the interior. The Byzantine Museum is dedicated to religious icons with many richly decorated pieces on display. And the Folk Museum is a wonderful place to get to grips with local culture, with exhibits on the history and distinctive way of life of the residents of the Marathasa Valley over the centuries.

Location: 54 kilometers north of Limassol

Official site: www.pedoulasvillage.com

Where to Stay in Limassol for Sightseeing

We recommend these excellent hotels and guesthouses in Limassol, with easy access to the beach:

• Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol: luxury beachfront resort, stylish rooms, multiple restaurants, private gardens, beautiful spa, kids club.
• Crowne Plaza Limassol: mid-range beach hotel, near the boulevard and the old center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, several restaurants, spacious rooms.
• Poseidonia Beach Hotel: affordable beachfront hotel, newly renovated, modern rooms, multiple pools, spa and gym.
• Niki’s House: affordable guesthouse, friendly hosts, small apartments with kitchens, supermarket nearby.

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