Cyprus Interest

Limassol

Limassol is the second city with a population of 135,000 and lies on the south coast of Cyprus at Akrotiri Bay. It is a district administrative centre for the region and has a major port and a resort with sea-front stretching for about 15km. Chrome and Asbestos are mined in the district and wine, sugar cane and agricultural goods are some of the produce of the area.

Limassol is the centre of Cyprus’s wine making industry with the bulk of the vineyards in the foothills of the Tróödos mountains. Limassol hosts many festivals including the annual wine making festival in September. Limassol also has a new marina and an extensive wide promenade along the sea-front. Shopping facilities range from modern to some quaint traditional shops in the streets around St Andrews Street and Makarios Avenue. Limassol is also host to a number of the nightclubs in Cyprus.

Richard I of England is believed to have married Queen Berengaria of Navarre at Limassol Castle in 1191 and crowned her Queen of England.

Historic Buildings and Archaeology

Kolossi Castle
The Castle was built by the Byzantines around l000 A.D. Around the same period, a chapel was also built there. According to the legend, it was in this chapel that the wedding of Richard the Lionheart with Berengaria took place, when the king was landed near Amathus, on his way to the Holy Land during the third Crusade. When the chapel was destroyed by an earthquake, a new church of Gothic style was built in its place by the Knights Templar in the same year. With the extension later of the Castle the church came to be included in the Castle grounds. Later on, in 1382, the interior of the church (today’s basement chapel, cells, towers) became part of the castle.

The Castle was conquered by the Mamelukes in 1426 and it later on surrendered to the Knights of the Order of St. John.The castle first belonged to King Hugh I who gave it to the Knights of St. John in order for their support in his fight against the Muslims. The knights controlled sixty villages on the island and being such good farmers and having a great business sense, all villages were strengthened. Kolossi became one of the Knights' most valuable overseas possessions when they produced the famous Commandaria wine, which was sought after all over Europe and brought the knights fame and fortune. According to tradition the Kolossi Castle is where Richard the Lion-heart and Queen Berengaria spent their honeymoon.

The Venetians pulled the oId Castle down and used the stones to build the city walls, between 1559 and 1567. The Turks erected part of the Castle in 1570, using it for the defence of the city. The Castle was used as a prison, between 1790-1940. After a few minor repairs in 1951, it was temporarily used as the Archaeological Museum of Limassol.

Limassol Mediaeval Fort
Located near the old port, Limassol Mediaeval fort was built in the 14th century, on the land of an earlier Byzantine Castle and it houses the Cyprus Mediaeval museum. This is where it is believed that Richard the Lion-heart married Berengaria Navarre crowning her Queen of England in 1191.

Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
Apollo Hylates, God of woodland and protector of the city of Kourion was worshiped at the Sanctuary from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, when it was destroyed by an earthquake and abandoned. But it is still a beautiful place to visit; you can see the temple and beautiful columns and excavations have also revealed a bath complex, a palestra (a place for practicing wrestling), the pilgrim halls and a holy precinct.

Amathus Archaeological Site
Amathus is one of the biggest ancient kingdoms on the island. According to legend, Ariadne, the beautiful daughter of Minos, fled Crete with Theseus and went to Amathus where he abandoned her while she was pregnant to fight the Minotaur. There is historical evidence here from at least 3000 years ago. One of the excavator’s most significant finds was a temple built high on the cliff, where they worshiped Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. It’s a beautiful place to visit, built on the coastal cliffs with an amazing view of the sea, visitors get to explore the area and see the beautiful archaeological treasures

Monasteries and Churches

Agios Georgios Alamanos Convent
The monastery of Agios Georgios Alamanos was founded in the 12th century. Besides performing their religious rites, the nuns put emphasis on icon painting, cultivation of flowers and herbs, and the production of honey.

Panayía tis Amasgou Convent
The small convent of Panayía tis Amasgou was built at the end of the 11th century and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Here you will see some rare mural paintings, dating back to the 12th, 14th and 18th centuries that add to the beauty of this convent.

Museums and Galleries

The Archaeological Museum
The museum provides a very interesting collection of antiquities found in the district of Limassol, dating from the Neolithic age to the Roman period.
Some of the archaeological discoveries are: Stone axes of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period, potteries and objects of the ancient cities of Curium and Amathus, as well as roman terra cottas, gold jewellery, coins, sculptures, columns, vases, earrings, rings, necklaces, marble statues etc.

The Municipal Art Gallery
The Gallery has a splendid collection of paintings, including works of Cypriot artists, on permanent display.

The Medieval Museum
This rich medieval museum is found inside the castle of the town, which is close to the old port. The collection that the museum provides covers the era of 400 - l870 A.D. A visitor can see numerous exhibits: cannons, wood carvings of the 17th and 18th century, paintings and tombstones, statues, suits of armour, coins, terracotta, metalware and pottery, glass and marble artifacts.
According to the tradition, Richard the Lionheart is said to have married Queen Berengaria of Navarre in this castle in 1191 and crowned her Queen of England.

Kourion Museum
The Kourion Museum houses a collection of finds from nearby archaeological sites. In the main exhibition there are finds from Kaloriziki, including terra cotta lamps and figurines. There are many fascinating finds from Kourion, such as the marble head of Aphrodite from the 2nd century A.D. Many of the other exhibition rooms contain interesting collections from prehistoric sites in the area.

Folk Art Museum
A wonderful collection of Cyprus folk art from the 19th and early 20th century is exhibited in this beautifully preserved old house. The museum was first established in 1985 and due to its hundreds of hand made exhibits that protect and enhance the cultural heritage of Cyprus, it was awarded the Europa Nostra Award in 1989. Some of the museums' most fascinating objects are its national costumes, tapestry, embroidery, wooden chests, waistcoats, men’s jackets, necklaces, a variety of light clothes, town costumes, country tools etc.

Celebrations & Events

The Limassol Carnival
The festival lasts for ten (10) days, with jolly and amusing masquerading. This custom is very old, going back to pagan rituals. With the passage of time it has acquired a different, purely entertaining character, with a large, popular following. The festival starts with the entrance parade of the King Carnival, followed by a fancy-dress competition for children. During the Carnival parade in the main streets, large crowds from all over the island gather to watch the floats with the serenade and other masqueraded groups. Many fancy-dress balls and parties take place at many hotels every night.

"Anthestiria" - Flower Festival (May)
This festival takes place in May. "Anthestiria" were organised in Athens in honour of the God Dionysus, the divine protector of the theatre. They were also the festival of souls and plants celebrating the rebirth of man and nature. Nature beauty is celebrated during the flower festival.
Nature’s beauty is celebrated in Limassol, with flower parades and exhibitions of plants and flowers.

"Kataklysmos" - Festival of the Flood (June)
Kataklysmos is a festival which takes place near the sea shore of Limassol, on the Sunday of the Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Spirit. It is unique in its kind and has a paganistic character.
We don't know for certain what the origins of this festival were. A lot of people believe that kataklysmos originated from the ancient ceremonies in honour of Aphrodite and Adonis. The custom of throwing sea, river or lake-water at one another has prevailed both in areas near the sea and inland of Limassol.
On Sunday and Monday, a variety of dance and song competitions take place. Popular songs known as "chatista" are sung by different singing groups which complete each other.

Shakespearean nights (June)
The Shakespeare festival is a charity event annually organized by the Society for Chest Diseases at the ancient theatre of Curium.
There, Shakespeare’s plays are staged, in a fascinating environment in the open air theatre of Curium. The performances attract large audiences from Cyprus and abroad.

The Wine Festival (September)
During the first quarter of September, the great Wine Festival of Cyprus takes place in the Municipal Garden of Limassol, every evening between 8.00 hrs - 23.00 hrs. During the festival the visitor has the chance to taste some of the best Cyprus wines, which are offered free of charge. On some evenings, various groups from Cyprus and abroad perform folk dancing and there are also choirs and others.

Ancient Greek Drama Festival (July - August)
This cultural event is organized by the Cyprus Tourism Organization and the Cyprus Theatre Organization. Performances of ancient dramas and comedies are presented in Greek and are held in the ancient Theatre of Citrium, 19 km west of Limassol.

Limassol Wine Festival
In ancient times, Greeks would have spectacular celebrations dedicated to Dionysus, the God of Wine, and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty. The Limassol Wine Festival is today’s equivalent to the ancient celebrations dedicated to them. The first wine festival was organised in 1961 offering to Cypriots and visitors a taste of Cypriot wine and a fun, comfortable atmosphere. Since 1962 the emblem of this festival is the giant replica of a Cypriot vine grower in his traditional local costume, and his slogan “Drink wine, it gives you life”. The festival has been an annual event since then, offering free wine, Cypriot food, traditional music and dancing, attracting thousands of Cypriots and visitors alike.

The Limassol Carnival
The Limassol Carnival is an essential institution, a tradition for the citizens of Limassol. The festivities last for a whole week with fun and amusing masquerading, starting with the entrance parade of the King Carnival, which is followed by a fancy-dress competition for children. Large crowds from all over the island gather in the Carnivals main streets to watch the floats and the remarkable amount of people masqueraded, walking and dancing along with the floats.

Anthestiria – Flower Festival
The flower festival, which takes place during May, is a celebration of nature's beauty during spring, anthestiria derives from the Greek word anthos meaning flower. The origin of the Anthestiria goes back to ancient times, when festivals were organised in honour of god Dionysus, the divine protector of the theatre.

Kataklysmos - Festival of the flood
Forty days after Easter, Limassol bursts into action celebrating the Kataklysmos, splashing each other with water, which is said to symbolise the purification of the body and soul. According to Greek mythology the celebrations are in honour of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, who it’s said was born at Petra tou Romiou, a series of rock formations off the south coast of Cyprus. The annual festival takes place near the sea shore of Limassol during June and adults and kids alike will find it very fun.

Potamós Yermasóyias
The occasionally lurid “strip” at Potamós Yermasóyias, Lemsos, provides Ayía Nápa’s only serious competition in the island-nightlife sweepstakes.

Beaches

Ladies Mile Beach
The beautiful Ladies Mile beach is located near the New Limassol Port and is only a 10-15 minute drive from Limassol Town centre. Here you can walk along the golden sandy beach, swim in the crystal calm waters or even have a go on the water sports facilities. The water here is shallow and very clear, so it’s safe for kids, and the sand runs for miles so if you’d prefer some peace and quiet you will be sure to find it here. Ladies Mile beach is one of the most popular windsurfing spots on the island due to its flat shallow water.

Curium Beach
One of the most appealing beaches on the island, Curium is a beach of unspeakable beauty. The sea is rough and wild, whereas the beaches are gentle to have fun on. The ancient Roman Curium Amphitheatre, which has been rebuilt, is directly above the Curium beach, and you may see hand-gliders riding above the Curium cliffs. This beach is also a popular sailing spot but can get overcrowded with swimmers.

Pissouri Beach
This beach is located in the beautiful village of Pissouri. Its waters are clean, warm and safe to swim in with a beautiful sandy, shingle beach. During the summer there are a number of water sports facilities and there is also a small diving school for anyone who would like to learn scuba diving. Rarely overcrowded, except for Sundays when the locals have the time to go to the beach. There are also many taverns along the beach, which offer delicious Cypriot delicacies.

Sports and Activities

The Public Garden and the Zoo
They are situated on the coastal road. They provide a great variety of vegetation: eucalyptus trees, pine trees and cypresses. In this beautiful environment the citizens of Limassol and many visitors can walk around and enjoy themselves.
The two stone statues of lions, which were placed in the south entrance of the garden in 1911, keep wakeful guard over the garden and its visitors. A little further, there is the magnificent bust of Christodoulos Sozos, a hero who was a Mayor of Limassol, and a Member of Parliament. He died while he was fighting for liberty and democracy on the 6th of December 1912, on the hill of the prophet Elias at loannina, in Greece. His bust was placed there on the 14th June 1915.
Inside the garden, there is a small zoo. There, the visitor can see deer, moufflons, ostriches, pheasants, tigers, lions, an elephant, monkeys, vultures, pelicans and other animals and different kinds of birds.
Not far from the zoo there is the small natural history museum and the garden theatre that is reconstructed to host famous international groups. A few yards away there is the bust of the Limassolian writer N. Nicolaides bearing the inscription “Nicos Nicolaides Artist, a distinguished writer, 1884-1956”.

Sports
Other than spending all your time on the sandy beaches of Limassol. There are many sporting activities you can do in your spare time. You can play football, volleyball, tennis and even go horse trekking. There is also a great golf course in Limassol for golfers and beginners alike. But whilst on the beach, it’s worth taking advantage of the water-sports, offering something for everyone, whether you’re into jet-skiing. Snorkelling or just relaxing on a pedalo, you’ll have a great choice of activities.

Golf
One of Cyprus’s three world-class golfing complexes, Aphrodite Hills is located near the town of Pissouri among the olive groves.