Limassol
Region: South Cyprus
A busy seaside city with a medieval castle, a clifftop Greco-Roman theatre at Kourion and wine villages in the hills behind.
Limassol is the island's second city and its liveliest on the coast: a long seafront promenade, a new marina, and an old town of narrow streets that fills with bars at night. It is also the best base for the wine villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos.
The old town and the castle
Limassol Castle, a medieval keep in the old town, houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum. Around it, the streets near the old port and the Grand Mosque are full of tavernas and restored workshops. The Molos promenade runs along the sea from the old port, with sculptures, lawns and the evening crowd.
Kourion and Kolossi
West of the city, ancient Kourion sits on a cliff above the sea. Its Greco-Roman theatre still hosts summer performances, and the House of Eustolios has mosaic floors. On the way, Kolossi Castle was a commandery of the Knights of St John, who made the sweet Commandaria wine that the area still produces.
Festivals and wine
Limassol's carnival, before Lent, is the biggest on the island, and the wine festival in late summer brings tastings to the city gardens. Up in the hills, villages such as Omodos and the Krasochoria have small wineries that welcome visitors.
