Limassol District

Limassol, a celebration of beaches, fortresses and festivals is the second city of Cyprus. Situated in the picturesque location on the shores of the Bay of Akrotiri, in the narrow coastal plain between the two ancient Kingdoms of Amathus to the east and Curium to the west.

Explore Limassol's castle which contains the Cyprus Medieval Museum, or the Folk Art Museum, which is housed in an old mansion. Walk along 10 miles of beautiful beaches, known as the Cypriot Riviera. Stroll along the promenade gazing at the sea or visit the lush Municipal Gardens. Along the coastal road to the east can be found a wealth of restaurants, cafes, bars, nighclubs as well as the luxurious hotels, which lead to Amathus, one of the ancient cities. Where you can see the ruins and take a dip near the site of a ancient port.

There really is something for everyone in Limassol.

Places of Interest

Limassol Municipal Art Gallery - October Street
The recently-opened Art Gallery has on permanent display a representative collection of paintings of well known Cypriot artists.

Public Garden and Zoo - October Street
The gardens 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. 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 December 1912, on the hill of the prophet Elias at Ioannina, in Greece. His bust was placed there on the 14th June 1915.

Inside the garden, there is a small zoo. The visitor can see deer, mouffions, 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, l884-1956.”

Kolossi Castle - west of Limassol on the road to Paphos (Open 9am-7.30pm, daily)
A fine example of military architecture originally constructed in the 13th century, and subsequently rebuilt in the form it is now, in the middle of the 15th century. It served first as the Grand Commandery of the Knights Templar, and after the fall of Acre in 1291 for some years, as the headquarters of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Kourion Museum 
Collection of finds, from nearby archaeological sites, housed in a beautiful old house.

Ayois Georgios Alamanou Convent
Originally founded in the 12th century. The nuns, besides performing their religious rites, spend their time in icon painting, and the cultivation of flowers and herbs.


Museums

Limassol Medieval Museum - Limassol Castle (Open 9am-5pm, Mon-Sat, 10am-lpm, Sun)
Built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine castle. According to tradition Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England, here in 1191.

Limassol Archaeological Museum - Kaningos-Vyronos Corner (Open 9am-5pm, Mon-Sat, l0am-lpm, Sun)
Interesting collection of antiquities found in the Limassol area from the Neolithic Age to the Roman Period.

Folk Art Museum - Ayiou Andreou Street (Open 8.30am-1.30pm, Mon -Fri, 3pm-5.30pm, Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri. June-Sept 4pm-6pm)
This very beautiful collection of Cypriot Folk Art of the 19th and early 20th century is housed in a restored old house. The collection includes national costumes, tapestry, and embroidery etc., displayed in a very interesting way.

Archaeological Sites

Amathus - east of Limassol (Open 9am-5pm, Mon-Sat)
One of the ancient city Kingdoms of Cyprus where according to legend, Theseus left the pregnant Ariadne to be taken care of, after his battle with the Minotaur. There was a very important cult of Aphrodite-Astarte here. Excavations are still continuing at the Acropolis and Agora area of the ancient site. Numerous tombs have been found, one of them can be visited in front of the Amathus Beach Hotel
 

Kourion - west of Limassol on the old road to Paphos.
An important ancient city kingdom, and one of the most interesting and spectacular archaeological sites on the island with excavations still bringing new treasures to light. The magnificent Greco-Roman Theatre was originally built in the 2nd century BC and enlarged in the 2nd century AD. It is now fully restored and used for musical and theatrical performances. The House of Eustolios was originally a private villa, and in the early Christian period became a public recreation centre. It consists of a complex of Baths and a number of rooms with beautiful 5th century AD mosaic floors. The Early Christian Basilica dated to the5th century was probably the Cathedral of Kourion with a baptistery attached to the north side. The House of Achilles and the House of the Gladiators have beautiful mosaic floors. The Nymphaeum dedicated to water nymphs is still under excavation by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities.


Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates - west of Kourion
Apollo Hylates, God of the Woodland, was the protector of the city of Kourion. Archaeological evidence shows that the cult of Apollo was celebrated here from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Part of the temple has been restored, with the cella, the colonnade and the pediment.

Events

The Limassol Carnival (February)
The festival lasts for ten 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.

Anathestiria Flower Festival (May)
This festival takes place in May. “Anthestiria” were organised in Athens in honour of the God Dionysos, 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 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.

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.

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 Curium, 19 km west of Limassol.

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 8pm and 11pm. During the festival visitors have 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.