THINGS TO DO IN LIMASSOL CYPRUS
Limassol is the cosmopolitan city of Cyprus. Fun-loving, extrovert locals, many people from other countries staying permanently here, plus thousands of tourists, make a noisy and interesting mixture. Limassol is very versatile, and you can enjoy the sea or mountains, modern or traditional style, you just decide what to do that suits your personal style and likes. Limassol has it all.
Explore the city of Limassol
Visit the old city center
With old beautiful buildings, narrow picturesque roads, shops, restaurants and bars, and craftsmen of all kinds, the Old City is a very lively area and interesting to visit. Limassol Castle and Limassol Marina are in the same area, so you can combine a visit to them all.
Discover the city squares
There are many interesting squares around Linmassol. Saripolou Square and Platia Iroon, the Heroes' Square, are two to visit. Both are lively during the day and night, with many shops and restaurants for shopping and dining.
Go shopping at the commercial center of Limassol
Limassol is not just a tourist resort. It is also the biggest commercial port in Cyprus, an international Business and Maritime Center, and home to more than 200000 persons. To satisfy all these, its commercial center is very big and there are shops of every kind and for every wallet. The streets of Gladstonos, Agias Zonis, and Agiou Andreou, together with the many roads and sideroads around them, form the commercial center of Limassol. There are also many other commercial roads in Limassol, in the Amathus area to the east, in the Old Town area, and near the Limassol marina among others. Visit them for any kind of shopping.
Visit the parks of Limassol
There are many parks in Limassol where both locals and visitors go for relaxing in the green, peaceful environment. If you find yourself seeking a few moments of relaxation, then find a park near you and go for it, you will enjoy the time in the greens for sure.
Visit Limassol Marina
The Limassol Marina is not just a marina for boats and yachts to moor. It is also a place with many shops and restaurants, which visit hundreds of people every day. If you like the idea of spending time next to the sea, watching beautiful yachts, and having dinner next to the sea, then pass from the marina.
Molos, the Promenade of Limassol, Limassol old town, and Limassol Castle are nearby and you can combine a visit to all.
Walk the Promenade
The promenade is a very beautiful area next to the sea. It is a combination of a park, with activities for children, and many free events taking place many times. It is a place of social gathering for the locals, but many visitors and tourists also visit the promenade or Molos in Greek.
Enjoy Limassol nightlife
Visit traditional tavernas and taste Cyprus cuisine
Discover some of the many restaurants, bars, and other similar places with live music for a beautiful night out.
Visit one of the many beach bars of Limassol, for fun on the beach, right next to the sea.
Visit Limassol beaches
Visit the beach of Limassol city, Akti Olympion
Stretching across a large portion of Limassol seafront, Akti Olympion is the place where many locals and visitors enjoy the sea and socialize. A good opportunity to enjoy the sea.
Go swimming to other beaches in Limassol
Akti Olympion is not, of course, the only option for swimming in Limassol. The beaches of the city start at St Raphael Resort to the east of Limassol and continue throughout the city. In the city, there are more than twenty beaches, and many of them hold the Blue Flag Beach status. Blue Flag is awarded to beaches around the world that meet criteria like clear waters, facilities including changing rooms and showers for the swimmers, and access to the disabled among others. To the west of Limassol, i.e. towards Paphos, notable beaches include Lady's Mile Beach near the Salt Lake of Limassol, Kourion Beach, and Pissouri Bay Beach.
Visit archaeological sites
Visit Kourion Archaeological Site
Kourion Archaeological Site is of the more important ancient sites in Cyprus. Kourion was the capital of one of the Seven Kingdoms of Cyprus and its hallmark is the Ancient Theater, with a capacity of 3500 spectators. Built more than two thousand years ago, Kourion Theater is still used for performances like theater and music concerts.
Visit Amathus Archaeological Site
The remains of this ancient Kingdom of Cyprus are on the east end of Limassol. An interesting visit and a dive deep into the past.
Visit ancient Limassol castle and the Medieval Museum housed in it
The castle of Limassol and the Medieval Museum in the castle well deserve a visit. In the area around the castle, there are many restaurants, cafeterias, and bars. Many of them are very good, but there are also a few "tourist traps" unfortunately, so be careful. An easy way to know if a place is ok is the presence of locals, so if you see locals most likely it is a good place to visit.
Visit Kolossi Tower (or Kolossi Castle)
Kolossi castle is in Kolossi village, a few kilometers from Limassol to the west (i.e. towards Paphos). You may combine the visit to Kolossi Castle with visits to other villages near Kolossi.
Visit the Neolithic Settlement of Choirokoitia
Choirokoitia flourished between 6800 and 5000 years BC. Visit this very ancient town and see how the people of Cyprus used to live, 7000-8000 years ago. Interesting and impressive.
Visit Limassol attractions
Go to one of the many festivals in Limassol
Limassol Wine Festival, Limassol Carnival, and Anthesteria are the three main festivals for which Limassol is known.
There are many other festivals, concerts, theatrical performances, and other cultural events happening around Limassol, so watch during your holidays for where to go.
Fasouri Watermania Water Park
Fasouri is one of the biggest waterparks in Cyprus. If you like these places, and especially if you are on holiday with kids, Fasouri Waterpark is a very nice place to spend half a day or even a full day.
Fasouri is a village at the entrance of Limassol to the west. Going to the waterpark or returning to your hotel is very easy.
Limassol District Archaeological Museum
Limassol Museum houses artifacts from 9000 BC until the end of the Roman period of Cyprus. They come from excavations in both the city of Limassol and the Limassol district as well. The Museum is located in the historic center of Limassol, near the Municipal Park and the Municipal Zoo of Limassol. With free entrance, it is a must-see for everyone interested in History, Archaeology, and Arts.
Visit other museums in Limassol
There are many more interesting museums to visit around Limassol. Among them, there are theme museums like the Car Museum, the Carob Museum, and the Wine Museum, and other interesting museums like the Paradox Museum and the Akrotiri Environmental Education Center.
Visit the Municipal Zoo of Limassol
Relatively close to Limassol Old Town and Limassol Marina, is the small but interesting Municipal Zoo. It is in the Limassol Municipal Park and you can see interesting animals, birds, and reptiles from around the World.
Visit Akrotiri Salt Lake
For nature lovers a place to definitely visit. The salt lake hosts many migratory birds, among them flamingos and many endangered species. It is also the house of many local species. It is easily accessible as it is just 6-7 km from the Limassol Marina area, and very interesting for everybody.
Visit Troodos Mountains
Visit traditional villages in Troodos Mountains
Hidden in the dense pine forests of Troodos, there are many interesting villages to visit. Most of them have a long history and tradition to share, and there are restaurants everywhere in the mountains. Among the many beautiful villages, I just mention five, but there are many more equally beautiful and interesting to visit: Agros Village, Lofou Village, Platres Village, and Kalopanayiotis Village are four of them.
Finally, I would like to mention one of my favorite villages, Omodos. With a fantastic central square for food or drink, the very interesting Monastery of Timios Stavros, beautiful stone-covered alleys to walk, shops with traditional products, and even wineries for wine tasting, Omodos is a very nice village to visit.
Visit the Monasteries of Troodos
Troodos Mountains house many monasteries. Of them, Panagia Trooditissa and Kykkos Monastery are two monasteries almost a thousand years old. Both are built in idyllic places in the forest and have very nice icons and frescoes in addition to their centuries-old history. Kykkos Monastery is also famous for its production of Zivania, a traditional Cypriot alcoholic beverage made of grapes. They make their own version of Zivania, distinguished by its unique pink colour.
Visit the ancient Painted Churches of Troodos, a UNESCO World Heritage Monument
Among the many hidden treasures of Troodos Mountains, the ancient painted churches stand out. It is a list of ten churches, built between the 11th and 16th centuries AD. Just to quickly mention the names of these extraordinary churches and monasteries:
Church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis in Kakopetria village
Monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis in Kalopanagiotis
Church of Panagia Phorviotissa, also known as Panagia tis Asinou, in Nikitari village
Church of Panagia tou Arakou in Lagoudhera village
Church of Panagia in Moutoullas village
Church of Archangelos Michael in Pedoulas village
Church of Timios Stavros in Pelendri village
Church of Panagia Podithou in Galata village
Church of Stavros Agiasmati in Platanistasa village
Church of Agia Sotira tou Soteros in Palaichori Oreinis village
All these churches were built during the Byzantine Empire era. They are all decorated with very nice wall paintings and are good examples of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting in Cyprus.
For more information about the Painted Churches of Troodos, please follow this link to the website of UNESCO.
Go wine tasting
Wine tasting in the wine villages at Troodos Mountains. Follow the Troodos Mountains Wine Routes and discover Krasochoria, which means the Wine Villages of Cyprus. There are many vineyards in Troodos, which is the main place of grape production in Cyprus. There are many very good wineries for wine tasting and to buy your wines.
Visit the Waterfalls of Troodos
Yes, even in the heat of the summer there are a few beautiful waterfalls in Troodos Mountains. Of them, Caledonia waterfalls, Millomeri waterfalls, and Mesa Potamos waterfalls are among the more impressive, and easiest to visit. Of course, do not expect huge waterfalls, still, they are very nice and a nice excursion.
Day trips, half-day trips, and excursions from Limassol
Visit the other cities of Cyprus, Nicosia, Larnaca, and Paphos
Limassol is less than an hour's drive from the other cities of Cyprus, Nicosia, Larnaca, and Paphos. All three of them are beautiful and very interesting, so you can plan three different day trips, one to each one of them.
Visit Troodos Mountains
To fully explore the Troodos region you will probably need multiple visits to Cyprus. But for a one-day visit to the mountains, I suggest to combine a visit to 1-2 of the villages, 2-3 of the churches, and 1-2 of the waterfalls I mention above. It can be a trip of 2-3 hours, up to a full-day trip, depending on how long you stay at each of the places.
For lunch, I suggest visiting Psilo Dendro, a restaurant near the top of Troodos mountains. Order grilled trout, they run a small fish farm and the trouts are very fresh, coming from their fish farm. They also offer other grilled meats and chicken. A very nice and different place to dine, under the shade of the enormous trees.