Limassol

Limassol is located on the south coast of Cyprus. While it is the second largest settlement on the island, Limassol is the largest city in geographical size, and the largest municipality too. Situated among old fertile land with olive trees, is the chief winemaker Limassol of Cyprus, a major tourist destination because of the azure shores of the Mediterranean and a major port.

Limassol is the second largest city after Nicosia and the Cypriot inhabitants of the southern city are over 250 000 inhabitants. The main airport in Cyprus is near Larnaca, which is the third largest city. The road from Larnaca to Limassol is about 60 km distance by taxi and takes about 30 minutes. Limassol is located on Akrotiri Bay, which joins the sea at Cape Gata. In the Gulf port of Limassol is the largest center in the Mediterranean transit trade. The port of Limassol began to develop rapidly after 1974.

Limassol is the crier of heritage for the ancient culture of the area. Within the city you can visit some interesting museums like the Museum of Medieval Art, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Traditional Crafts. The heart of Limassol city center has a modern look with beautiful new buildings, but if you want to get acquainted with the historical antiquities of the region, it is better to leave the outskirts of Limassol. The Limassol tourist base is well developed and offers everything you need. In Limassol is one of the largest and most impressive hotels in Cyprus.

Yermasogea is part of the tourist area of Limassol, where most of the restaurants and hotels are located. Limassol boasts a new Technical University (Cyprus Univeristy of Technology), built in 2004, which opened for its first class in 2007-2008. Limassol hosts two major festivals - Carnival and the Wine Festival in September.

The beach of Limassol is the longest in the whole of Cyprus. Famous beaches here are Ladies' Mile, 15 minutes from downtown, the quiet Governor's Beach, located near Larnaca and Limassol Kourion Beach - one of the most beautiful in the city, found amid the ruins of the Kourion ancient Roman amphitheater and a mountain peak, which is popular among Para gliders.

Ambitious projects in Limassol tourism are evidenced by the new marina of the city, which should be operational by 2011. It is located west of Limassol Castle, between the old and the new city port. The opening of the marina, which will has a capacity of 1, 000 boats will open new horizons in tourism of the city that will be attractive for marine yachts from abroad. Along with this will be developed adjacent restaurants and hotels for business meetings.

For the first time Limassol is mentioned as Neapolis (Nεάπολις) at the time of the Byzantine Empire. To this day it remains situated between 2 major historical cities- Amathus to the east and Kourion to the west, which are the main cultural and historical landmarks. Interesting to visit are Berengaria Castle, famous as the place where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria and Castle Kolossi.

The historical center of Limassol is the place where tourists can get acquainted with the traditions of the Cypriots, with their crafts and culture. The narrow streets are full of small shops, galleries and cafes, which are reserved space for artists. Limassol Castle is located near the old port and has medieval architecture from the 12th century. Later it was restored by the Venetians. Today the structure is not particularly impressive in appearance, but inside it is worth visiting the medieval museum.

The old port of Limassol is the place of traditional fishing boats, where you can find good restaurants offering traditional Mediterranean cuisine and perfectly cooked seafood. Near it is the Archaeological Museum of Limassol. Between February and March each year at Easter is held the Limassol Carnival, which takes place in phases named Apokreo, Kreatini (Meat week), Tyrini (cheese week).

The festivities began on Thursday for the meat week and the day is known as "Tsiknopefti". Wine Week is another flamboyant festival in Limassol, which guarantees unique experiences. The feast is accompanied with dancing, music and fun, it marks the millennial tradition of winemaking in the region. From July 2003 noted in Limassol is the beer festival, which takes place on the beach in the heart of the city. Admission is free and you can buy the best local beer at very low prices. The Shakespeare Festival is a charity event every year, which is held in the theater of the ancient city of Kourion.