Limassol.
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Overview

Limassol (Greek: Λεμεσός, Turkish: Leymosun) is the second largest city (after the capital, Nicosia) of Cyprus. Following the Turkish invasion in 1974, it has become the principal sea port and has also developed into a significant tourist destination.

Understand

Limassol is the second largest town in Cyprus after Nicosia, with a population of approximately 200,000. Apart from being a major tourist destination, it is also a principal hub for international business in Cyprus. This gives Limassol a more cosmopolitan feel compared to other district centers. Renovation projects in the old town and old port area are seeking to rejuvenate the historic centre, making it more accessible and interesting for sightseeing.

Local information Limassol Tourism Board website

Get in

By plane Limassol is about 40 minutes drive away from Larnaca International Airport and Paphos Airport .

Larnaca mainly serves traditional airlines, while most of RyanAir flights land in Paphos. Transfer from Larnaca is generally slightly cheaper even though the distance is the same. From Larnaca it's even slightly cheaper.

There is a regular shuttle bus service from Larnaca and Paphos airports. Be careful to arrange pick-up from the shuttle bus stops, as they are away from the central areas. Bus driver might provide assistance to arrange a taxi.

Limassol has the biggest commercial shipment port and a reasonable passenger port, with several regular cruise routes:

Louis Cruise Lines from Agios Nikolaos (Kriti), Beirut, Haifa, Port Said and Rhodes. St. Raphael Marina St. Raphael Marina on the outskirts of Limassol.

Additionally, Scandro Holding operates a ferry between Piraeus and Limassol. Crossings are 1-2 times per week during the summer months and fortnightly off-season.

If you are spending time within the cities of Larnaca or Pafos (i.e. not traveling directly from the airport to Limassol), you can take one of the intercity buses to Limassol. These are usually green in colour and have multiple stops within the origin and destination cities, but no stops once you are on the highway. There are also routes serving Troodos, Larnaca, Pafos and Nicosia. Updated timetables and further information can be found on the intercity bus website. If you wish to travel directly from either Larnaca or Paphos airport to Limassol, Limassol Airport Express runs a shuttle bus about every hour or so. Tickets can be bought at a desk in the airport. Be prepared to take a taxi or rental car to your accommodation, as the final bus station for this service is next to Agios Georgios Havouzas Church, which is in the outer suburbs of Limassol.

Travel Express run an intercity service using shared minibuses between the major towns in Cyprus. They can pick up from Larnaca and Pafos Airports. They are a lot cheaper than taxis but more expensive than the intercity buses, however, they take you door to door. Bookings need to be made in advance, however, if it's not full you can normally get on the next one.

Get around

The three main roads are: The Beach Road Makarios Avenue Griva Digeni (which transforms into Kolonakou / Spyros Kyprianou later to the east)

By bus The bus service has been upgraded, with more routes and better schedules, however waiting times may still be long. The principal tourist route is #30, serving the beach road from Le Meridien hotel up to New Port (Old Port after 18:00), which runs approximately every 15 minutes. You can find detailed information and maps on the EMEL bus company website.

By taxi Taxi is the most popular means of transportation for tourists, but are expensive and it is common to ignore meters. You can also try calling the taxi via the Bolt app, it will call an official taxi and the meter will be run through Bolt. It should start when your ride starts, but the initial value will be slightly higher than if you've hauled the taxi yourself. If a Bolt taxi arrives, they usually stick to the app (especially if you pay within the app), but they regularly have no cars available.

You're unlikely to catch a taxi even 1-2 km away from few central tourist locations. Taxi companies may flat out decline to send you a car if you call, especially outside the ring road or at peak hours. Some taxi drivers may give you their business cards, but these are typically a facade for the same taxi companies. Do not expect you can get a taxi outside the city or in a random location.

By bicycle The beach road has a dedicated bicycle lane stretching from the Old Port to the Dasoudi area. In summer, it gets very hot.

There are shared bikes available in Limassol center and along the bicycle lane to the east, operated by Nextbike. The easternmost location is near the Grand Resort, more than 10 km from the city center. See all locations.

The approach to driving within Limassol mirrors that of the rest of Cyprus, i.e. oftentimes aggressive and a lax attitude toward traffic rules. Be aware that there are a number of fixed red light and speeding cameras across Limassol. A tourist is most likely to encounter them along the coastal road, on which several cameras are installed. Traditional car rental is available at both airports and within Limassol itself. RideNow is a very affordable option for minute-by-minute rental within Limassol, and has coverage of nearly the whole city. For short trips RideNow rentals are often significantly cheaper than a taxi. Cars can be found scattered throughout most areas and are rented with an app. The only caveat is you must hold a European driving license to create a RideNow account.

See

The old town of Limassol is full of historic houses, both from the Ottoman period and the British colonial period. The area has been renovated, especially the street near the Limassol Castle.

Akti Olympion, a 7-km beach-side walking park area stretching from Municipal Gardens to the Old Port.

Kourion. Archaeological site that includes a well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre and other sites of historic importance, namely The House of Achilles, The Altar of Apollo and spectacular views of the Curium Beach.

Kolossi Castle. Former crusader stronghold

St. Catherine's Church. Roman Catholic Church completed in 1879.

Do

Governor's Beach. Long, sandy beach with many beach-side fish restaurants, and a beautiful white stone coast to the west.

Lady's Mile Beach. Long mostly-pebbly, partly sandy beach with several beach-side fish restaurants. Try watching birds at the salt lake nearby. There is a UK military air base in the area.

Visit the Limassol Wine Festival, every September. Party during the Limassol Carnival, every February/March. Truly colorful! Watch the Cyprus Rally every Autumn. Get drunk at the Potamos Yermasoyias (aka "Galatex") which has plenty of entertainment in the pubs, night clubs and cafes on the street and in the surrounding area. Visit one of the traditional buzukia (tavern with live music). Explore the Limassol Castle and nearby Old Town area. Visit Anexartisias street in the Old Town, a popular shopping area for both tourists and locals. Take a walk on the wooden promenade along the sea opposite the archeological site of Kingdom of Amathus. The Municipal Garden along the beach road is a good place to spend some time and catch some interesting flora. However the zoo is not that great.

Sport Football: three city clubs play soccer in First Division, the top tier in Cyprus: Apollon, Aris and AEL. All three share Tsirio Stadium (capacity 13,300) by A7 north edge of city centre. Limassol Marathon is held in Feb / March.

Buy

The traditional shopping streets are Ayios Andreas and Anexartisias street. These streets provide an ambiance of the old cobbled path lanes, away from the modern city. Several western style supermarkets (Carrefour, Debenhams, LIDL, Orphanidies etc.) are spread across the city and warehouse-style shopping centres have mushroomed on the outskirts of the city. My Mall is the biggest shopping centre in the area, located to the west of New Port. Sea Sponges is popular product of Cyprus, used as a bath/face scrub. Loofa is used as a bath scrub. Available at most tourist/souvenir shops. Also there is a Sea Sponges Exhibition at the roundabout at the Old Port. However, sea sponges may be pricey! The Lefkara Lace and other lace products may be brought from Limassol or other cities, as they may be often over-priced in Lefkara, due to a large number of tourists flocking there, especially during the tourist season. Opening hours for most shops are M-F 09:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00 (siesta time in between, outside of the tourist area most smaller shops are not open on Wednesday afternoons) and Saturdays 09:00-14:00. Only some convenience stores (Periptero in Greek) would be open 24 hours on all days.

Eat

Kebab can be optimum for a relatively cheap, fresh and filling meal. Be careful with colourful "tourist" cafes since those are often over-priced and offer low quality conventional sandwiches or English Breakfasts.

Try targeting restaurants that cater for the locals. You should not encounter a client/waiter language barrier as virtually everyone speaks English.

Many major western chains are present, including McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays and Taco Bell.

Fries with Benefits - Burger Bistro.

Kyrenia Fish Tavern. Beach-side tavern in Yermasoyia tourist area (opposite Mirage traffic lights).

Ocean Basket Germasogeia. Fish restaurant. Another branch in the western part of the city at My Mall.

Syrian restaurant. Lebanese-style tavern/restaurant with excellent meze in Yermasoyia tourist area.

Draught Microbrewery. Restaurant and bar in the Carob Mill next to the Limassol Castle. Specializes in grills.

Agios Georgios Alamanou Restaurant. Seafood restaurant outside Limassol situated on a white-stoned beach.

Drink

Drinking water: it is generally safe to drink water directly from the tap. Most apartments and hotels would have a separate tap provided along with the sink, for water that bypasses the storage tank on the roof.

Limassol has the reputation among locals of being the party capital of Cyprus. When Ayia Napa hibernates in the winter, Limassol powers on drawing much of the local clientele especially during the carnival season.

The Potamos Yermasoyia tourist area is littered with countless bars and pubs to cater for everyone's tastes and budget. The old medieval town centre is more popular with the locals and offers classier but pricier establishments. Most hotels will also have a variety of in house bars (either with a local or international twist), which are open to non residents too.

Sport is religion here and sports bars abound. Football is in your face everywhere, especially the British and Greek leagues. Being here during a European or World cup competition finals stage is only next best to attending the real thing. If there is a big European match happening, be sure to book in advance as you may struggle to find a table.

Zivania is the equivalent local version of Grappa or Eau de Vie. Drink frozen zivania shots at your peril.

Commandaria is a sweet dessert wine and a speciality of Limassol is worth tasting especially after a meze.

There are a number of coffee shops scattered throughout Limassol. Popular chains include Nero, Starbucks, Costa and Coffee Island. Most have bottled beer, water, and soft drinks available and provide free WiFi.

GSpot Beach Cafe. A laid-back beachfront cafe on the coastal road near Limassol Zoo. Frequented by locals, a popular place to pick up a coffee or smoothie and sit on the provided beach chairs.

Chesters. Irish-style bar in tourist area opposite St. Raphel hotel. Good selection of beers and food.

Salut Bar & Restaurant. Trendy venue combining bar and restaurant, with creative cocktails, brunch, Mediterranean and Lebanese dishes, and live music.

Draught Microbrewery. Restaurant and bar in the Carob Mill next to the Limassol Castle. Has its own small beer brewery.

Molly Malones. Irish-style bar in tourist area opposite Elias Beach hotel. Good selection of beers and food. Closed for the foreseeable future due to the gutting of its building.

Pralina Blu, beach-side restaurant and cafe opposite McDonald's / Luna Park in the tourist area.

7Seas. In Old Town. Probably the classiest live music nightclub in the town.

Dolce. Next to Amathus excavation. Nightclub which often has live music and international DJs.

Sleep

Apart from local luxury and boutique hotels Limassol boasts many branches of international hotels. However one can easily find low budget accommodation. An increasingly popular option is private apartment and villa rental.

As far as renting a Studio Apartment (with cooking facilities) goes, there are plenty of them around, and one may find accommodation easily, both long term and short term.

L'Onda. The forerunner of a new wave of boutique hotels. Pricy but classy. Highly rated and expensive restaurant, with a good selection of local wines. Popular with locals and tourists alike.

Parklane Resort & Spa. Considered as one of the best hotels on the island but you pay for what you get.

Amathus Beach Hotel. Member of The Leading Hotels of the World. A five-star hotel that does not belong to a globalized conglomerate but non the less, a worthy rival.

Four Seasons. A 5-star hotel. Getting a room facing the road can mean noisy nights, as this becomes a race track for locals after 22:00. Not affiliated with the global Four Seasons chain.