Cyprus may be known for its beach resorts but the Mediterranean’s third largest island promises much more, including the city of Limassol on the southern coast.
From the Crusader Richard the Lionheart — who married here in 1191 — to Venetian, Ottoman and, between 1878 and 1960, British rule, its history is as layered as the honey-soaked baklava sold across town.
Limassol’s population exploded as people fled south after the 1974 Turkish invasion of north Cyprus, and today the city’s festivals and the annual carnival in February or March thrive. With about 250,000 inhabitants, it is small compared with many European second cities (Nicosia is the island’s capital), but the soaring skyline represents the investment that has flowed into businesses, while its universities ensure a youthful energy.
From its low-rise old town Limassol expands along the hotel-studded south coast, and the swish new marina thrums with bars and restaurants where tables are laden with plates of mezze and cats inevitably curl underneath.
Morning Walk the old town
Lunch Limassol Agora
Afternoon Revecca Winery
Drink Wagmi
Evening Browse local shops
Dinner Dionysus Mansion
Morning Kourion archaeological site and Kolossi Castle
Lunch Sykaminia
Afternoon Diatehnon Arts & Culture
Drink Vinylio Wine Etc
Evening Walk the promenade
Dinner Afxentis Fish Restaurant
What to see and doWalk the old town
A street in Limassol’s old town leading to Ayia Napa Cathedral
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Dig through Limassol’s past on an exploration of its old town. Wind through the Turkish Quarter to 16th-century Limassol Castle and its museum (entry £4) before popping into the revered late-Victorian Ayia Napa Cathedral, with its hints of Byzantine architecture. Spare five minutes for the Carob Museum to learn about the cultivation of what was once Cyprus’s most important crop, carob, known as “black gold” (free entry).
Revecca Winery
Revecca Winery specialises in producing a sweet wine that only a handful of villages in Cyprus can make
A 30-minute drive north of Limassol takes you to the family-run Revecca Winery, which specialises in producing commandaria, a protected designation of origin-certified sweet wine that only 14 villages in Cyprus can make. Meet enigmatic Nikolas Christodoulides, who will inform you of wine and grape varieties and three types of this tipple, produced since ancient times (house tour and tasting £9; reveccawinery.com).
Browse local products
After bagging roasted beans at Wagmi, peruse the bulging shelves at BioSelect, a pharmacy of fine certified-organic skin and beauty products from Greece and Cyprus (bioselect.gr). Find goods made from donkey milk, beeswax, olive oil and wine, then cross the road to Emilie Store for indie jewellery, accessories and clothes (emilie.gr).
• Read our full travel guide to Cyprus
Kourion archaeological site and Kolossi Castle
Limassol grew from the 7th century after the demise of two ancient city-kingdoms, Kourion and Amathus. You can wander the remains of antiquity at Kourion archaeological site — about eight miles west of Limassol — inhabited since the 12th century BC. Highlights include the restored 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman theatre, exquisite mosaics and a bath house (entry £4). On your return, stop at Kolossi Castle, about seven minutes’ drive away, for a glimpse of the 15th-century Crusader tower (entry £2). Take the No 16 bus from Limassol to both sites (£1.75 per journey).
Diatehnon Arts & Culture
In an ode to the island’s millennia-long connection with pottery, book to get creative with a two-hour ceramic workshop at Diatehnon Arts & Culture (workshop £44pp; diatehnon.com). Discover the many benefits of this satisfying craft before visiting Cat Kerameas, a nearby workshop selling handmade bowls, plates and decorations (instagram.com/kattos.catkerameas).
Walk the promenade
Limassol’s promenade is a great spot to watch the sun set
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Lining Limassol’s seafront is a well-tended promenade, which offers a front-row seat at sunset. Running for a kilometre, it’s hemmed with palms, grass, pools and playgrounds, with sandy beaches and sheltered swimming areas giving way to the sea.
Where to eat and drinkLimassol Agora
Living up to its ancient Greek name, the Agora is a lively food hall that dishes up plates from around the globe, including Portuguese barbecued chicken, tubs of handmade pasta and Uzbek pilaf. It comes with the characterful twist of being in what was the municipal market, built in 1918, with fan windows and lofty ceilings amid the modern warehouse aesthetic (mains from £9; limassolagora.com).
Wagmi
Wagmi serves award-winning coffee
Escape the hubbub in white-walled “We are all going to make it”, aka Wagmi. This minimalist haven has been going for two years, scooping awards for its coffee along the way. Take a seat for steaming signature beverages, local wines and small plates such as grilled lettuce with pumpkin cream and gorgonzola for the voracious (drinks from £3; wagmicoffee.com).
Dionysus Mansion
Dionysus Mansion serves traditional mezze
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Prepare for an evening of creative fine Cypriot dining at this former residence turned restaurant. Traditional mezze sparkles under the chef Dimitris Haidemenos, whose touch transforms staples such as halloumi and simple salads into flavourful masterpieces including slow-cooked lamb marinated in orange and rosemary, which slides right off the bone (mains from £14; dionysusmansion.com).
Sykaminia
This traditional taverna is swirling in organised chaos, dishes flowing freely from the kitchen. The changing blackboard menu at Sykaminia may be in Greek but the warm staff will ensure you’re well looked after. It’s known for its rabbit stew, while the beans in tomato sauce are sensational (mains from £13; sikaminia.com).
Vinylio Wine Etc
The clue is in the name at this contemporary taverna, usually packed inside and out with locals and visitors. With more than 80 wines from Cyprus and vineyards further afield, it’s a fun and friendly spot, ideal for an aperitif. Sip to the sound of live jazz at the weekend (drinks from £4; fb.com/vinylio.limassol).
Afxentis Fish Restaurant
Go hungry to Afxentis Fish Restaurant, renowned for its seafood mezze, in which the ubiquitous Cypriot village salad (thick with cucumber, tomatoes and feta), pasta and bean dishes are complemented by ample plates of grilled whole fish and calamari. Expect a warm welcome and possibly a fiery parting shot of zivania (mezze selection £26pp; fb.com/AfxentisFishRestaurant).
Where to stayNYX Limassol
The rooftop bar and pool at NYX Limassol has superb views out to sea
For dazzling coastal views
Rising high above Limassol’s promenade, the 189-room NYX Limassol knows it’s the coolest kid on the seafront. The lobby has a jungle-themed bar and hosts exhibitions of local art. Meanwhile, the rooftop bar lets the sweeping south-coast views do the talking — and it has a swimming pool (B&B doubles from £111; nyx-hotels-cyprus.com/nyx-limassol).
Old Port Hotel
A revamped spot
Sleep surrounded by centuries of history at the Old Port Hotel. The sleek residence recently had a revamp and its 23 boutique rooms, from standard doubles to junior suites, are modern, with muted natural tones. It operates on an optional B&B basis. The adjacent Jam Restaurant Café is the place for everything from a continental breakfast to dinner and drinks accompanied by live music (B&B doubles from £174; oldporthotel.com.cy).
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Royal Apollonia
Royal Apollonia is a 20-minute drive from central Limassol
A beach resort away from the centre
The luxurious Royal Apollonia, refurbished in 2023, has 204 spacious rooms but doesn’t feel crowded, perhaps because of its long, lean spread along the beachfront on the eastern edge of the city. Start the day strong with a mimosa from the extensive breakfast buffet, while flavours zing through gyoza, tuna and steak at the in-house restaurant Akakiko Japanese. Opt for a Superior Sea View room, where sunrises and sunsets are all but guaranteed. The No 30 bus for central Limassol departs from the front of the hotel and the journey takes about 20 minutes (B&B doubles from £175; royalapollonialimassol.com).
Getting there
Limassol is approximately equidistant between Paphos (60km) and Larnaca (67km) airports, to where airlines such as easyJet and Jet2 fly direct from the UK in less than five hours. Limassol Airport Express runs buses year-round from Paphos (about 45 minutes, £8) and Larnaca airports (about one hour, £9; limassolairportexpress.eu). The best way to explore Limassol is by hiring a car; Cypriots drive on the left.
Visit responsibly
Summers are hot and busy, so make the most of lower prices and temperatures by visiting out of peak season. Come in spring for the blossom or autumn or winter for spectacular skies. Extend your stay to hike quiet trails in the Troodos Mountains, visit wine villages and empty Unesco ruins, all from your base in Limassol.
Kirsten Henton was a guest of Visit Cyprus (visitcyprus.com)