Limassol Attractions

Cyprus Mediaeval Museum - Lemesos Mediaeval Fort
Near the old port. Tel: (05) 330419
Built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine castle it houses the Cyprus Mediaeval Museum. It was here that, according to tradition, Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.

Kolossi Castle
14 km west of Lemesos on the road to Palos.
A fine example of military architecture, originally constructed in the 13th century and subsequently rebuilt in its present form in the middle of the 15th century. After the fall of Acre in 1291, it served as the Grand Commandery of the Knights of the Order of St.
John of Jerusalem. In the 14th century it came for a few years under the domain of the Knights Templar.
Nearby are the ruins of a sugar mill dating to the 14th century.

Lemesos District Archaeological Museum
Vyronos 5, near the Public Gardens Tel: (05) 330132
Interesting collection of antiquities found in the Lemesos area from the Neolithic Age to the Roman Period.

Kourio Museum
14 km west of Lemesos, 4 km before Kourion site, at Episkopi village.
Collection of finds from nearby archaeological sites, exhibited in a beautiful old house.

Kourion
19 km west of Lemesos on the road to Pafos.
An important ancient city-kingdom, and one of the most spectacular archaeological sites on the island where excavations still bring new treasures to light. The magnificent Graeco- Roman Theatre was originally built in the 2nd century BC and is now fully restored and used for musical and theatrical performances. The House of Eustolios, originally a private Roman villa, became a public recreation centre during the Early Christian period. 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 the 5th century, was probably the Cathedral of Kourion with a baptistery attached to the north face. The House of Achilles and the House of the Gladiators have beautiful mosaic floors. The Nymphaeum, dedicated to water nymphs, is an elegant Roman structure. The Stadium lies 1 km to the west on the right side of the road to Pafos and is dated to the 2nd century AD.

Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
3 km west of Kourion, on the road to Pafos.
Apollo Hylates, God of the Woodland, was the protector of the city of Kourion.
The cult of Apollo was celebrated here from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. The southwest side of the temple has been restored and excavations have also revealed other structures of this important sanctuary such as the bath complex, the pilgrim halls, the palaistra and a holy precinct.

Folk Art Museum
Agiou Andreou 253, Tel: (05) 362303
A beautiful collection of Cyprus Folk Art of the 19th and early 20th century is exhibited in a restored old house.

Lemesos Municipal art Gallery
26 Oktovriou 103, Tel: (05) 343212, 343383
The art gallery houses a representative collection of paintings of well known contemporary Cypriot artists.

Agios Georgios Alamanos Convent
Off the Lefkosia - Lemesos road 19 km from Lemesos.
Originally founded in the 12th century. The nuns, besides performing their religious rites, spend their time in icon-painting, the cultivation of flowers and herbs and the production of honey.

Panagia Amasgou Convert
Oft the Lemesos - Platres road, 1,5 km southwest of Monagri village.
The small church dedicated to Virgin Mary was built at the end of the 1 lth century. It has some rare mural paintings of the 12th, 14th and 18th centuries, equivalent in beauty and significance to those of Asinou and Panagia tou Araka. Part of the monastic buildings have been renovated according to the original plan.

Amathous
11 km east of Lemesos town centre, close to Amathus Hotel.
One of the ancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus where, according to mythology, Theseus left the pregnant Ariadne to be taken care of after his battle with the Minotaur. A very important cult of Aphrodite-Astarte flourished here.
Excavations have revealed parts of the Acropolis and Agora areas, as well as part of the upper and lower city. The remains date from the Archaic, Roman and Christian periods.

Trooditissa Monastery
It is 5 km northwest of Platres, 40 km from Limassol on the Platres-Prodromos road.
This beautiful monastery was originally founded in the 13th century. The present church dating from 1731 contains many valuable icons including a priceless icon of the Virgin Mary plated with silver-gilt from Asia Minor. A large religious fair is held in the grounds on the 15th of August.  
 
Kykko Monastery
Museum of Kykkos Monastery, Tel: +357 22942736.
Founded in 1100, the largest, most popular and richest monastery in Cyprus is Kykko Monastery, with a golden icon of the Virgin Mary, allegedly painted by Saint Luke. Not far from the monastery on a hill top, the tomb of President Makarios can be found. Religious fairs are held at Kykkos on 15th of August and 8th of September. The Museum of Kykkos houses an important collection of sacred vessels and Cypriot antiquities.  

Panayia tis Amasgou Church
Kourris Valley, about 20 min. from Limassol
The vaulted church of the Monastery of Panagia tis Amasgou belongs to the 12th century and is covered by a second roof made of wood and tiles. The church retains 12th, 14th and 16thcentury wall paintings. The Monastery is now run as a nunnery.  

Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis Church
About 5 km to the north of the village of Kakopetria, Limassol, (UNESCO World Heritage Site) The church of Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis "Saint Nicholas of the Roof" belonged to a monastery. It is completely painted with murals dating from the 11th to the 17th century and is considered one of the most interesting Byzantine churches on the island. The church took its name from the steep pitched wooden roof which was built to protect it from climatologically conditions.
 

Limassol Beaches:

Ladies Mile Beach
The beautiful Ladies Mile beach is located near the New Limassol Port and is only a 10-15 minute drive from Limassol Town centre. Here you can walk along the golden sandy beach, swim in the crystal calm waters or even have a go on the water sports facilities. The water here is shallow and very clear, so it’s safe for kids, and the sand runs for miles so if you’d prefer some peace and quiet you will be sure to find it here. Ladies Mile beach is one of the most popular windsurfing spots on the island due to its flat shallow water.

Curium Beach
One of the most appealing beaches on the island, Curium is a beach of unspeakable beauty. The sea is rough and wild, whereas the beaches are gentle to have fun on. The ancient Roman Curium Amphitheatre, which has been rebuilt, is directly above the Curium beach, and you may see hand-gliders riding above the Curium cliffs. This beach is also a popular sailing spot but can get overcrowded with swimmers. 

Pissouri Beach
This beach is located in the beautiful village of Pissouri. Its waters are clean, warm and safe to swim in with a beautiful sandy, shingle beach. During the summer there are a number of water sports facilities and there is also a small diving school for anyone who would like to learn scuba diving. Rarely overcrowded, except for Sundays when the locals have the time to go to the beach. There are also many tavernas along the beach which offer delicious Cypriot delicacies.