Cyprus
Limassol
Cyprus's liveliest seafront city, with a Greco-Roman theatre on a cliff down the road and the wine villages of the Troodos an hour behind it.
Limassol is Cyprus's second city and its busiest port, a long seafront town of hotels, marina towers and late tavernas wrapped around a small medieval core. The old town clusters round the castle where Richard the Lionheart is said to have married, while the clifftop theatre of Kourion, the island's finest ancient site, sits just west across the bay. Behind the coast the land climbs fast into the wine villages and pine slopes of the Troodos, so beach, ruins and mountains all fit inside one stay.
Suggested stay
3–5 days
Language
Greek, Turkish
Currency
EUR
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Limassol
Kourion a Greco-Roman theatre set on a cliff edge above the sea, with mosaic-floored villas and a sanctuary of Apollo a short drive along the coast
The seafront a promenade runs for kilometres from the old port past the marina and the Molos park, with swimming and cafes the whole way
Wine country the Troodos foothills behind the city grow Commandaria, a sweet wine named after the crusader knights who made it at Kolossi
Eating out long meze dinners, souvla on the grill and halloumi in every form, with a late, busy bar scene in the old town lanes
Best time to visit
all year
17-31° days
34.685° N, 33.033° E
UTC+3 · Asia/Nicosia
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Weather & when to go to Limassol
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best all year
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Limassol
No bad season on the weather. July and August are hot and humid on the coast, the beaches crowd and inland sightseeing is best done early. In winter the sea is too cool for most swimmers and some beach bars shut, but the city keeps running and the salt lake fills with flamingos.
Top things to do in Limassol
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Kourion - the cliff theatre and the House of Eustolios
history scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedThe ancient city-kingdom sits on a bluff high above Episkopi Bay, and its restored theatre faces straight out to sea. Walk on to the House of Eustolios and the villa mosaics, then drive a few minutes west to the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.
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Limassol Castle - the medieval museum and the old town
history culture arts 👍 PopularA squat stone keep at the edge of the old port, by tradition where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre in 1191. It holds the Cyprus Medieval Museum, and the lanes behind it hold the old mosque, the covered market and the bars.
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Molos and the seafront promenade - walk or cycle the bay
scenic 👍 PopularA palm-planted park and promenade runs along the water from the old port towards the hotel strip, with sculptures, playgrounds and a cycle path. It is where the city strolls in the evening, and the marina's restaurants sit at its western end.
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Kolossi Castle - the crusaders' commandery
historyA three-storey tower west of the city built by the Knights Hospitaller to run their sugar and wine estates. Commandaria takes its name from this commandery, and the old sugar mill still stands beside the keep.
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Amathus - the ancient city on the eastern shore
historyOne of the island's old city-kingdoms, spread over a hillside between the coast road and the sea at the eastern edge of town. An agora, the acropolis and early Christian basilica ruins are open to wander, with the hotel strip close by.
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Akrotiri salt lake and Lady's Mile - flamingos and a long beach
nature wildlife scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedSouth of the city the Akrotiri peninsula holds a large salt lake where flamingos gather in the cooler months, plus a long, plain stretch of sand at Lady's Mile that locals favour over the town beaches.
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Governor's Beach - white cliffs and dark sand
scenicEast of the city, chalk-white cliffs drop to small coves of dark sand and clear water, with fish tavernas on the bluff above. Busy at summer weekends, quiet the rest of the time.
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Meze and souvla - eat the Cypriot way
food 👍 PopularOrder meze and let the plates keep coming: tahini, halloumi, sheftalia sausages, kleftiko slow-baked lamb, then grilled fish or souvla. Finish with a glass of Commandaria, the island's sweet dessert wine.
Best areas to stay in Limassol
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Old Town
Food & nightlife $$Castle lanes, old mosque, late bars
Explore hotels in Old Town →
Limassol Marina and Molos
Couples & sea views $$$Yachts, glass towers, seafront promenade
Explore hotels in Limassol Marina and Molos →
Germasogeia tourist area
Beach & families $$Beach hotels along the coast road
Explore hotels in Germasogeia tourist area →
Agios Tychonas
Resort stays $$$Resort hotels on the eastern shore
Explore hotels in Agios Tychonas →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Limassol
Getting to & around Limassol
Getting there
Fly into Larnaca (LCA), then about an hour west along the motorway to Limassol
Flight
Larnaca International Airport (LCA)
Larnaca is the island's main airport, about 70 km east. Airport shuttle buses run to Limassol in around an hour, and a taxi or hire car takes slightly less on the motorway. Paphos airport, a similar distance west, is the other option.
Coach
Limassol old port and city bus stations
Intercity buses link Limassol with Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos several times a day, each about an hour away
Cruise
Limassol port
The island's main port and cruise terminal; Mediterranean cruise ships call here, a short taxi from the old town
Drive
Motorways run east to Larnaca and Nicosia and west to Paphos; Cyprus drives on the left
Getting around
Walking
The old town, castle, Molos and marina all sit within a short walk of each other along the water
Free
City buses
Buses run the length of the seafront to the hotel strip and out to Kourion, Kolossi and the suburbs
TBC
Bicycle
A flat cycle path follows the seafront promenade, the easiest way to cover the long bay
TBC
Taxi
Plentiful along the coast road and at the port; useful for evenings out from the eastern hotels
TBC
Car hire
Worth it for Kourion, the wine villages and the Troodos, where buses are sparse; driving is on the left
TBC
Day trips from Limassol
Troodos Mountains and the painted churches
Full dayMountain villages
Pine forest, Mount Olympos and a scatter of small Byzantine churches whose painted interiors are on the UNESCO list. Kakopetria's old quarter makes a good lunch stop, and the air is noticeably cooler than the coast in summer.
Getting there
car | tour
1 hr 15 min by car into the mountains
Omodos and the wine villages
Half dayWine region
Stone villages on the Troodos slopes where vines and Commandaria come from. Omodos has a cobbled square round its monastery, and wineries along the way open for tastings.
Getting there
car | tour
45 min by car into the foothills
Paphos
Full dayMosaics and harbour
The Roman villa mosaics of the archaeological park, the underground Tombs of the Kings and a fort guarding the harbour. Stop at Aphrodite's Rock on the coast road on the way.
Getting there
bus | car
1 hr by intercity bus or car west along the motorway
Aphrodite's Rock
Half dayLegendary sea stack
Petra tou Romiou, the sea stack where myth has Aphrodite rising from the foam. A pebble beach and a dramatic stretch of coast, easily paired with Kourion on the drive out.
Getting there
car | tour
40 min by car west along the coast road
Nicosia
Full dayWalled capital
The capital's Venetian walls ring an old town of museums, churches and narrow shopping streets. The Cyprus Museum holds the island's best archaeology, including finds from Kourion and Amathus.
Getting there
bus | car
1 hr by intercity bus or car inland
A little history of Limassol
Limassol grew up in the Byzantine centuries between two older city-kingdoms, Amathus to the east and Kourion to the west, as both declined. It stepped into history in 1191, when Richard the Lionheart, sailing to the Crusade, took the island and by tradition married Berengaria of Navarre here.
The crusader military orders made it a base, and the Knights Hospitaller ran estates from Kolossi whose wine became Commandaria. Raids and earthquakes left the medieval town small, and it stayed a modest port through Venetian, Ottoman and British rule. After 1974 the city grew fast, taking over as the island's main port and later becoming a centre for shipping and international business.
A great earthquake devastates Kourion and the ancient cities of the south coast
Richard the Lionheart takes Cyprus and marries Berengaria at Limassol
After the fall of Acre the Templars and Hospitallers base themselves in Cyprus
The Hospitallers rebuild Kolossi Castle as the tower that stands today
The Ottoman Empire takes Cyprus from Venice
Britain takes over the administration of Cyprus
Cyprus becomes independent; Britain keeps two sovereign base areas, one beside Limassol
Turkish troops land in the north; the island is divided along the Green Line and Limassol becomes its main port
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+357
FAQs about Limassol
▸ When is the best time to visit Limassol?
Any month works on the weather. Spring and autumn are the easy pick: the sea is warm from early summer well into autumn and sightseeing is comfortable. July and August are the hottest and busiest, best for pure beach time. Winter is mild and quiet, with too cool a sea for most swimmers but good walking and the flamingos on the salt lake.
▸ How many days do you need in Limassol?
Three days covers the old town, the seafront, Kourion and Kolossi. Five lets you add a day in the Troodos and the wine villages and a day in Paphos, which makes Limassol a sensible central base for the south of the island.
▸ Is Limassol good for beaches?
The town beaches are long, grey-sand and convenient rather than beautiful, backed by the promenade and the hotels. For better swimming, head to Lady's Mile on the Akrotiri peninsula, Governor's Beach to the east or Kourion beach below the ancient site.
▸ Limassol or Paphos?
Limassol is the bigger, livelier city, with more nightlife, more restaurants and a working-city feel. Paphos is smaller and more resort-paced, with the stronger concentration of ancient sites. Limassol sits between the island's two airports and suits travellers who want to roam; Paphos suits a slower beach-and-ruins stay.
▸ Do you need a car in Limassol?
Not for the city: buses and the promenade cover the coast. For Kourion, the wine villages and the Troodos a hire car makes life much easier, as rural buses are infrequent. Cyprus drives on the left.
▸ Is Limassol expensive?
It is one of the pricier places in Cyprus, especially around the marina and in the eastern resort hotels. Eating meze in the old town and the suburbs is better value, and the beaches, the promenade and much of the old town cost nothing.
More in Cyprus
Larnaca
Cyprus's front door, with a saint's tomb in the middle of town, flamingos by the runway and a world-class wreck in the bay.
✓ best all yearNicosia
Europe's last divided capital, where a short walk through a checkpoint takes you from a Venetian bastion to a Gothic cathedral turned mosque.
✓ best Oct-MayPaphos
A small harbour town sitting on a Roman capital, with world-class mosaics underfoot and Aphrodite's rock down the road.
✓ best all year