Limassol

Limassol has grown fastest of the Cypriot cities and now presents two faces: a wall of new towers along the eastern seafront and marina, and behind the old port a compact historic quarter that has been carefully restored. At its centre is the medieval castle where, by tradition, Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre during the Third Crusade, now holding the island's medieval museum. Around it run lanes of restored stone houses with craft shops, cafés and the old carob mill complex. A seafront promenade of several kilometres, planted and lit, runs east past sculpture and playgrounds. The city is also the centre of the island's wine trade, hosts a long-running wine festival each September and a serious carnival before Lent.

History

Limassol lies between two ancient city-kingdoms, Amathus and Kourion, both founded around 1100 BC, and its name comes from Nemesos, "the one in the middle". The area has been lived in since the Neolithic, but the town itself probably grew after the decline of Amathus around the 7th century AD; a bishop of the town, then called Theodosiana or Neapolis, is recorded at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, Bishop Leontios of Neapolis was an important church writer of the 7th century, and by the 10th century the town was called Lemesos. Its history is bound up with the Third Crusade: on the way to the Holy Land a storm drove the ship of Berengaria of Navarre and Joan of England here, Richard the Lionheart came after them, took the island from its Byzantine ruler Isaac Komnenos and celebrated his marriage to Berengaria in Limassol, and the people of Amathus were moved to the town. Richard sold Cyprus to the Templars for 100,000 bezants, and then to Guy of Lusignan, under whose dynasty, from 1192 to 1489, Limassol prospered, with merchants settling in the 13th century and Latin monasteries founded (Wikipedia, Limassol).

What you'll find

• Limassol Castle - the medieval keep and the island's medieval museum.
• The old quarter - restored lanes, the carob mill and craft shops.
• The seafront promenade - kilometres of planted and lit waterfront.
• The wine festival and carnival - the September festival and pre-Lent parades.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable; summer is hot and humid on the coast. The wine festival falls in September and the carnival before Lent, both of which fill the city. Evenings on the promenade are the pleasantest hours in any season.

Good to know

Rapid tower development along the seafront has changed the city's character and divides opinion sharply. Beaches within the city are grey sand and unremarkable compared with the west of the island. It is a working port and business centre first, so it has less obvious charm than Paphos or the mountain villages, and its appeal is food, wine and everyday life rather than sights.

Nearby

Kourion and Kolossi are west along the coast; the wine villages climb into the Troodos behind.

Key facts