Things to do in Limassol, the Miami of Cyprus

Limassol, or Lemesos in Greek, feels like the Cypriot answer to Miami. Cosmopolitan and brash, cheerful and a bit vulgar.

Two skyscrapers and a state-of-the-art building resembling an egg mark the coastline. On the promenade, between the rhythmic tapping of stiletto heels, you hear almost as much Russian as Greek. Hefty shopping bags from premium boutiques dangle from the arms of dolled-up chicks from Moscow or Saint Petersburg. Nearly one in five residents of Limassol speaks Russian, eight per cent have a Russian passport.*

In other words, this is the kind of city where you want to plop down in a chair in a hip café to drink a complicated and overpriced coffee, and to watch the world go by. If that is not enough, you can also do the following things in Limassol:

1/ Visit the archaeological site of Kourion

Nestled atop dramatic cliffs, overlooking the sea, it is the location of Kourion that scores particularly highly. Even in ancient times long gone, before the advent of money-grubbing brokers, the Cypriots sure knew where to find premium real estate spots. On the day we decided to visit, alas, the wind raged like mad.

We didn’t let it stop us. In the House of Achilles, a mosaic depicts a meeting between Achilles and Odysseus. Achilles is disguised as a woman – a ploy constructed by his mother, who hoped he could avoid the Trojan War in this way. (In case you’re interested in Greek mythology, I highly recommend Circe by Madeline Miller.) It might be a good tip, too, for those in Russia who are mobilised but don’t want to die for that idiotic botox head. The Roman amphitheatre is a recent reconstruction and still hosts regular performances. A major earthquake destroyed the original in the fourth century.

Such a natural disaster can cause some serious damage (apologies for stating the blatantly obvious), which can be seen in the archaeological site of Kourion. The Earthquake House was likewise buried in rubble in the fourth century – archaeologists found skeletons of a family and their donkey, a snapshot of lives that ended abruptly. It was, however, not earthquakes but pirate attacks that heralded the demise of the city-state two centuries later.

In nearby Episkopi, the skeletons, as well as terracotta objects, are on display in the Kourion Museum. The Sanctuary of Apollo and the beach of Kourion are not far either, and therefore ideal to combine with the archaeological site. But as we were almost blown off the mountain, we called it quits for the day.

The archaeological site of Kourion: practical

• Public transport to the archaeological site of Kourion.
  Buses 16B (from bus station EMEL) and 18 (from shopping mall MyMall) run to the beach of Kourion and can drop you off near the entrance to the archaeological site of Kourion. The more frequent bus 16 is limited to Episkopi, one and a half kilometres from Kourion.
• GPS: N 34 39.852, E 32 53.262.
• Entrance fee: €4,5.

(Information verified in January 2022.)

2/ Spot flamingos (in another country!)

From Limassol, we took the bus abroad. I know, Cyprus is an island. But the United Kingdom, which held the reins here for a long time, never completely let go of Cyprus. Just like in Gibraltar, that strategic rock at the hinge of the Mediterranean Sea, the UK did not want to hand over some areas in Cyprus just like that. Akrotiri, an enclave in the southernmost outcrop of the island, seemed particularly useful to the British. And so we spent a day on foreign territory. Entering the United Kingdom after Brexit without showing your passport… it is possible in Cyprus.

Around the RAF base – which is closed off to snoopers – you can supposedly eat a fine English breakfast or the best Yorkshire pudding east of Hull. But we came for the birds. Limassol Salt Lake is one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean. Thanks to the local basket makers – when the Cypriot government drained wetlands all over the island, they protested. They needed reeds for their baskets.

As a result, people in khaki zip-off pants can now spot as many as 300 bird species on the peninsula, including hoopoes, honey buzzards and Kentish plovers. We came for the most iconic: the flamingos that land here in winter from the Caspian Sea. In a visitor centre, we peered through binoculars for minutes. Without success. Eventually, our eagle eye spotted about fifteen tiny pink pixels on the lake. Not as impressive as the colonies we once encountered in Mexico, but still pretty cool.

About two kilometres from Akrotiri, nuns take care of an army of street cats. Welcome to the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats. Although the cynic in us thinks the lice collectors are especially handy when it comes to filling the monastery’s coffers. When we visited, the monastery was closed for renovations, but that didn’t stop a few cats from lazily begging for food.

[Read more: how did Cyprus become the island of cats?]

We then faced the choice of walking back to Akrotiri – and taking the bus back to Limassol – or pushing onwards via Lady’s Mile Beach. The latter turned out to be an excellent decision – first, we walked through a desert-like landscape, then along dunes over a beautiful deserted pebble beach. At the end of the beach, near the harbour, we spotted a few more flamingos (and a flock of hysterical seagulls). Excellent day trip.

Akrotiri: practical

• Public transport to Akrotiri
  Bus 19A runs five times a day (twice at weekends) between bus station EMEL and Akrotiri.

Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre

• GPS: N 34 36.041, E 32 57.619.
• Opening times: daily 8-15, closed on Saturdays.
• Entrance: free.

Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats

• GPS: N 34 35.988, E 32 59.185.
• Opening times: daily 9-13, 15-18.
• Entrance: donation.

(Information verified in January 2022.)

3/ Relax on the beach

In Limassol, we slept in the apartment of couchsurfer Nikiphoros. A Porsche car mechanic, the man had two passports in his packets – those of Cyprus and the USA, a result of his parents’ mixed marriage. He had lived in Washington DC for years but had finally returned to his homeland. “Because I missed the beaches too much”, he argued. “They are unbeatable.”

And although we visited Limassol in weather that didn’t evoke swimming, we did enjoy the beaches. We already talked about Lady’s Mile Beach above and ignored Kourion beach because of the strong wind – just like everyone else, except one brave windsurfer. In the summer, they must be great.

Beach bunnies will likewise relish the city itself. A promenade connects palm tree-lined urban beaches, playgrounds, cafés and parks with benches. It invites you to stroll from one side of the city, where the egg rises above its surroundings, to the old marina on the other. On Sundays, the whole Limassol gathers here.

4/ Soak up the atmosphere in the old town

Nowadays, the suburbs of Limassol claw far into the country, a metropolis by Cypriot standards. It used to be different. A short history lesson.

In the late twelfth century, when an English boat shipwrecked nearby, Limassol was barely bigger than a village, overshadowed by Amathus to the west. Noble folk occupied the ship – Berengaria of Navarre, the betrothed of Richard the Lionheart, and his sister Joanna. Back then, a self-proclaimed emperor ruled over Cyprus with an iron fist. Isaac Comnenus was a bully who refused the women drinking water as well as entrance to the city. When the rest of the English fleet arrived a week later, they found them “outside the port of Limeszun, exposed to the winds and sea.”

Richard the Lionheart – seasick, hence grumpy – was not amused. Exploding with rage when he found his fiancée in such dire circumstances, he resolved to conquer Cyprus at all cost and to kick that lousy Isaac Comnenus out. But first, he married Berengaria in the chapel of what is now Limassol castle. Swiftly overpowered, Isaac Comnenus surrendered. On one condition – that Richard the Lionheart wouldn’t cuff him in iron chains. Richard agreed, he used silver chains instead. Isaac Comnenus died in a dungeon in Palestine.

Later on, different hands would further mould Cyprus. The castle served as the headquarters of the Templars when they lost the Promised Land, and the Ottomans also established their military base there. Earthquakes and armed invasions, however, shook the city’s foundations. “Only one wretched church remains standing, without bells”, wrote a traveller in 1480. At that time, the call to prayer was made by knocking pieces of wood together. If Limassol wasn’t a ruin already, then the Turks added the final touch. They razed the city to the ground, killings its inhabitants. It wasn’t until much later, in the late 19^th century, that Limassol revived.

Nowadays, the old centre of Limassol isn’t particularly big or impressive, but its old streets and neighbourhoods nevertheless entice spontaneous explorations of that rich past. Along the way, you will come across relics from every period – the cathedral with its grotesque facade; the desolate sight of the Great Mosque, surrounded by palm trees. The castle now houses a medieval museum, although the restaurants and cafés around it attract more people.

5/ Indulge in the feast called mezze

You haven’t been to Cyprus if you haven’t eaten mezze. Or so, at least, claims every single Cyprus guidebook ever written. We discovered a taverna near Nikiphoros’ house and wanted to experience that first-handed. Mezze is a never-ending parade of small – and less small – plates, a compilation of the very best of Greek Cypriot cuisine. First came Greek salad, pita bread and dips like tahini and tzatziki; this was followed by a series of dishes of seasonal vegetables, all expertly marinated, stewed or topped with generous splashes of lemon juice. I thought I knew what beetroot should taste like. In Estonia, after all, they like their root vegetables too. Nope.

I had already opened the button of my pants when the real work began – the meat dishes. Or, in my case, more veggies! Spinach, pasta, garlic fries, spring rolls. According to the experts, it’s important to preserve enough appetite for the grande finale, but we were already huffing and puffing. Fruits followed, as well as goat cheese with honey, nuts, banana and carob syrup. Conclusion: the Cypriots sure know what they’re doing in the kitchen. Without choosing extreme flavours, they find the right balance. And they’re not afraid to use olive oil and lemon.

But more than a culinary delight, mezze is an experience. And it’s pre-eminently a group event. From our table, in an authentic interior with decorations such as amphorae, dried garlic, wildflowers and guitars, I had a perfect view of a group of locals celebrating a birthday. Mezze seems to fuel man’s gluttony. At the other table, diners grew extra hands, with some grabbing new plates from the waiters (themselves clichés escaped from a comic book), others shovelling food into their mouths. All bulging jaws, excited chattering and loud outbursts of laughter.

The further the evening progressed, the noisier the group became. Also because they had to overpower the two musicians, plucking away Zorba the Greek-styled tunes. Inexplicably, those rousing rhythms triggered us to eat faster and more. The musicians would only leave our table after we’d crumpled a bill between two strings. By the end of the evening, everyone was laughing, singing, smoking. From a small iron carafe, the owner poured us a nightcap. And then rolled us home. What a night.

Mezze: practical

All around Cyprus, restaurants organise mezze nights. These focus on meat or fish, although smart owners will often make sure there’s enough to eat for vegetarians. Anete opted for the meat version but liked the vegetarian dishes more. It is, thus, completely possible to attend a mezze night if, like me, you don’t eat meat or fish. We ended up in Taverna Skourouvinnos by accident – in a suburb that sees few tourists. The full mezze experience cost €18/person (January 2022, drinks not included). Recommended.

• Taverna Skourouvinnos, 2 Fidia and Polixeni Diamanti, Kentavrou, Agios Athanasios, Cyprus. GPS: N 34 42.642, E 33 3.156.
• Public transport to Taverna Skourouvinnos.
  Bus 14 from EMEL to Estias, get off at ‘Charalampou Fteroudi – Agiou Mina’. From the stop, it’s a 350-metre walk. is het 350 meter wandelen.

Limassol: practical

Where to stay in Limassol?

We couch-surfed in Limassol, but booking.com offers plenty of options.

From Limassol to where?

• Paphos: lazy harbour town with ancient ruins and mosaics.
• Larnaca: beach life, an old Turkish district, museums, and flamingos.

* Note

Cyprus was one of the countries most eager to hand out ‘golden passports’ to filthy rich Russians who pumped gas rubles into the economy. Because the government failed to sufficiently check the background of Russian investors, criminals and oligarchs with Kremlin ties were also granted citizenship. It was only after the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine that EU members began to backtrack on this.