Limassol is the island's second largest town and main passenger and cargo seaport and nestles to south of the Troodos mountains. Limassol stretches from the Phassouri plantations in the west to the ruins of Ancient Amathus in the east and is a kaleidoscope of old and new Cyprus with craft workshops, designer boutiques archaeological treasures and a medieval castle mingling with impressive new apartment bocks and houses. The Limassol District covers a number of villagers inland and many of them are wine-producing.

Perfect for businessmen and holidaymakers

Limassol has something for everyone. Many offshore companies are based in Limassol as it has excellent transport communications with the Middle East and many of the companies are involved with shipping. For the thousands of holidaymakers that come to Limassol, there are beautiful deluxe hotels many of them with the latest in spa resorts, smaller family-run hotels that are perfect for children and scores of self-catering apartments. Whilst older visitors enjoy the wealth of good restaurants and a stroll along the seashore, younger visitors can enjoy the vibrant nightlife with live music and discos that test everyone's stamina!

Limassol - with sport in mind

Almost every sport is well catered for. All the water sports are available at the various hotels and these include snorkelling, diving, parascending and sailing. Fishermen can enjoy either sea fishing with local experts or fishing in one of the well-stocked dams, Golfers will not be disappointed and those who enjoy horses can spend a marvellous day at the Elias Country Club that breeds beautiful horse and offers lessons and hacks to all ages. Cyclists can enjoy getting off the beaten track and ramblers will not be disappointed with the variety of walks that are available.

And with Royal approval...

Like the whole island, Limassol has a long and colourful history that can be traced back to earliest times- in the 13th century BC Ancient Kourion, to the west was an important community and by 100BC, Ancient Amathus had emerged as one of the island's ancient city kingdoms. The most famous event took place much later in the 12th century when the English monarch, Richard the Lionheart landed in Limassol and married his queen, Berengaria in Limassol Castle in 1191. His knights made Kolossi Castle - to the west of the town - their Commandery and began the lucrative production of the sweet dessert wine Commandaria which was soon exported to the courts of Europe. Limassol developed into a thriving town for more than 200 years with a succession of Knights Hospitaller and Templar who remained in Cyprus until a succession of negative events including earthquakes and Saracen raids urged them to leave and the town remained nothing more than a fishing port. Lawrence Durrell describes the town in 'Bitter Lemons of Cyprus' as 'gloomy and featureless'

Rapid development and expansion...but the old town remains

The town's modern development was prompted by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974. Limassol had to be developed almost overnight to replace Famagusta as the main port and major tourist resort. Today the oldest part of the town can still be seen radiating from the old port, whilst the new tourist resort stretches 12 kilometres to the east.

Discovering the old town is easy and is a real 'must. On foot so that you can pause and watch craftsmen in their little workshops or enjoy a Cyprus coffee at a street café. The Grand Mosque can still be seen that cared for the largest population of Turkish Cypriot worshippers and close by is a recently restored Hammam where visitors can enjoy a steam bath and a sauna. Limassol Castle is an absolute 'must' to visit because of its link to Richard the Lionheart and the Medieval Museum is also well worth a visit and the town's folk art museum at 253 Agiou Andreou has a wealth of old wooden utensils, woodwork, costumes and traditional jewellery.

A stroll after dark in the old town is also recommended as a number of the old buildings have been painstakingly restored into beautiful restaurants offering both local and international cuisines. The best way to explore further afield is to catch one of the frequent bus services or a taxi as fares are much lower in Cyprus than in many other countries.

Water- always the perfect way to cool down!

If you are staying in the town and fancy some watery fun, Wet n' Wild is the waterpark situated by the Limassol- Nicosia Highway and there is a second, called Water Mania, further west near Kolossi. Wet n' Wild is close to the main tourist area and is great for families and can provide many hours of fun - although suntan cream should not be forgotten!

Entertainment at night.

A well as enjoying a relaxing meal, Limassol offers many different forms of evening entertainment with two attractive theatres - the Markideion and the Rialto that both host a variety of musical concerts as well as a variety of dramatic events. Limassol has a number of different cinemas scattered around the town all offering the latest films and the chance to enjoy freshly made popcorn with the film! During the September Wine Festival there is plenty of entertainment each night and visitors flock to the town in their thousands to enjoy all the fun. There is plenty of free wine tasting, lots of international food to sample and the chance to try Cypriot dancing whilst you tread grapes of course!

Limassol as a stepping stone.

Residents and visitors alike really relish the opportunity of being able to enjoy a mini-cruise from Limassol port to Egypt, Syria and a variety of the Greek Islands. The cruises are offered by several different companies at amazingly reasonable prices and are usually just for three days, although longer ones are also available. Many visitors decide that it is well worth taking a mini-cruise as to visit the cruise destination once they have returned home will be less convenient and far more expensive.

Limassol for rally fans!...

The Cyprus Rally always interest both residents and visitors alike and this year will be the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship and is taking place between 18-21 April. The Rally Village is established by the shore and everyone is able to mingle with the teams and their vehicles at the village and then watch them in action at spectator points along the route.... Yes Limassol definitely offers a really special holiday for everyone!