Limassol sightseeing?
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Under The Cyprus Sun.
It's fair to say that Limassol sightseeing opportunities are a little thin on the ground if you're looking for a plethora of history, art and culture. However the whole approach towards tourism and island visitors seems to be evolving so maybe in months to come I will be able to update these pages with new and interesting places to visit.
Until then..... for those of you that would like a couple of hours away from the beach, why not take a walk around the Limassol castle down at the Old Port.
Limassol Medieval Castle played host to Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades and is supposedly where he married Berengaria of Navarre. The wedding took place in the castle chapel before Richard went onto crown Berengaria Queen of England in 1191.
Later in its history the castle was used as a gaol by the Ottomans (Turks) in 1570 and during British rule as a police station.
Currently it houses the Cyprus Medieval museum where an interesting array of artefacts and weaponry can be viewed.
The views across Limassol skyline to the Troodos Mountains that cradle the city are worth the brief climb to the roof and the gardens are a pleasant place to sit and plan the rest of your day.
If you visit late morning it makes a very pleasant half day Limassol sightseeing excursion before having a relaxing lunch at one of the tavernas clustered round the castle walls.
If castles are your bag and you fancy a bit more of the same, travel out of Limassol on the highway going west towards Paphos and turn off to Kolossi. This is where you'll find another medieval stronghold closely linked with both Richard the Lionheart and the Knights Templar.
For those of you who prefer your sightseeing excursions of the more classical variety how about visiting a couple of antiquity sites that can be easily tacked onto a daytrip that starts at Kolossi Castle.
Leaving Kolossi head towards Paphos on the coast road and you will come to the Kourion Amphitheatre and shortly after the Apollo sanctuary of Hylates, all very worth a morning away from your sun bed. To finish off your day out travel back down the hill to the beach below the Amphitheatre ( Curium Beach ) where you can take a dip and if you time it right have lunch or an early dinner in one of the excellent beach restaurants.
For those of you who'd like to stray much further a field Limassol is an excellent point to start an exciting sightseeing trip to the holy city of Jerusalem.
During the summer months cruise ships offering 3 day packages operate from Limassol port over to Haifa. From there you can either stick with the crowd and follow the tours itinerary to Jerusalem or if you're more individual leave the main group to follow your own plan for the day. Be sure to reconnect with the group for your return journey to the ship.
To plan your itinerary and learn more about Jerusalem before you go visit
The Jerusalem Insider's Guide.
It's hoped that the ferry service between Cyprus and Isreal for independant travellers, will resume for the 2009 summer season but unfortunately this isn't confirmed yet. Check back for an update regarding this.
To stay in the Limassol area use this handy hotel booking search engine. It will search multiple booking agents simultaneously and return the best rate instantly.
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