Limassol

Limassol (Lemesos) lies on the south coast and is the largest city on the Cyprus shoreline, the commercial and cruise hub of the island. It mixes an old town around a small medieval castle with a long modern seafront, a new marina of restaurants and yachts, and a business district of high-rise towers. The setting is practical rather than postcard-pretty in places, but it puts a lot of Cyprus within easy reach.

The medieval castle in the old town houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum and is tied by tradition to the marriage of Richard the Lionheart in 1191. West of the city, the Greco-Roman city of Kourion spreads along clifftops above the sea, with a restored theatre still used for performances. Nearby stands Kolossi Castle, a Knights Hospitaller stronghold rebuilt in the 15th century and linked to the island's sweet Commandaria wine.

Around Limassol

• Walk the seafront and marina, then visit the castle and old town lanes.
• Tour the ruins and theatre at Kourion, then see Kolossi Castle nearby.
• Spend a relaxed beach day at Governor's Beach or Lady's Mile Beach.
• Drive up to the wine village of Omodos for tavernas and family wineries.

Limassol's beaches are mostly grey-gold sand and shingle rather than the white sand of the east, so many visitors come here for the city, food and culture as much as the swimming. The wine country of the southern Troodos slopes climbs just inland, and the city hosts a large wine festival and carnival each year.

It sits roughly midway along the coast, about an hour from both Paphos and Larnaca airports by motorway, and is the closest large city to Aphrodite's Rock and the Troodos Mountains. That central position makes it a strong base for touring the whole south.