In my previous post, I explained that my friend and I drove from Larnaca to Limassol. We made a pit-stop in Zygifor a delicious fish lunch. Distances in Cyprus are very short, so within a few hours we reached Limassol.

Hotel: Marianna Hotel Apartments

Hotel prices in Limassol were a bit crazy, so instead of taking a hotel in the city centre like in Larnaca, we opted for one slightly more in the outskirts of the centre called Marianna Hotel Apartments.  We had a little kitchen, but we didn’t really use it. When food is so amazingly tasty in a country, you should venture out as much as possible! The hotel had a swimming pool across the street, which was a bit odd, but we did manage to enjoy the sun here for a bit. We stayed two nights in Limassol and had no complaints.

This was the view from the hotel. You can see we are nowhere near the city centre, but it was a great location for a two day trip.

Sightseeing

We didn’t really do any particular sightseeing when we were in the city. We were just walking around the neighbourhoods and stopping at places for lunches, dinners and drinks. I think the best way to explore a city is by eating your way around it.

Saripolou

By far, my favourite spot in Limassol is Saripolou. This street (/square) is located in the city centre and is home to many tasty eateries and it’s where people come together in the evening to enjoy a few drinks. We had dinner at Kanella Grill & Bar on the first night – I had a tasty Caesar Salad – and of course we enjoyed a few drinks. Unfortunately, it was too cold for us to sit outside, but even inside the atmosphere was great.

This is the street during the day; the square is behind me while I take the photo.

The next day we had lunch in Saripolou again (when I love a place it’s difficult to convince me not to again, and again, and again). This time at a more traditional tavern called Farmagusta Kebab House, where I had my first delicious chicken souvlakia.

High Street

We walked along the High Street which is called Anexartisias. We walked in and out some shops, but we didn’t come to Cyprus for shopping so this area quickly grew boring. It was striking to see the difference between Saripolou and the High Street. There was so much graffiti on buildings that it kind of ruined the atmosphere of the area. In particular the police station seemed to have had a hard time.

Limassol Castle

In the morning of the second day we had a coffee near Limassol Castle and we wandered around the area and the market stalls a bit. It’s a nice area. It has character. Small snaking streets where you can easily get lost and cute little stores.

The castle doesn’t look like anything special but it has a rich history. According to researchers it was built in 1193. It has seen a lot of wars since then, including the Ottoman invasion, and a Venetian governor (after taking it back from the Ottomans) decided to demolish it in order to protect it – I wonder how that works… After that it was rebuild by Ottomans it served as a prison until 1950.

Conclusion

Limassol is a great town for a few days. Especially in summer the beaches and bars around the beach area would be worth a visit, even it’s not warm enough for the beach it’s best not to skip this city. I returned to this city in 2015 to see the new marina. It’s gorgeous and it provides all the more reason to pay Limassol a visit. After two nights in Limassol, we drove across the Limassol peninsula – past the Cat’s Monastery and Kourion which will be described in the next post – in order to reach Troodos Mountains.

I can’t close this post without telling you my favourite breakfast discovery in Limassol – in Larnaca I became acquainted with Sheftalia and here my mind was blown by the Tiropita. Since I wasn’t in Greece, Tiropita didn’t necessarily mean cheese pie with feta; you can choose between feta, halloumi and cheddar cheese. The cheddar cheese one is my favourite. The one in the picture below is from Starbucks, but the more traditional place to find tiropita is Zorbas. Delicious!

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