One of the most famous monuments of the ancient history of Cyprus, Kourion was once one of its largest cities: It was founded by the Mycenaeans on the top of a cliff in the 12th century BC. Now it's a ghost town with the remains of more than 30 buildings, including temples, private villas and baths, decorated with realistic mosaics depicting gladiatorial battles. However, the most impressive is the beautifully preserved and restored amphitheater from the 2nd century BC. From time to time, the performances are still given there.
A cozy bay with a nice beach neighbours the ruins. Surfers, kiters and paragliders love both the mountain and the bay for the good winds.
A kilometer-long beach of sand and rounded pebbles, that is surrounded by steep hills and is famous for its picturesque landscape. This beach is popular among windsurfers.
Above the beach, there is one of the most famous and large-scale archaeological sites on the island—the ancient city of Kourion, famous for its ancient amphitheater.
The fate of the Limassol Castle reflected the entire medieval history of the island. It began with a misstep committed by the Lord of Cyprus, Isaac Comnenus, at the end of the 12th century. He imprisoned the crew of a crashed ship from the squadron of Richard the Lionheart, who was going to Jerusalem. Offended, Richard quickly landed in Cyprus and conquered it, and married his chosen bride, Berengaria of Navarre. The wedding took place in this fortress, which was then probably still a Byzantine palace built on the foundation of the early Christian basilica.
The fort was then rebuilt by Guy de Lusignan—another famous crusader and the King of Jerusalem. The fortress survived the sieges of the Genoese and the Turkish Mamelukes, but was later almost destroyed by earthquakes. The stronghold was restored by the Turks who seized Cyprus, and later the British turned it into a prison.
Now it is a large museum dedicated to the entire medieval history of the island.
Although small and not very picturesque this ancient monastery has a unique history. According to legend, Saint Неlena herself, who came after a long drought to save Cyprus in the 6th century, brought along cats from Byzantium to rid the area of poisonous snakes. Cats still live here.
Please keep in mind that the monastery is functioning and the nuns who live there enjoy their privacy.
The ruined city of Amathus is one of the most ancient cities of Cyprus, founded about 3000 years ago. According to one legend, it was founded by the son of Hercules. Another legend says it was founded by Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, after she had escaped with the hero Theseus from the Cretan labyrinth of the Minotaur.
The city on a cliff above the sea flourished for millennia, entered the Roman Empire, but was destroyed in the early Middle Ages. Archaeologists have found remains of the numerous buildings of the ancient city—the Acropolis, the Temple of Aphrodite, the market, the basilica and the port.
One can still see the marble columns with ornamentation and stucco molding above the market, and the remains of the painted floors in the basilica.
This is the only car museum in Cyprus. The collection includes over 70 historical, classic and collectible vehicles. The oldest exhibit is the Ford T roadster of 1912, and the highlights of the collection are the armored presidential Cadillac made for Cyprus President Makarios III in 1977 and the Rover P5 from Margaret Thatcher’s garage.
The museum is private, so you can also rent classic cars with a driver here. Make sure that the museum is open before you visit it.