CYPRUS

[BlackJack2]

Need any advice or help with the port of Limassol, Cyprus.  What to do?  What to see?  Any tours that can be recommended?

This port was just added last minute to our cruise and we leave in three days!  Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

Arrange a tour or taxi to Paphos to see the mosaics there.

 

A bit closer to Limassol are the ruins of Kourion (Curium), also worth a visit.

 

Whatever you do, do NOT just plan to stay in Limassol -- it has to be the least attractive part of a very attractive island.

[iancal]

On 9/3/2021 at 2:20 PM, cruisemom42 said:

Arrange a tour or taxi to Paphos to see the mosaics there.

 

A bit closer to Limassol are the ruins of Kourion (Curium), also worth a visit.

 

Whatever you do, do NOT just plan to stay in Limassol -- it has to be the least attractive part of a very attractive island.

Agree.  Not worth an hour of your time. We spent 15 days on our last trip.  Stopped at Kourion, drove right past Limassol a number of times..  Paphos is a good choice.  You could go into the vineyards and mountains.  Or, depending on port  time, go to Nicosia if you want to see a divided city....and take your passport with you.  

[Cruising-along]

On 9/3/2021 at 1:20 PM, cruisemom42 said:

Arrange a tour or taxi to Paphos to see the mosaics there.

 

A bit closer to Limassol are the ruins of Kourion (Curium), also worth a visit.

 

Whatever you do, do NOT just plan to stay in Limassol -- it has to be the least attractive part of a very attractive island.

We will be in Limassol for 2 days later this month. Do you recommend we see Kourion one day and Paphos the other?  Is one better than the other?  They do both look good.

 

[iancal]

You definitely do not need a day to do Kourion.  If you are renting a car in Limassol you can visit Kourion on you way to  Paphos or where ever else you are going.   Two or three hours were enough for us. Be aware that there is a fair amount of walking.

 

You could easily do both in one day.  Drive through he mountains the next day and stop in Nicosia for a few hours.  The small museum is wonderful.   Take you passport if you want walk over to the Turkish side.  Then return to Limossol after dinner!

 

  Or...spend the day on the beach in or around Paphos.

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

We will be in Limassol for 2 days later this month. Do you recommend we see Kourion one day and Paphos the other?  Is one better than the other?  They do both look good.

 

 

Kourion isn't fair from Limassol and you don't need a full day for it; you could combine it with something else tours often combine it with Kolossi castle, but together both are still about a half day (even at the leisurely pace I like to see ancient sites).

 

I would argue that there is more to see and do in Paphos, and I would probably plan a whole day around that. There is a wonderful archaeological site down near the harbor with some really magnificent mosaics. You can also see the ancient agora, a small theater (odeon) and an Asklepion (where sick people were treated).  Separately there is an archaeological museum, some underground tombs and -- I highly recommend -- just outside of Paphos is a very ancient sanctuary and temple of Aphrodite (whose birthplace Cyprus is).

 

Keep in mind I'm not a beach person or one particularly interested in natural scenery. There's a lot excellent examples of both on Cyprus as well, as mentioned by iancal above.

[Cruising-along]

Thank you @cruisemom42and @iancal, very helpful!  

 

[iancal]

IF you decide to rent a car...the roads are excellent.  Great highway from Limassol to Paphos, or to Larnaca/Nicosia.  Well signed, dual carriageway.    We were there for two weeks.  We plan to return.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I'm jumping on here to see if by chance, either of you can answer a rather odd question about Paphos.  We're not going to be there until May, but while there (tendering, I believe) I will probably visit the mosaics.  And I may walk up to the park that's just north of there (Tomb of Kings, I believe).  But I love lighthouses and I'm trying to determine if the lighthouse in Paphos is inside the archaeological area or outside closer to the water.  I've seen a couple maps (Planet Ware online map and map in Rough Guides Cyprus book) but it's still unclear to me where I should go to be close to the lighthouse.  Do I need to go inside the Roman mosaics area?  Is that a roped off or walled off area?  Does the seaside path I've read about go up that far in Paphos, and if so, does it go near the lighthouse?

 

I realize these are oddball questions, but if you happen to know anything that might help me, I'd love to hear it!  Thank you. 

[cruisemom42]

I wasn't really paying attention to it, but 'm pretty sure that the lighthouse is located inside the archaeological park. This description would seem to back that up, saying you need to pay the admission to the archaeological park to get to it:

 

https://mycyprusinsider.com/cyprus-uncovered/must-visit-paphos-ancient-odeon-and-lighthouse/