Luxury holidays in Limassol

Since the days of the ancient city-kingdoms of Amathus and Kourion, Limassol has been a bustling port and with the welcome arrival of boutique hotels and state-of-the-art spas, the appetites of the culture- and party-hungry are equally sated with antiquities and after-hours offerings. The increasingly gentrified Old Town has witnessed a recent influx of Athenian A-listers, serious superyachters and the travel cognoscenti drawn by the warm weather, cool bars and frozen Zivania shots, Grappa’s feisty Cypriot cousin.

When to go

In early spring and autumn the region enjoy fine weather but without the high temperatures and crowded beaches of July and August. Winter is still mild but there is often snowfall in the Troodos Mountains allowing you to sunbath on the beach in the morning and ski in the afternoon.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Expect a 40-minute drive to Limassol from Larnaka and Paphos airports. Cyprus Airways (www.cyprusairways.com.cy) and British Airways (www.ba.com) fly from most major UK airports.

  • Boats

    Passenger ships visit the restless Limassol port, linking Cyprus with various Greek and Middle Eastern ports; see www.viamare.com for details.

  • Trains

    There are no trains to Limassol but the central bus station, just off Anexartisias Street, provides a good service to the surrounding villages and the tourist sites such as the Kourion and Petra tou Romiou.

  • Automobiles

    A hire car is a good idea and left-hand driving makes getting around even easier for UK drivers. Scooters and bicycles can also be hired. It’s advisable to book your chosen mode of transport in advance.

  • Taxis

    Shared and private taxis are plentiful but it’s advisable to book in advance. Urban taxis for journeys within the city can be hailed in the street or picked up at a taxi rank; rural taxis for journeys out of town should be booked by phone or hired from a base station, unless you pick one up at an airport taxi rank.