Cyprus, Part One: Limassol (Lemesos)

We spent a week in Cyprus with my parents. This was our first visit, while my father had visited Cyprus several times in the 1990s, and my mother had been there twice before. I'm going to start with some general information and impressions, and then focus on Limassol, where we stayed. I will write about other locations we visited in later posts.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, and has been independent since 1960. The island has been divided since 1974, when the Turkish army invaded northern Cyprus. The history of population displacement and the unresolved status of the northern occupied area is constantly in the background of Cypriot consciousness, and reminded us in some ways of our own local conflict. Both seem difficult or impossible to resolve.

General information: Traffic drives on the left. Cyprus uses UK-style power sockets, so visitors may need adapters. The tap water is safe to drink, so you can refill water bottles instead of buying mineral water. Don't flush toilet paper, put it in the bins provided. Cyprus is considered a safe country with the lowest crime rate in Europe.

Weather: We visited in the second week of September and it was hotter than we expected, around 32-35C, or even more, and very humid. The exception to this was when we visited the Troodos mountains, where it was a much more comfortable 20-22C.

Food: The food is good and fresh, and the cuisine is similar to traditional Greek food, with some Turkish influences. Touristy places also serve standard international meals, such as pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. Vegetarians will find it easy, while vegans and the lactose intolerant may have to ask for salads or other dishes without the cheese, or similar adaptations.

Accessibility: My father uses a wheelchair, though he can walk a few steps with his walking stick when necessary. Some places we visited had wheelchair access, while in other places it was more difficult. Some pedestrian crossings had sloped curbs, but these were not always in good condition, and in other places he just had to stand up so we could get the wheelchair down onto the road and then back up the other side. Also, many waiters thought he would want to sit in his wheelchair and started removing a chair, when in fact he prefers to get out of the wheelchair and sit at a table in a normal chair. Perhaps people assume anyone in a wheelchair is paralyzed?

Accommodation: We stayed at the Limassol Crowne Plaza Hotel, on the sea. This was a more luxurious hotel than we would normally prefer, and it was chosen because it got good reviews for wheelchair access, and because my mother wanted to swim in the sea. We were very satisfied with the hotel and its staff.

Limassol (Lemesos in Greek) is the second largest city in Cyprus after the capital, Nicosia. It is quite centrally-located and convenient if you want to visit various parts of the island. It is currently experiencing unrestrained development, spreading out along the coastline. Although this was my first visit to the city, I thought to myself: "Oh, Limassol, what have they done to you?". It felt like a place I once knew was being ruined. Cyprus has a policy of encouraging foreign investment in real estate, and new housing, hotels, and offices are being built without much central planning, or so it seems. This felt unfortunate to me.

Limassol Castle is a small castle near the old port. From the roof we had good views of the area, and inside there was a Medieval Museum, displaying items from all over the island, such as armour, weapons, icons, stonework, and even a Menorah, with insufficient explanation.

We visited the Old Port and the new, gentrified Marina. There are shops and restaurants in this area.

Another day, we visited Limassol Archaeological Museum. To its credit, this museum had ramps and a lift to allow wheelchair access. It also had air conditioning. The displays contained finds from Cyprus' history and prehistory, as well as an exhibit focusing on Amathous, a site we didn't manage to visit during our trip. We were particularly fascinated by evidence of cat domestication long before the familiar evidence from Egypt.

We missed the annual Limassol Wine Festival held in the Municipal Park, as it ended the day we arrived. We visited the park itself, and found it a peaceful green area to rest and enjoy the sea breeze.

Among the restaurants we visited in Limassol: Fat Fish, Noa, Neon Phaliron, and La Brezza (in the Crowne Plaza Hotel).

We enjoyed our stay in Limassol, despite the sense that it was losing its spirit to rapid over-development.

Descriptions of other parts of Cyprus will follow in the next few blog posts.