Coping with Limassol

Restaurants – Limassol has a variety of establishments serving local and foreign cuisine – here are some of the best: Anamnaseis Taverna, Sidon, Aliada, Il Gusto’s.

Er…that’s it, apart from the mildly interesting castle and old Islamic quarter.

Check out ‘Cyprus – not just Agia Napa’ (also by ‘comrade’) for a scintillating appraisal of the best things to do in the surrounding area. Cyprus is not a big place and, thanks to the new motorways, you can easily do a day trip to somewhere halfway across the island.

Quick Tips:

Shopping (presupposing you don’t loathe it like me) is frustrating as the shops are not concentrated in an accessible manner, but rather dotted around. Parallel to the seafront, one block in is the main tourist shopping street – browse to your heart’s content on avoid like the plague, depending on your proclivities. Most shops are closed Wed pm.

Cheap 3-day cruises to Egypt depart from Limassol – if you only want a quick look at the pyramids, then this is the way to go.

Watch out for drunken British soldiers in the bars and clubs – they’re peaceful enough unless provoked – particularly on the first weekend of the month – Millionaires Weekend.

Be wary of any Russian-owned establishments, particularly the inappropriately named ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ – no one wants to be charged 100USD for a beer and then frogmarched to the cashpoint by some Russian heavy.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving in Limassol can be a little unnerving to begin with, as road laws are taken with a pinch of salt and the lack of an MOT means there are some pretty curious vehicles on the road. There is plenty of cheap parking along the seafront (0.30USD/hour), but follow the locals and park wherever you feel like it (when in Rome…).

Beer – only Carlsberg and KEO are brewed on the island. They are similar in terms of taste and price, but KEO is at least a local company (selling everything from water to brandy). Either can be found in draught form in pubs, but you’re guaranteed consistent quality from the 330ml or massive 660ml bottles (the latter about 1.5USD in pubs).

Wine – some of it’s OK, but most is pretty ropey. Alkion (dry white) is decent value at 3USD in shops (from 6USD in restaurants), while Pachna is a tolerable red. Imported wine is readily available – at a price.

Zivania – made from the leftovers of the wine-making process, this is the local spirit – not for the uninitiated.

Brandy sour – this is THE drink on Cyprus – great on a hot afternoon. Recipes differ, but I tend to make it 1 part Brandy, 1 part lemon cordial, 5 parts soda water and a few drops of angostura bitters.