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Included here is a general guide to aspects you might like to know about Limassol before you travel to Cyprus. Once you arrive here, pick up your free copy of the "What's Happenin'!" magazine (ask at the reception of your hotel!), as it contains a much more detailed description of each of these categories. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. All details of phone, fax, postal address and e-mail can be found by clicking on the "contact us" link.
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The currency in Cyprus is the Cyprus pound, with 100 cents to every pound. Contrary to popular belief, when Cyprus joined the EU, it did not convert immediately to the Euro. This will happen in 2008. Should you choose to purchase Bank of Cyprus travellers' cheques, then the Bank of Cyprus will change them free of charge. Everywhere else will charge a commission. Commission rates are usually 1% with a minimum charge of £3.00 per transaction. Credit cards are widely accepted, particularly VISA. Switch/Delta cards are accepted, though not widely. There are ATM machines everywhere, however Bank of Cyprus is the only one that accepts all international credit cards, including Diners, Carte Blanche and American Express and has the most ATMs. Banking hours, unfortunately are not very long: 8.30am-1.30pm Monday to Friday. In winter, they are also open on Monday afternoons from 3.15pm-4.45pm. Many banks also offer an afternoon tourist service which is from 3.00-6.00pm, but the rate is slightly lower.
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Cyprus has the lowest rates in the European Union, if not most of the world! To send a text from here, it costs only a couple of cents, so it makes sense if you will be texting or calling a lot, to consider purchasing a SO EASY pre-paid package from CYTA (Cyprus Telecommunications Authority) which will give you a local number. Alternatively, you can pick up telecards for £3.00, £5.00, and £10.00, which is much easier than holding a handful of coins! If you choose to use your own mobile phone, you will incur international roaming charges which will undoubtedly be much higher than any phone call you could make from here. A list of charges is included in the "What's Happenin'!" magazine.
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There are many beaches to choose from in the Limassol region, and although they do not have the white/yellow sand of Ayia Napa, they are still very nice and the water is very clean. In fact, many of these beaches have won Blue Flag awards for their cleanliness. There are 5 beaches that I would recommend: Governor's Beach (25kms east of Limassol), Agios Tychonas Beach (central Limassol, in front of Four Seasons/ Mediterranean hotels), Lady's Mile Beach (4kms west of Limassol), Curium Beach (20 kms west of Limassol) and Avdimou Beach (30 kms west of Limassol). In addition to these, there are also lots of small beaches along the coastline, in front of most of the seafront hotels.
Bearing in mind that temperatures soar into the 40 degrees Celsius during the summer, it's imperative that you use a good suntan lotion to protect you. Apparently Cyprus has the cheapest prices for Nivea products in the whole of Europe, which is great, because that's what I use. The range covers from Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 2 through to 30 and also includes a pure sun-block for babies and small children. Should you burn, there is also an after-sun cream to soothe you, which is a lot more comfortable and easier than the local tradition of putting plain yoghurt on the burnt bits, waiting, then showering it off.
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It's very easy to get around Limassol as there is a good bus service (No. 30) offered by EAL running along the seafront road from 7am until about 7pm, which is only 70c per one-way trip, regardless of how far you travel. There are also less frequent buses which travel to other areas of Limassol as well as guided tours, to other areas of the island. Many times there are special offers so these become quite reasonably-priced. Taxis are also quite cheap around town costing less than £5.00 most of the time per journey within Limassol. This year, the PEAL Troodos Ltd bus company opened up a shuttle line from Limassol to Troodos (via Limassol, Saittas, Mandria, Kato Platres, Pano Platres, Troodos) which departs 9.30am from the central bus terminal and 3.15pm from Platres and it's only £2.50 each way!
Alternatively, you might like to go at your own pace, in which case, a car is the obvious choice. Here, driving is on the same side as in the UK, seatbelts are mandatory and the drink driving limit is 0.08. Speed limits in the town are 50kms/hr and on the highway, 100kms. Talking on a mobile whilst driving will incur a £50.00 on-the-spot fine. There are literally hundreds of car hire companies to choose from, however only a handful that offer really good, honest service and prices. The company I have used for many years now is Oasis Rent a Car, since Tony, the owner, is a mechanic, and available 24 hours a day, should anything go wrong.
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The Limassol district comprises not just Limassol town, but all the villages surrounding it (about half-way to Paphos and half-way to Larnaca) and the Troodos mountain range. Most historical sites and museums charge very little entrance (£1.00 or less) so it's not expensive to experience a little culture. Traditional tourist spots which are worth seeing include: Amathus Ruins, Curium Amphitheatre, Kolossi Castle, and Kykkos Monastery & the tomb of Archbishop Makarios III - mostly for the fabulous view. Out at Erimi, is the Wine Museum - definitely worth visiting. One village that is definitely worth visiting is Lania known as the village of artists because of the foreign artists who have made their homes there. Also in Lania, is the Lania Tavern which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year and giving away some wonderful prizes. When you eat there (it's open for lunch Tues-Sun and dinner Fri & Sat) you will go into a draw held in July for 10 mezes! Also every Friday and Saturday night in July, all beers are free with your meal, which is pretty good. Just near Lania is Doros village where if you pop into P.Karseras winery, you can have a free taste of the Commandaria (the oldest wine in the world) they produce. In fact it's their speciality! Other villages to visit include Agros (known for its smoked meats, rose water, Cyprus sweets and Byzantine church), Omodhos (wonderful traditional village with a cobbled square), Vouni (Donkey Sanctuary), and Platres (largest mountain resort where I got married in a tiny church on the grounds of the Forest Park Hotel).
Within Limassol itself, there are many places to visit: the Sea Sponge Exhibition (free), the Keo Brewery (free), Reptile House (£1.50), Limassol Castle & Medieval Museum (£1.00), Sculpture Park (free), Folk Art Museum (50c) and many art galleries displaying local and international artists' work.
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It's a wonderful thing to be sailing around the Mediterranean and so affordable too! Unfortunately, ferry services no longer operate between Cyprus and Greece however cruises with Salamis Cruise Lines and Louis Cruise Lines depart through most of the year for 2 & 3 nights to Egypt, Rhodes, Lebanon and the Greek Islands (2-6 nights). Cruises to Israel have also just started up again, with Louis Cruise Lines. During low season, many times there are special offers, so you can take advantage of the discounts offered!
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Most people do end up eating out nearly all the time in Cyprus, simply because it's fairly cheap and much, much easier. Whilst out here, it is highly recommended that you try a "meze" short for "mezedhes" meaning 'many delicacies'. There are two types of meze: meat and fish, consisting of around 20-30 different small plates of food and is almost impossible to finish!
Personally, I love to eat out! Some excellent places to keep in mind because they are guaranteed to please, include; Terra e Mare (Inclusive 4-course meal, international food), Itilo (Mediterranean), Smugglers Pub & Restaurant (English pub food & International menu), Mamas Restaurant (International, with Cypriot specialities), the Star of India (Indian), Top Twenty (snacks) and Franx (extensive snack menu) and Ocean Bar (especially Fish & Chips)
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Limassol's nightlife is quite varied, the basis of which is bars and pubs which stay open till 2am. Friendly pubs (which also show the footy when it's the season!) include the Welcome Inn Irish Bar (also shows hurling and Gaelic football matches), Franx (named after Sinatra), Ocean Bar and the Smugglers Pub. Galatex - in the centre of the tourist "strip" of Limassol (a stretch of road from City Pride down as far as the Welcome Inn Irish Bar) is a small alley filled with 8 different bars all competing for customers - and has become a place for the younger crowd...16-20 year-olds mostly. At 2am, they tend to swarm out onto the streets and head into Basement Disco, although some of the disoriented few stagger the wrong way and end up in Titanic Disco which is next door. A nice club which is huge, is Prime, but it needs lots of people to look busy. The Auld Triangle Disco, (situated under the Step Inn Irish Bar) has 4 different DJs throughout the week playing a nice mix of music (60s-current depending on the night). It's always packed and is a place that the older crowd can feel just as at home, as the younger one. For Latin enthusiasts, Los Amigos in town is quite a busy place - but only really for serious Latin dancers. For other Latin info, click here. There's only one gay nightclub and that's Pieros.
Other nightclubs further out - if you can make it there - are Sesto Sensi, a swish, posh club (the only one to enforce face control), and Privilege, where they hold single events for house/techno/trance and Latin music - check the Events Calendar for details.
A more unusual place, but very special one is the Golden Beach Bar Restaurant out at Lady's Mile - newly renovated with super lights and a pumping sound system. It's is a huge place with great food open from the morning till early hours of the morning, if you get my drift. There are games on the beach and sunbeds, exotic cocktails, a resident DJ playing tunes for the summer and live bands scheduled for this summer.
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Cyprus is a haven for bargains! Good buys here include glasses (up to 50% cheaper than in the UK!!), leather (jackets and shoes), lacework, jewellery, brandy, wine, and much, much more. The main places to go for shopping can be broken up into 3 sections: Makarios Ave, St. Andrew's Street, and Anexartiseas Street. Makarios Ave (short for Archbishop Makarios III - a former president and leader of the church) is pretty much full of designer wear shops, crystal and porcelain (Lladro), and of course, a Mercedes showroom! Just off Makarios (the corner of New York Sweets), is the Bear Factory - a place where you "make" your bear from scratch, following 5 simple stages. That's a 'must do' if you have kids.
St. Andrew's Street runs parallel to the seafront road, and is in the old town of Limassol. Mostly for tourists, it's full of shops selling trinkets, souvenirs and jewellery, however a lovely shop to visit is Notos Gallery and Art & Craft shop, which has an interesting collection of prints and original art, cards, maps and other small items. St. Andrew's Street is nice for a wander, since it's cobbled and pedestrianised and is also the place to go for leather since many shops sell cheap bags, briefcases and other small items. A little more specialised, but in the same street, is a very nice leather shop called Stratis, a family-run business for several generations now, where I got my jacket made to measure.
Anexartiseas Street is perhaps my favourite, simply because everything is there at your fingertips: 165 different shops including personal favourites I-Tech Opticians (free eye-testing and glaucoma-testing!) and Precious Metal Gallery (unique cloisonne enamel exhibits on display) and just around the corner, Big Star, Miss Big Star and dare I say it, the Big Star Discount Shop.
One area that doesn't get much of a mention is the tourist area, simply because many of the shops there aren't particularly good value for money. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention Ase Swimwear, since it's the only place I've ever seen in Limassol, at least, that designs and makes swimwear to measure for much the same price you would pay for a ready-made (starting from £35.00). Another gem is Curium Gallery, on Curium roundabout (the big one), where they have a huge selection of prints and cards by local artists from £1.00 and up. Great for souvenirs, since they don't weigh very much and are easy to transport.
If you're trying to get a real bargain and love sifting through a potential goldmine, then Violet Second Hand Shop is for you....and it's open every morning including Sundays!
Shopping hours chop and change frequently, so I shall endeavour to keep it up to date as they do. For now, the shops are open:
9.00am - 1.00pm/4.00pm - 7.00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays and Saturdays, they are open only in the morning and Sundays closed. Having said that, the main supermarkets - Chris Cash 'n Carry, Orphanides and Debenhams (previously Woolworths and Ermes) - to name a few, stay open until 8.30pm or 9pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2.00pm on Wednesday and 3.00pm on Saturday.
Most of the kiosks and souvenir shops, particularly in the tourist area, stay open longer hours too.
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In Limassol, there are now 3 markets held regularly: the newest Flea Market out in Fasouri every Saturday, Sunday and some public holidays from 9.00am - 7.00pm (take a shuttle bus from the Burger King or Four Seasons Hotel); the Car Boot Sale (on Linopetra Corner) every Saturday morning 8,00am - 1.00pm; and there is also a daily fruit and veg market behind the Central Bus Station in the old town.
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Apart from exciting watersports available from West Watersports, and easy days on a catamaran, there are a lot of other activities you can do whilst on holidays here in Limassol: golf (Vikla Golf & Country Club), Go Karting (Need 4 Speed Karting), horse-riding (Amathus Park Riding Club), ten-pin bowling/arcades & digital theatre rides (Space Bowling), Clay Shooting (Beretta Shooting Club in Monagri) or going to the cinema (K-Cineplex, Rio, Othellos) are just a few of the choices. Kate runs wonderful workshops and classes in her shop Stitches up in Agios Tychonas, and in winter you can go skiing in the mountains up at Troodos! Walking trails are scattered all over the Limassol region, so pick up a Nature Trails leaflet from your local CTO office and check some of them out - February through May is a particularly nice time to see the spring flowers blooming and the trails range between 3kms and 15kms in length. If that's all too much effort for you, since you are on holidays after all, then pop into Marilyn's or Anna's Book Swap shops for some light reading. Books purchased can be re-swapped back at 40% of their original cost.
Alternatively, you might like to pop into the UKCA (United Kingdom Citizens Association) which has organised activities practically every day including quiz nights, Greek lessons, Bridge, Scottish dancing, Progressive Whist, and a lovely atmosphere in the clubhouse. They produce a monthly magazine which can be picked up from their clubhouse, called "The UKCAtalyst" which makes quite interesting reading!
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If exercise is not your forte, then you could always just opt for pampering yourself. There are many spa centres, beauty salons and places where you can feel great about yourself in Limassol
Hair salons are also quite popular over here, since the weather tends to wreak havoc with nice hair styles, however most are closed on Thursdays (hairdressers day off) and of course, on public holidays. One salon, however, which goes against the trend is Studio Nikolas Hermes Makris, where Nikolas Makris, internationally-renowned stylist for hair, make-up and design, stays open on Thursdays and closes on Mondays instead. He has also just brought in a Power-Plate machine, which claims to increase metabolism, reduce cellulite, increase bone density, strengthen muscles, and improve circulation with just 10 minutes 2-3 times per week!
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Limassol has always been a town that tries to offer more and with the help of the Limassol Municipality, it really does now more than ever. Wonderful theatre, ballet, orchestral and ethnic performances are held in all of its theatres: Pattichion Municipal Theatre (near Pentadromos or 5 Roads), Rialto (in Heroes' Square), Onisilos (open-air theatre on the seafront in Agios Tychonas), Garden Theatre (in the Municipal Gardens) and the Medieval Castle (in the old town of Limassol). Check the Events Calendar for listings - many performances are actually free of charge!!!
As for festivals, well, there are many. There's Carnival in February, the Flower Festival in May (organised by the Germasogeia Municipality), Kataklysmos (The water festival) in June, The Wine Festival in September (organised by the Limassol Municipality) are just a few of the big ones, however many smaller festivals take place in the villages throughout the year. Again, check the Events Calendar for the time when you'll be here to see what's happenin' then!
Don't forget, there's also the Cyprus Car Rally which will be held 22-24 September this year. It's quite an event!
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There are regular Catholic, Anglican and International Christian Fellowship services each week. See the "What's Happenin'!" magazine for details.
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Both Paphos and Larnaca International Airports are about 45 minutes' drive from Limassol following the highway. They have foreign exchange, post office, information office, restaurant, bar facilities and duty free (for non-EU countries) in both the departure and arrival terminals. Duty free allowances are 1 litre per person for spirits over 22% or 2 litres wine, champagne or fortified wine under 22%, 200 cigarettes and 1 bottle perfume (up to 600mls) or 1 bottle eau de toilette (up to 250mls). These allowances also apply for the cruises. For EU citizens, there is value-added purchases at the airport instead, though cigarettes and chocolate are really only the best buys there compared to UK prices.
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The idea of owning a home abroad is not only an appealing one in terms of holidaying, but also a lucrative one in terms of investment benefits, since the value of property tends to increase steadily over time. When you decide which property you would like to buy, written application to the Council of Ministers must be submitted by any non-Cypriot purchaser after agreements have been signed, for permission to purchase property. There is usually no problem with this being granted. Permanent residents of Cyprus who are EU citizens do not require this permission. Many people hire a property solicitor prior to the signing of the contracts, to ensure nothing goes wrong, or that if something does, that it is handled in the correct, legal way. Usual costs for this service start from around £800.
In addition to the sale price of a property, there is also stamp duty, transfer fees and VAT to pay based on the value of the property. Stamp duty amounts to 0.15% of the value up to £100,000 and 0.20% thereafter. This should be paid when signing the contracts. Transfer fees (charged accumulatively) are payable when the title deeds are issued (which could be up to 5 years after final delivery of the property) which occurs after permission from the Council of Ministers has been given and receipt of (foreign) money has been acknowledged by the Bank of Cyprus. The fees are charged by the District Land Registry Office when transferring the property and registration into your name and are calculated as follows: 3% for property valued up to £50,000, 5% for property valued from £50,001 - £100,000, 8% for property valued above £100,001.
If you are a couple, 50% of the property value is applied to each person, allowing an advantage for any property purchase over £50,000.
5% VAT on the sale price is charged when a permanent resident buys a residence for the first time, 15% VAT is levied for any further property purchases by that person. VAT is paid when buying a house, but not when buying land (until 2007).
Immovable Property Tax is charged between £0-4 per thousand on the value of the property so that annually the cost is approximately £50-100 per annum for each one. Other taxes include refuse collection, sewage, street lighting etc..which costs approximately £50-100 per property per year.
Capital Gains Tax is also charged at 20% on property sales, however the first £10,000 is tax-exempt and if the property is owned by a couple, then £20,000 is tax-exempt. Should you sell your private residence (after 5 years' ownership) for the first time, then it is tax-exempt up to £50,000!
Currently there is no inheritance tax, though this will be changing soon.
Finally, once all of that is done, same as the locals, you are advised to register with the District Land Registry within 60 days of the contract date (the sale must be in writing of course!)
To take all the stress out of the process, though, it's recommended you go through a reputable realtor or developer. One that is very well-respected and known for their quality and good service is Athanasiou Constructions and Developments. It is well-worth speaking to them first, should you be interested in purchasing a property over here. Alternatively, check out their very comprehensive website for details of current projects.
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Cyprus is lucky enough not to have any poverty so you won't see anyone around asking you for money or sleeping on the streets. Having said that, there are other areas that need funding so many people have generously given up their time for these causes and raise money through various events. Please visit their websites to see how you could help.
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The Malcolm Cat Society |
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Friends for Life |
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Friends of the Cyprus Donkey |
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The Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends (PA.SY.KA.F) |
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Thank you to all of you who took the time to send through your questions...they are being compiled in a separate section. If you have any further questions that remain unanswered, pleeeeease don't hesitate to ask - I am here to help in any way I can! :-)
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This is a new listing of all types of hotels, apartments, villas, guest houses and any other type of accommodation available in Limassol. I am still in the process of compiling the list, so do make sure you check back over the next few weeks should there be a place that is missing from the list!
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