Limassol
Limassol or Lemesos is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of about 235,056. It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.
Limassol is the biggest Cypriot port in the Mediterranean transit trade. It has also become one of the most important tourism, trade and service-providing centres in the area. Limassol is renowned for its long cultural tradition, and is home to the Cyprus University of Technology. A wide spectrum of activities and a number of museums and archaeological sites are available to the interested visitor. Consequently, Limassol attracts a wide range of tourists mostly during an extended summer season to be accommodated in a wide range of hotels and apartments. A large marina is currently being constructed near the old town.
Limassol was built between two ancient cities, Amathus and Kourion, so during Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis (new town). Limassol's tourist strip now runs east along the coast as far as Amathus. To the west of the city is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, part of the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Climate
Limassol has a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and cool rainy winters,which are separated by short springs and autumns which are mild and pleasant. From December to March the weather is unsettled and usually rainy and windy but you can also often expect great amounts of sunshine averaging around 5 hours a day. During this season there are a few days when the daytime highs might not exceed 12 °C (54 °F) and the night time lows might be as low as 2 °C (36 °F) but usually the temperature ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F) in the day and from 7 °C (45 °F) to10 °C (50 °F) in the night. Rain tends to be heavy this time of the year and thunderstorms occur often though they usually do not last for a long time. Snow in Limassol is a relatively rare occurrence and usually falls mixed with rain every 7–13 years. In recent years, snow mixed with rain fell in February 2004, in January 2008 and in February 2012. In spring, which lasts from late March–May the weather is mild to warm and pleasant. It is sunny almost every day and the temperatures are around 25 °C (77 °F) in the day and 15 °C(59 °F) in the night. Expect a few rain showers and thunderstorms especially in late March and April. Sometimes during the spring dust comes from the Sahara desert which affects badly the visibility of the city. Summer for Limassol is the longest season of the year that begins in late May and finishes in early October. At this time of the year the weather is sunny every day and rain is rare. The temperatures range between 19 °C (66 °F) to30 °C (86 °F) in June and September and 22 °C (72 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F) in July and August. Sometimes during heatwaves the temperatures go up to 36 °C (97 °F) in the day and might not fall below 26 °C (79 °F) in the night. In June fog can sometimes occur usually resolves early in the mornings. Autumn is warm and usually sunny. It begins in mid-October and ends in late November. During this period of the year expect temperatures from as low as 12 °C (54 °F) and as high as 29 °C (84 °F). This season the weather differs from year to year and it can be very wet with violent thunderstorms sometimes(October 2009; rainfall of around 90 mm (3.5 in)) or very dry (October 2007; rainfall of 2-5mm). Finally Limassol receives around 410 mm (16.1 in) of rain each year but this varies from year to year and sometimes droughts do occur(every 3–5 years). The rainy season 2009-2010 was a wet one with precipitation being as high as 515 mm (20.3 in) in some areas whilst the rainy season of 2007-2008 was dry with only 300 mm (11.8 in) of rain. Hail is rare and usually falls between October–April.
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Festivals
Limassol is famous in Cyprus for its festivals, like the Carnival and Wine Festival. The Limassol Carnival festival lasts for ten (10) days, with jolly and amusing masquerading. This custom is very old, going back to pagan rituals.With the passage of time it has acquired a different, purely entertaining character, with a large, popular following. The festival starts with the entrance parade of the King Carnival, followed by a fancy-dress competition for children. During the Carnival parade in the main streets, large crowds from all over the island gather to watch the floats with the serenade and other masqueraded groups. Many fancy-dress balls and parties take place at many hotels every night.
During the first quarter of September, the great Wine Festival of Cyprus takes place in the Limassol Municipal Garden, every evening between 8.00 hrs - 23.00 hrs. During the festival the visitor has the chance to taste some of the best Cyprus wines, which are offered free of charge. On some evenings, various groups from Cyprus and abroad perform folk dancing and there are also choirs and others.
Other festivals are Yermasogeia Flower Festival (May), Festival of the Flood (June), Shakespearean nights and Festival of Ancient Greek Drama.
Furthermore, the city of Limassol introduced the first Beer festival in July 2003. This is a three day dance festival by the sea in the heart of the city centre. Visitors can enjoy a variety of Cypriot beers and imported beers such as KEO, Heineken, Amstel and Becks. The entrance to the festival is free of charge and beers are sold at low prices, complemented by a mix of international music.
The sixth Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held in Limassol, in the Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Centre.
Wine Festival
The Wine Festival of Cyprus is an annual festival in Limassol, Cyprus that celebrates wine and winemaking. The festival was first organized in 1961 and since then it has become an established annual event of merrymaking and fun, in which the citizens of Limassol are not the only participants; visitors come also from every part of Cyprus. Its reputation is spread beyond the geographic boundaries of the island. In September of each year, Limassol becomes the attraction of thousands of locals and tourists who visit the Municipal Garden to enjoy the Wine Festival with the motto 'Drink wine, it gives you life!' (Πίνε κρασί, νάσιεις ζωή). They become the protagonists of the Festival banishing from their minds all concerns and worries, free from social conventions or protocols, in an atmosphere of unconditional fraternization, generated by the effects of free wine provided by local wineries ETKO, KEO, SODAP and LOEL. The Wine Festival can be regarded as a variant and a revival of ancient festive manifestations of worship in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine, and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. During these feasts people worshiped their gods, but primarily enjoyed themselves.
The Limassol Wine festival is an annual event aimed to celebrate Cyrpus's rich viticulture. Since the first festival in 1961, it is organised annually in late August to early September. It is organised by the municipality of the city of Limassol at the grounds of the municipal gardens.
It has an annual attendance in excess of 100,000 visitors that include locals and many tourists. The four big wine cooperatives (KEO, SODAP, ETKO and LOEL) along with many smaller independent producers offer free tasting of their wine portfolio.
Limassol Carnival
If you are tired of the long freezing winter and in the mood for an exotic, sunny and hot atmosphere, then the yearly Limassol Carnival on the amazing island of Cyprus will be just your cup of tea. Almost two weeks of celebrations await you focused on creative fun and dancing events as well as amazing Mediterranean food. The first week is Meat Week (Kreatini) representing the last week of eating as much meat as possible before Lent. Other events include the procession of the Carnival King, the Children’s Carnival Parade, the Serenader’s Parade as well as the Grand Carnival Parade. Enjoy the show with thousands of spectators from around Cyprus and get an early start on your tan for the summer in Limassol this year.
