MSC Lirica in Limassol, Cyprus

Cruise ships visiting Limassol, Cyprus dock at a terminal in an industrial area about 3K away from town. Shuttle service brings passengers into the city. On our stop there on the MSC Lirica it cost 9 euro per person to take the shuttle. It stopped in a small parking area next to a marina full of yachts in an area of nice homes of newer construction near the ancient buildings of old town. The parking area had access to a road into town as well as a pathway next to the water passing by docked boats. There were shops and cafés in that area.

sculpture on the beach next to the seawall

Sea Walk

From the shuttle stop at the marina it’s a short walk through some shops and along a road until reaching the seaside walkway. A bike trail runs along the entrance to the marina offering another way to get to the seaside walkway. Either it or walking down the road toward old town will get you there. The sea walk runs about 5K from just east of Limassol and has lights along the path for those who are out after dark.

dock on the seawall

The seaside walkway is dotted with docks and bridges, as well as walking paths and the bike trail. For most of the distance there is a park running alongside it, though a ways down the park is on the other side of the street before it disappears. At first the waves come crashing over rocks right next to the seawall, but farther down a small beach runs alongside it. There is beach access in some places.

seawall walk and parallel path

For part of the trail the seawall ran parallel to the pathway, and people could choose to walk on either.

playground in the park by the seaside walkway

The park has open space and greenery interspersed with playgrounds and a couple small cafés. There are even some small restrooms next to the path.

pools next to the walkway

Some areas of the pathway are flanked by shallow pools. We even saw a row of accessible fitness equipment alongside the path in one spot.

bikes for rent

A row of matching bikes sat in the park waiting to be rented.

cat on a park bench

Docks jut out into the sea here and there along the way. Cats sleep under bushes or on park benches, or walk along the pathways. Cyprus seemed to have as many stray cats as the Greek ports we visited on this cruise.

catching fish for a cat

On one dock we saw a guy fishing with a cat hanging around next to him. He caught a small fish and gave it to the cat, who ran off with it – taking it to the 4 kittens the man said she had. He told us he was fishing for the cat he had given the fish to so he apparently provided food for her on a regular basis.

kitty and litter, but not kitty litter

Although there were a number of garbage cans along the pathways the adjacent landscape was still dotted with litter. Some people are pigs whatever country they are from. Then again that’s an insult to pigs since they don’t leave a trail of litter wherever they go. From there the plastic hasn’t far to go to reach the sea where it’s a danger to marine life and not just an unsightly mess.

mosaic on the walkway

Most of the pathway was plain, but we did come across a mosaic inlay.

Old Town

row of French themed stores leading into old town

Old town is a short distance from the marina, mostly behind the row of buildings directly on the road that runs past it, though there are some entrances from there. One store had a sign saying you could go through it to get to the old town. Probably a good way to get people into the shops in hopes they buy something while passing through. Not far from that store a little alleyway of French themed shops led into the old town area, which is one of Limassol’s main tourist attractions.

cannon outside Limassol Castle

Limassol Castle is a museum in the old town area. Besides the castle turned museum old town has winding little streets lined with small shops and cafes. And some cats. Most of the cats we saw there were in the courtyard by the museum/castle, especially in a garden area with interesting-looking trees whose bark had a woven appearance. There was also a reproduction of a rather large old olive press.

Limassol Duck Store

Besides the usual sort of shops one finds in touristy areas there are some unique local stores. One shop stands out as truly unique – the Limassol Duck Store. This little store sells rubber ducks. And that’s all they sell.

Not just plain ducks though. They have  all sorts of ducks. Bride and groom ducks, ducks for different countries, professions, or sports along with fancy ducks and duck key chains or toothbrush holders. They even had ducks representing specific people. Among the ducks displayed in the store window we saw Donald Duck, and I don’t mean the Disney character.

church in old town

A domed church in old town that appeared rather mosque-like from the outside turned out to be a catholic church – the Church of St Catherine built in the 1870’s.

inside the domed church

There is a mosque in the old town area as well, but we did not go there.

street in old town

The old town covered quite a large area with winding streets filled with quite a variety of shops and cafes.

ancient buildings

Some of the buildings look very ancient, especially near the castle. Others look old, but not quite so ancient.

street in old town

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