Today was our departure from Nicosia, and we took the 1 hour trek to Limassol. On our way to Limassol, we visited Kourion Archaeological Site, which is one of Cyprus’ most important city/kingdoms in history. It was built on the hills of the area, controlling the river, Kouris. Kourion has an intricate history, with remains of an amphitheater, a Christian Basilica, and many more remains from various cultural groups. My favorite fact I learned today was about the earthquake house on the hill of Kourion. It was a private residence to the left of the theatre, which was built in the late 1st to early 2nd century, then destroyed in the 4th century by a HUGE earthquake. From this house, a picture of daily life was preserved. Overall, the best “ruin” in my eyes was the amphitheater. I absolutely adored how I could stand in the middle and could feel my own voice echo. I was taken aback by all of the remains left and how well preserved they are. (Well besides the easily trippable steps on the way down)

After Kourion, we went into the heart of Limassol for lunch and a tour of the Limassol Castle. For lunch, a group of us girls sat out on the Old Port where we shared plates and enjoyed the beautiful view of the ships and sea. Once we finished eating, we walked around the area for cute souvenir shops, and I was able to get most gifts for my family. Next, we began our tour of the Limassol Castle. I quickly learned that it was built over a Christian Basilica and Byzantine monument in the late 1100s. What I thought was intriguing about the castle was that when the Ottomans took over, they demolished some parts of the castle and turned it into a fort. This was a historical fact I didn’t think about since when you hear “Limassol Castle” you assume it was only used for royalty in the medieval times, not for military purposes. Once we toured the entire castle we were given free time, where we spent it with most of the group on the roof playing games from grade school. (I didn’t expect to learn Stella Ella Ola on the rooftop of Limassol Castle and I’m around 95% sure that was another historical moment for the building) Overall, Limassol gets a 10/10! I cannot wait for the next week to come!