Archaeological Sites

Kourion is one of the island’s most impressive archaeological sites, once a powerful city-kingdom where new discoveries are still being made. Its highlight is the Greco-Roman amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century B.C. and still used today for performances. The site also features luxurious villas with stunning mosaic floors, including the House of Eustolios, the House of the Gladiators, and the House of Achilles, as well as a 5th-century Early Christian Basilica with a baptistery and the Roman Nymphaeum dedicated to the water nymphs.

Located near Kourion, the Temple of Apollo Hylates was one of Cyprus’s most important religious centres, dedicated to Apollo as the god of woodlands. The sanctuary reflects centuries of worship, evolving from the Bronze Age to the end of paganism, with three main phases: the Archaic (7th century B.C.), Ptolemaic (3rd century B.C.), and Roman period (1st century A.D.).

Amathous was one of Cyprus’s most important ancient city-kingdoms and a major centre of worship for Aphrodite-Astarte, linked in mythology to Theseus and Ariadne. The site features key remains such as the Agora, public baths, the Temple of Aphrodite on the Acropolis, early Christian basilicas, and tombs spanning from the Archaic to the Christian periods. Today, Amathous forms part of the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Kolossi Castle, located on the south coast of Cyprus west of Limassol, is one of the island’s most important medieval fortresses. Built in a fertile valley near the Kouris River, it was surrounded by thriving plantations and vineyards that made the area highly valuable during the Middle Ages. In 1210 A.D., the estate was granted by Hugh I of the Lusignan dynasty to the Order of Saint John, and the castle’s name is believed to derive from a former feudal lord, Gerinus de Colos.

Limassol Castle stands in the heart of Limassol’s old town, overlooking the old harbour. According to tradition, Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre here in 1191. Damaged over centuries by invasions and earthquakes, the castle was rebuilt by the Ottomans in 1590, incorporating parts of the original structure. Its basement cells served as a prison until 1950.