A Quick Stop in Cyprus!

Background image of the mosaic tiles at the Kourion ruins.

March 20, 2000 - Mediterranean Cruise

   The 6th stop on our Mediterranean cruise was the island of Cyprus where we arrived in the port of Limassol. We took a tour of Kourion (Curium) (the bath houses), then to the temple of Apollo and then up into the mountains to the city of Omodos.

   The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates is an ancient temple dedicated to the god Apollo. The temple is located about 10 miles west of Limassol near Kourion. In addition to the Apollo temple, the main Kourion site is home of a Roman amphitheater and bath houses with a wealth of mosaic floors that have been unearthed from the original city.

   After the tour of the Kourion area, we continued on to the 17th century town of Omodos nestled in the Troodos Mountains. Omodos is the primary wine region on Cyprus. While we were there, we enjoyed lunch, a walk around the town and a visit to a wine tasting room. Before heading back to the ship, we picked up a few bottles of wine and some local art.

The Costa Rivera cruise ship

Map of the cruise route

Another pic from the cruise