Cyprus Car Hire
Online car rental specialists have car hire offices around the world, including offices in Cyprus, and offers some great cheap Cyprus car hire deals. You can book your rental car online and pick it up when you arrive in Cyprus.
Driving from Limassol to Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
If you are planning a holiday to the popular tourist destination of Limassol (also known as Lemesos) in Cyprus, you can hire a car in Limassol and drive to the ruins of the ancient city of Kourion (also known as Curias or Curium) and the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates for a great day out.
It’s simple to drive from Limassol to Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo Hyates.
Kourion is only about 20km away from Limassol, so it’s easy to reach if you hire a car. You can pick up your hire car in Cyprus when you arrive at Larnaca or Paphos airport, or hire a car in Limassol.
Cyprus Car Hire Trip – The Ancient City of Kourion
The ancient city of Kourion is the perfect place to visit on a day-trip by car if you are staying in Limassol. Situated on the cliff-tops, the ruined city offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea and you can see the remains of a number of significant Roman buildings. The city is believed to have been abandoned following a series of devastating earthquakes during the 4th Century.
The Roman Theatre, for example, was originally constructed in the 2nd Century and, although it was destroyed during the 4th Century, it has now been restored to its former glory and is used as a venue for concerts and plays during the summer.
You can also see the remains of the Roman Stadium, which is believed to have been constructed in the 2nd Century. The stadium would have been able to seat up to 6,000 people and would have been used for athletics events, such as the Pentathlon, where competitors would take part in running, high jump, long jump, javelin and wrestling, as well as for chariot races. The stadium at Kourion fell into disrepair during the 4th Century.
Other things to see at the ancient city of Kourion include the remains of the House of the Gladiators, the House of Achilles, the Agora (or market-place), the public baths and the Nymphaeum (a large building which contained baths, a meeting chamber, an atrium and fountains).
The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
One of the other most significant sites near the ancient city of Kourion is the Sanctuary of Apollo Hyates, which overlooks the city. The origins of the buildings that made up the Sanctuary are believed to date back as far as the 8th B.C., but most of the construction took place during the Roman period.
Legend has it that anyone who touched the Sacred Altar of Apollo would be flung from the cliffs into the sea, and you can still see the remains of the altar at the small Temple of Apollo. You can also see the Treasury of Apollo, where priests would have made votives to the Sun-God.
Another key part of the site is the Circular Monument, which is likely to have been dedicated to a woodland god and constructed before the site was dedicated to Apollo. Processions would have taken place here around seven sacred trees.
