Food and beverage

It’s mid February and love is in the air – followed by ten days of colourful party-time mayhem… from celebrating St Valentine’s Day on Friday 14th to the annual Limassol Carnival starting on Thursday 20th. A traditional Cyprus twosome that says spring is nearly here, which means Limassol’s summer visitor season will soon be in full swing.

The first of many annual Cyprus festivals dedicated to celebrating the fruit of the vine arrives in Limassol. Wine lovers, connoisseurs, the culturally curious, and lifestyle hotel guest, alike, should expect a ‘vintage’ experience exploring authentic heritage wines from a Mediterranean vineyard terroir. The Peloponnese Wine Festival 2020 – now in it’s fourth year – will showcase the biggest ever collection of its finest quality, native and international wine varieties grown in ancient vineyards across the Greek peninsula, from Nemea and Patra to Mantinia, Monemvasia and Kalamata.

New Years Eve through to New Year’s Day in Limassol, as throughout Cyprus, is the traditional time for giving presents, receiving money and making a wish for love. Popular folklore also tells of dealing with troublesome sprights. This year the only mythic creatures likely to be found are performing in the classic musical, ‘Cats’, on onstage at Limassol’s Pattihio Theatre. For many couples, it could be the perfect, delightful way to celebrate New Year – theatre followed by dinner… especially if it’s the 6 course Gala Dinner at the Londa’s own Caprice Restaurant.

Autumn in Limassol can be a slightly surreal – or possibly, spooky experience! Visitors on a mini-break are often from countries where a chill in the misty air and damp, curling leaves underfoot more than set the scene for Halloween celebrations. With typical temperatures currently at 27C in Limassol, it feels more like high noon at midsummer than the bewitching hour for tricking and treating.

Just two weeks to go until the annual Limassol Wine Festival (30 Aug – 8 Sep) when an ever increasing number of Londa’s long-time guests return once more to celebrate mythic Dionysus, Greek god of “Wine and Merriment”. The joy is all the more sweeter as the festival wine is usually free of charge.

Today we start a new informal series of posts where, in true personalised boutique style, visitors and guests are offered a little peak behind the scenes here at Londa. We will be interviewing various key staff, from the Caprice Restaurant to the Londa Spa and others who are sure to have fascinating stories to tell! We hope this little series will offer a worthwhile snapshot. Our exclusive ‘insider’ interviews kick off with Londa General Manager, Jochen Niemann.

Easter Week in Limassol is fast approaching. In the spirit of spring’s ritual renewal, average local temperatures rise to a glorious 21–26C. It’s no coincidence that visitors to Cyprus, including of course Londa hotel guests, may be keen to take a mini-break. Chilly winter blasts mixed with April showers continue to sweep across several home countries at northern latitudes. The desire to relax and re-energise in Limassol’s warming Mediterranean air over Easter is always a popular choice.

It’s voting time in the annual World Travel Awards™ – now in it’s 26th year – and Londa Beach Hotel is nominated in five categories, including Cyprus Leading Boutique Hotel 2019. Voting in the Europe section runs from 11th March to 28th April. The World Travel Awards™ was established in 1993 to “acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries”.

Did you know that every time you type an email address in order to send a message you are using the Greek symbol for transportation? The keyboard character @ originates from the Latin word for “at, toward or to” and is the abbreviation for amphora, a measure of capacity. However, it also came to be more popularly known as the Greek “amphora” – a two-handled, terracotta vessel, such as a pitcher or vase. The amphora is also used in transportation, but in the ancient Mediterranean world, its purpose was for sending grains and liquids.

Cultural adventurers in Cyprus seeking insight and authentic experiences may not associate beer drinking with the island’s unique and individual Mediterranean character. In 2016, individual consumption was 55 litres or around 97 pints, compared to 67 litres (116 pints) in the UK or a whopping 104 litres (183 pints) in Germany, according to The Brewers of Europe Report, Dec 2017.

It’s Limassol Carnival time once again – when just about anything goes! Since the 8th February, the streets have been filled with a non-stop, eye-popping parade of riotous colour, costume, music and dance that reaches its dazzling climax at the Grand Carnival on Sunday 18th.