The city of Paphos is one of the most popular
destinations not only in Cyprus but in the entire Mediterranean. For 2017,
Paphos is Europe's Cultural Capital, and so those who have visited it this year
or intend to do so will have the opportunity to attend some of the very
interesting cultural events taking place in the area.
But what is it that makes Paphos so popular
among tourists? Maybe they are the same reasons they did Aphrodite, the greek
ancient goddess of love and beauty, to choose Paphos as her birthplace. Perhaps
the reason is this stunning natural beauty, the crystal clear blue beaches, the
warm weather and the summer that seems to hold forever. Or maybe the reason is
that this small corner of the planet has a history so rich, beginning 10,000
years ago, from the Neolithic age and continuing the same striking over the
centuries.
Whatever is this that will attract you to
Paphos, I have prepared for you a list of the best 10 + 1 things to do in the
city.
Archaeological Park of
Kato Paphos
The Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos belongs
to the Unesco World Heritage Sites since 1980 and is one of the most important
archaeological sites in Cyprus. It includes ruins dating from the Middle Ages
to the Roman Empire, with mosaic floors in the villas of Dionysus, Theseus, the
Aion and Orpheus to be the most popular. The mosaics were discovered accidentally
in 1962 by a farmer who plowed his field and depicted mainly scenes from Greek
mythology. The park covers a fairly large area and you will need around 3 hours
to see all the monuments so it would be nice to visit the archaeological park
early in the morning to avoid the crowds of tourists but also the heat.
Entrance fee: € 4.5
Discover Pano Paphos
Paphos is divided into two levels, in Kato
Paphos which is the most touristic area of the city and in Pano Paphos or else
the "Ktima" as the locals call it. If you want to get a more
authentic flavor of the city and see how locals live, you definitely have to
spend a few hours in Pano Paphos. Explore the streets of the center, take a
stroll from the municipal gardens and the beautiful square of Kostis Palamas,
walk to the pedestrianized neighborhood of Laiki Gitonia, admire the beautiful
school complexes and finally visit Moutallo, the Turkish-Cypriot neighborhood.
Avakas Gorge
The hiking Avakas Gorge was by far the most
impressive experience during our trip to Cyprus. It is located about 20 km away
fromPaphos and towards the end of the route the road becomes quite difficult
since it is a rather narrow dirt road. After we left the car at the end of the
road, we had to walk for about 30 minutes to get to the end of the gorge. The
route is not particularly difficult, but at some points you may have to go
through the water, which of course did not happen to us as it was September and
the water was minimal.
As we proceeded to the end, the landscape became more and more impressive, with nature having created a real sculpture masterpiece on the huge limestone rocks. The height of the canyon reaches 80 meters at its highest point, where the light that penetrates is scarce, and if you look up you are really enchanted. Despite its stunning beauty, the Avakas Gorge is not particularly advertised due to the frequent landslides that occur in the area.
Shipwreck Edro III
On the evening of October 7, 2011 the ship Edro
III with Sierra Leone's flag left from Limassol port to Rhodes. Due to the
strong winds, the ship hit the rocks and drifted off the coast of Peyia about
15 kilometers outside Paphos. The wreck is now a major site attraction of the
area. Visit it just before the sunset to enjoy one of the most magical sunsets
of the island and combine it with a cocktail in the beautiful Oniro By the Sea
bar which is right next to it.
Sea Caves
The shores along Peyia are quite rocky,
creating impressive sea caves of enormous geological interest that make the
landscape look almost unreal. Just 200 meters from the shipwreck of Edro III
you will see some of these caves, while the spectacle becomes even more
impressive if you continue to the chapel of Agios Georgios of Peyia
(Geronissos).
Coral Bay
The coastline of Pafos is more than 50
kilometers long, including about 27 beaches. The Coral Bay is, in my opinion,
the most beautiful beach in Paphos, about 25 minutes from the city center. It
is a large, organized beach that literally sinks from the crowd. We visited the
beach at about 10 am and was already difficult to find an umbrella. The waters
are blue, warm, very shallow and crystal clear, while the beach is covered in fine
sand.
Castle of Paphos
Paphos Castle is located at the port of the
city, in one of the most beautiful spots of Paphos. The Castle was built to
protect the city during the Byzantine period but was largely destroyed by the
earthquake in 1922. Since then the castle has been repaired and destroyed
several times as it passed from the Lutzians to the Venetians and from the
Turks to the Britons. The best time to visit the castle is in the afternoon to
combine it with a walk on the coastal pedestrian street during the sunset
sunset.
Entrance fee: 2.50 euros
Petra tou Romiou
25 kilometers outside of Paphos, on the border
with Limassol province, is located one of the most famous places in the whole
island. Petra tou Romiou or Aphrodite's Rock, where, according to mythology,
greek goddess Aphrodite emerged through the waves and a shell brought her to
the beach. The area took its name from another legend, according to which
Digenis Akritas (a greek mythical hero) prevented the Arabs preparing to
plunder the area with its unrealistic power. With one hand he was caught from
the Kyrenia mountain range, thus forming the "Pentadactylos", the
five mountain peaks, while with the other hand he lifted a huge rock and threw
him into the sea against the Arabs who were trying to land. This rock still
exists today, giving its name to the beach, which is one of the most beautiful
and special beaches of Paphos.
Tombs of the Kings
The Tombs of the Kings are part of the
Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos and date back to the 4th century BC. These
are impressive underground graves that are carved on the rocks, while some of
them are decorated with Doric columns. They were not tombs of kings, as you
maybe expect from their name, but graves of high-ranking officials, that
resemble many of the graves that have been found in Alexandria, Egypt.
Entrance fee: 2.50 euros
Taste Cypriot Mezedes
In most areas of the Mediterranean there is a
tendency to accompany the wine with various appetizers. If you've been to Spain
you've definitely been drinking your wine tasting a variety of tapas, or if
you've visited Italy, you've been drinking at least one aperitif by snacking
some buffet. In Cyprus, however, the concept of meze has a completely different
dimension. The first time we tried Cypriot meze, was at 7 saint Georges
restaurant in Paphos. We sat down and ordered just a bottle of wine when a range
of authentic Cypriot flavors, including hot baked bread, olives, hummus,
eggplant salad, greek salad, roasted peppers with honey, eggs with greens,
moussaka, stewed veal, chicken cooked in tomato sauce, kleftiko and many more,
was coming on our table until we say stop! The philosophy here is to try small
quantities of the region's most famous dishes, ranging from salads to
appetizers and main dishes to sweets.
Relax with a Spa at
the Elysium Hotel
The first thing I did when I landed at Paphos
airport was to visit Elysium Hotel. Although I did not stay at this hotel (I
will definitely do it the next time), I spent much of the day relaxing in the
hotel's splendid spa. Besides, if we do not relax and care for ourselves during
our holidays, when will we do it? The hotel's Opium Spa offers various
treatments such as facials, massages, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and many more,
while in the spa area you will also find a huge indoor swimming pool as well as
a sauna.
And in case you feel hungry after the spa, you
do not have to leave the hotel, since Elysium has 6 amazing restaurants. We
chose to taste Mediterranean flavors in the Mediterraneo restaurant, but I
would also highly recommend the Italian restaurant, Bacco.
The Elysium Hotel is located on the beach of
Paphos, next to the Tombs of the Kings. If you choose to stay here, the rooms
rates start at 250 euros, while there are many options from double rooms with
sea view, to maisonettes decorated in Cypriot style and villas with private
pools.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of VisitCyprus & Elysium Hotel. As always, all opinions expressed are my own!
Disclaimer: I was a guest of VisitCyprus & Elysium Hotel. As always, all opinions expressed are my own!
Cyprus is amazing.Pafos is very beautiful i hope to be there again...
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