Overview
Once the Roman capital of Cyprus, Paphos is now listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The area is rich in historic monuments: with the House of Dionysos hosting some of the finest examples of floor mosaics in the Mediterranean region, the Tombs of the Kings, the Christian Catacombs and ancient Byzantine churches being just a few.
The old town, or Ktima as it is known, is just above the harbour. This maze of winding streets boasts a vibrant selection of traditional and modern shops, supermarkets, a colourful indoor market selling local fruit and vegetables, banks, legal and government offices and a brand new hospital.
Kato Paphos, just below Ktima, is built around a picturesque fishing harbour, shadowed by an ancient fort. Here you can bask in an all year round holiday atmosphere. There are plenty of open air cafés and local tavernas where you can sample a fish mezze, usually fresh from the morning’s catch. You’ll also have some of the best hotels on the island at your disposal with regular events and activities open to both guests and local residents alike.
Around the town of Paphos, there are several small villages such as Peyia, Kissonerga, Tala, Empa and Konia, which give easy access to the town, but also have the advantage of being in a rural setting.
Still retaining its traditional charm, Yeroskipou is on the airport side of Paphos and has great potential, with a marina planned for the coast nearby. An area of Paphos rather than a town itself, Coral Bay is the best beach in Paphos, with Peyia looking down from above. This is a very popular area, considerably more lush than other parts of Cyprus, and has been an established holiday destination since the 1980’s. Close to the spectacular Akamas Peninsula, the whole area is unique being one of the remaining breeding places for the Green Mediterranean Turtle.
About 45 minutes from Paphos in the far north-west of the island, are the villages of Polis, Latchi and Droushia. Polis is a quiet village that will soon be linked to the Paralimni-Paphos motorway, which will provide better access to this remote area, and offer good investment opportunities in the Paphos area.
Not far along the coast towards Limassol is one of the island’s biggest claims to fame, the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, where huge rocks rise up out of the sea in honour of the remarkable goddess. It’s believed the place actually took its name, Petra tou Romiou (rock of the Greek), from the legendary Byzantine hero who threw a rock here and sank one of the ships of Arab raiders. It’s a well-visited spot owing to its incredible beach and grottos.
A stone’s throw away is the village of Pissouri perched on top of a hill with a panoramic view of the bay enclosed by Akrotiri Aspro. If you’re looking for somewhere not too commercialised, you couldn’t make a better choice. The horseshoe-shaped beach and surrounding area have been thoughtfully developed over the last few years into a modern, summer resort.
Golf is a major passion in this part of the island with three celebrated courses within easy driving distance. You have the superb Tsada and Secret Valley courses only minutes from each other, and the picturesque Aphrodite Hills course extended over two olive covered slopes on either side of a rugged ravine to offer further challenges.
The 234 hectares that is Aphrodite Hills is regarded as one of the most exclusive leisure, golf and property developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Located on a beautiful plateau overlooking a beach, the resort’s geography enhances the feeling of being close to nature. With a range of superb facilities including a tennis academy, health and fitness centre with spa and Thalassotherapy centre, we’ll be happy to include this resort as part of your visit, should it match your needs and budget.
It seems that wherever you go in Cyprus, you are never more than minutes away from historical points of interest, beautiful beaches, idyllic countryside and a relaxing pace of life … yiassas!
Getting There
Southern Cyprus has two main international airports, Larnaca and Paphos, served by approximately 30 major airlines with many flights from Europe and other destinations throughout the week. Both airports are undergoing major development work – the new Paphos terminal building will be complete around November 2008 and Larnaca ready in November 2009.
Budget airlines are now beginning to come in – Monarch, Excel and Easyjet, with Ryan Air still in discussion. The result being that the other scheduled carriers have had to reduce their prices to remain competitive. Low cost carriers are also coming in from Vienna bringing Austrians and Germans to the island, so Cyprus is no longer so dependent on the UK economy.
What’s more, the island is covered by a network of modern and newly built roads, so getting about is relatively quick and easy. And road signs are in English, so you shouldn’t get lost; at least not for long!
