Visiting Paphos for your Cyprus Holiday

Cyprus is the third biggest island in the Mediterranean and is a hugely popular destination for holiday makers, attracting over 2 million visitors every year. Cyprus possesses a unique culture and a fascinating history having been occupied by Roman, Greek and Turkish empires. Paphos, the former capital of the island, is one of Cyprus’ more upmarket resorts
and is ideal for Cyprus holidays makers looking for a fun but relaxing break.

Paphos consists of two areas, Kato Paphos and Pano Paphos. Kato Paphos is the more modern coastal resort area while Pano Paphos is the town itself and is slightly inland.

Paphos boasts some superb beaches with Coral Bay being one of the most popular with tourists and locals alike, offering a long sandy beach and a relaxed family atmosphere with safe swimming and watersports. Latchi Beach has deep waters making it an ideal spot for swimming, scuba diving and watersports. Paphos holiday makers may also be interested in visiting Lara Bay, a remote area with an excellent beach, some beautiful scenery and a turtle hatchery where loggerhead and greenback turtles lay their eggs. This is one of the few places in the Mediterranean that they can still be found.

The resort is rich in history and as such offers several interesting sightseeing opportunities. The Tomb of the Kings is a series of underground tombs carved out of solid rock. The tombs are thought to have been the burial sites for high officials and aristocrats and many of the tombs date back to the 4th century.

Paphos is also supposedly the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and the baths of Aphrodite on the west of the island is where legend claims the goddess bathed. The bath is a natural waterfall and the trail around the area offers a splendid walk.
Fans of Archaeology will enjoy the remarkable mosaics in the House of Dionysos. The House of Dionysos was built by a wealthy merchant in the second or third century and the intricate mosaics sat undiscovered beneath the soil for 16 centuries before being discovered and excavated in 1962.

Shopping in Paphos is popular with tourists where amongst goods from some familiar stores, holiday makers can purchase items such as leather goods, ceramics and embroidered lace at much lower prices than could be found in the UK. Also spectacles are very good value in Paphos and many tourists choose to get their eyes tested and purchase their glasses at one of the many opticians to save money.

There is a wide choice of international and mezze restaurants along the beach promenade and near the harbour in Paphos. Mezze is a traditional Cypriot meal consisting of a large number of hot and cold dishes such as meats, vegetables, fish dishes and salads. The majority of restaurants are similarly priced and good value for money. The nightlife in Paphos is mostly found on one street named Agiou Antoniou (also known locally as bar street or nightlife street). Along this street tourists will find various bars and clubs including the Outback sports and karaoke bar, Woody’z bar and the Starsky and Hutch seventies disco.