Paphos is a tourist area on the southwestern coast of Cyprus; legend says that the goddess of love Aphrodite was born in these places. In any case, it was here that its sacred groves and temples were located, many historical events took place here, and many evidences of the greatness of ancient civilization have been preserved here.
Now it is a popular resort, where people go not only to see the many sights, but also to swim and relax on the beaches. It has a warm subtropical climate, the high tourist season begins in July and lasts until September, but you can swim from the beginning of summer until mid-autumn, and you can walk in the mountains and see everything that is interesting here, it is best in winter and spring, when it is not hot. …
A common disadvantage of beaches on the west coast of Cyprus is the occasional algae appearance. But all the beaches of large resorts and large hotels are regularly cleaned. All beaches are municipal: free admission, sun loungers and umbrellas are paid. They are sandy or sandy-pebble with stone outcrops.
Paphos districts
The center of the resort is the city of Paphos itself, but in addition to it, the area includes several more tourist villages on the coast, which can be considered as full-fledged resorts.
- Paphos Upper Town;
- Lower town of Paphos;
- Eroskipu;
- Aphrodite Hills;
- Kuklia;
- Chloraka;
- Peyia.
Upper town
The upper city of Paphos, located on a cliff above the sea, is the administrative center. All public buildings, educational institutions, urban infrastructure are concentrated here, not tourist, but specialized stores - electronics, sporting goods, etc. There is a market in this section of the city. This is a historical building of shopping malls from the beginning of the XX century, it was recently restored. There is the largest number of souvenirs here, there are interesting restaurants in the Greek style, and there is also an elevator with which you can easily go down to the Lower Town. There is a pedestrian shopping area and a bus station next to the market.
It's far from the sea, but there are never such crowds of people. The old town, that is, areas of historical buildings, is located right here. There are a lot of colonial and neoclassical buildings in the city, and they are all concentrated in the upper part. Pay attention to Malioti Park, which is located between two English mansions of the late 19th century, one of which is now an art gallery. Here is the church of St. Theodora - the main church of Paphos; the former Turkish quarter with a mosque and baths of the 16th century, a Byzantine museum, an ethnographic museum.
Accommodation in this part of the city is very different. Fans of historical buildings should pay attention to Pafos Palace, the oldest hotel in the city, but in general, inexpensive apartments are mainly rented here.
Lower town
The lower town is located along the beach strip and the promenade, so, of course, the main thing here is the sea and beaches. But there are also many interesting sights: the ancient part of the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an archaeological park: excavations of two estates from the 2nd century. AD with preserved floor mosaics (Villa Dionysus and Villa Theseus), as well as the Roman amphitheater-odeon. It is still used for its intended purpose: concerts and performances are held here during the summer season.
The embankment is decorated with a beautiful lighthouse built in 1888. Pay attention to the church of Agia Kyriaki - it stands on the site of the oldest Christian temple in Paphos. The Teoskepasti Church, Pokrovskaya Church, stands on a cliff just by the sea - it is only about a hundred years old, but it was also built on an ancient foundation.
The city has preserved the early Christian catacombs - the remains of quarries, in which temples were later built. Another attraction is the ruins of a medieval castle: it was built under the Byzantines and was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century. There is also a new castle - built in the 16th century under the Ottoman Turks.
As such, there are no full-fledged sandy beaches in the central part of the city. There are quite a few equipped swimming places - these are bridges leading to the sea on a rocky shore. There is a small pebble and rocky beach right next to the fortress, but there are no sun loungers and other infrastructure on it. Real beaches start a little further from the city center: there are beach areas near large hotels, for example, at Amavi.
Eroskipu
The second largest resort town in the region, it is located southeast of Paphos and is actually a suburb of it. Here were the sacred groves of Aphrodite. Now it is a prestigious place: expensive hotels along the waterfront, not separated from the beach by a carriageway.
Yeroskipu is a continuous beach strip of 3 km, which is rather conventionally divided into several sections (Pachyammos, Geroskipou, Riccos), it is marked with the Blue Flag. Long-distance, expensive hotels are each located on their own small beach area, surrounded by rocky and unsettled pieces of the coast. All beaches here are sandy and pebble, they have rock outcrops. In the central part there are breakwaters and several fenced paddling pools for children. There is practically no inexpensive housing in the depths of the building.
Despite the fact that all the most interesting objects of observation are located in neighboring Paphos, there is also something to see here. This is the church of Agia Paraskevi - it has been heavily rebuilt, but the first temple on this site was already in the 9th century. In the former building of the British Consulate, built in the second floor. XIX, the museum of folk art is located.
Shopping and entertainment are concentrated around Poseidonos Avenu Street. Not far from it there are an amusement park and a water park, there are discos and nightclubs, so you will not be bored.
Aphrodite Hills and Kuklia
The Hills of Aphrodite, or the Rocks of Aphrodite, are said to be the very place where the goddess of love was once born from the sea foam. There are several places of interest associated with this legend. This is the Petra tou Romiou beach itself in the bay of Aphrodite and a large stone on the seashore, which is called the Rock of Aphrodite - it is just on this beach. The beach is pebbly and not equipped in any way.
But in this area itself, a small resort village was formed - Aphrodite Hills - with expensive hotels that overlook the neighboring beaches. The nearest village to this beach is Kouklia, which is located a little further from the sea. Its main attraction is the ruins of the temple of Aphrodite, turned into a museum. There are also hotels and taverns here, so you can settle down below, by the sea, and above, in the village.
Chloraka
Chloraka is a suburb of Paphos, lying to the north of it. One of the nicest areas: the beaches are better here than in Paphos itself, hotels are cheaper than in Geroskipou, and the infrastructure is quite urban: there are supermarkets (pay attention to Papantoniu), banks, pharmacies, many taverns both on the coast and in the depths the village, the only drawback is far from the city and there is practically no nightlife. But there are sights here: five churches and several chapels, a museum, a park with fountains. This is the greenest suburb of Paphos with oak groves.
But there is one feature of Chloraka that you need to keep in mind - the relief here rises quite strongly, as in Paphos. On the very coast, near the beaches, there are only large 4-5 star hotels. If you choose accommodation on the second or third line, then most likely you will need to go downhill to the sea and then go up.
Peyia
The most pretentious place in Paphos is Coral Bay near Peyia. This is the most British town on the coast, half of the population here are from Great Britain, and the development of the central streets is made in the English, not Cypriot style. Among the attractions is the church of St. George. Not far from Peyia is the Paphos Zoo. Sometimes it is called the Bird Park: it started with a private collection of birds, but has now turned into a full-fledged zoo. But there are still the most birds here, and the main entertainment is the show of owls and parrots.
Coral Bay beaches are marked with the Blue Flag. The most famous of them is Coral Bay, very wide, very smooth, practically without waves, so it is ideal for families with children. There is a diving center and a diving site nearby. There are areas for water volleyball, and several points where you can rent sports equipment, a large parking lot nearby.
The second popular beach here is Laourou, next to the marina (so if you want to rent a boat or speedboat, this is the place for you). Almost on the beach, on the shore, there is a piece of open excavations of the ancient city under the dome.
When choosing a hotel here, keep in mind the following: Peyia (like Paphos and many other towns in Cyprus) is divided into two levels. The upper one is far from the sea, but the entire urban infrastructure: supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, a market, inexpensive restaurants - is located there. Downstairs only the beach, promenade and hotels. If you take the hotel downstairs, then it will not be cheap, and you still have to go to the city from it, if you take the apartments upstairs, you will have to get to the beach for a long time.
