The Mediterranean island at the crossroads of three continents, where there’s always a new world to discover. Where Championship Golf courses, inviting beaches, and breathtaking mountain trails lie around luxurious hotels. Once you’ve been to Cyprus, it’s easy to see why you’ll come back again.

General Description

Paphos was the Roman capital of the island and boasts the honour of being named as a UNESCO world heritage site with its tombs, catacombs, mosaics and archaeological sites. It has experienced drastic development over the last decade with a vast increase in hotels, touristy bars and restaurants, familiar fast food outlets and residential apartment complex's, which has somewhat spoilt the attraction of the resort. It is blessed with a particularly mild climate as a result of warm sea breezes from the W making it slightly cooler than other resorts in the summer and warmer than others in the winter.

Covering an area of around 16 sq mls in all, the town is really split into two: Kato Paphos and Paphos Town. Kato Paphos, on the coast, is the principal tourist area and centres on an attractive little harbour whose picturesque, open-air restaurants line the quayside where bright fishing boats and pleasure craft are moored. Along the sea front are many pavement cafes, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops, which has had a recent facelift and is pedestrianized in the evenings, behind are the lively bar streets. Newer 4* hotels and holiday villages run for 3 miles east along the coast.

The coast to the west runs through the tourist orientated tomb of the king's area to Coral Bay 5 mls away, a mini resort in its own right with calm, shallow, golden sandy bays on the edge of the national park. 2 mls inland from the harbour is Paphos old Town which is full of hustle and bustle, and its hilly, narrow streets can get choked with traffic at peak times - parking is almost impossible - but is well worth exploring the shops, market and neo classical buildings.

Public Transport

Frequent bus service along the coast road to Coral Bay, operating from early morning till late evening during the main season. Taxis operate 24 hrs.

Location

Location: In the SW corner of Cyprus. 95 mls SW of the capital, Nicosia. 90 mls W of Larnaca. 9 mls NW of Paphos international airport.
Position: The main tourist area, Kato Paphos, has developed around a sheltered harbour, while the older settlement of Paphos Town is set atop a hill about 2 mls N. The surrounding countryside is mainly rocky, hilly open land.
Dialling Code: 26
Website: www.vtourist.cy.net  

Serving Airports

Paphos International (PFO) <http://www.gazetteers.com/Beta/airport.aspx?apcode=PFO>
Flight time from the UK: 4 hrs 15 mins

Market/Suitability

Middlemarket, good for families. Very popular with the British market but also attracts a large number of German visitors and a few Danes.

Beaches

There are 4 municipal beaches in the Paphos area, but much of the shoreline is actually rocky. Coral Bay, 8 mls N, is considered the most attractive beach, being sandy with shallow water. Plaz Beach, 4 mls SE, is sandy. A number of hotels have man-made beaches along their shorelines.

Shopping

The main shopping area and markets are situated in Paphos Town and range from typical crafts to larger, more sophisticated department stores. Best buys are leather, handicrafts, pottery, silver, gold and embroidery.

Entertainment

Daytime: shopping and bargain hunting; aquarium; water park; Archaeological Museum; Byzantine Museum; Mosaics of Paphos at House of Dionysos (Kato Paphos); Tombs of the Kings; water sports including jet-skiing, parasailing, pedalloes, snorkelling, diving and fishing.
Nightlife: innumerable lively bars, tavernas, British pubs, discos, a cinema, a bouzouki club and a few nightclubs; several of the hotels have their own nightclubs, often with live bands.

Eating Out

Plentiful restaurants, cafes and snack bars in Paphos and towards Polis, 20 mls to the N. Ranging from good fish restaurants to pizzerias and burger joints as well as traditional fare.

Accommodation

Mainly 3- and 4-star hotels situated in Kato Paphos centre. Many modern 4- and 5-star hotels are situated directly on the beach, although it is wise to check the quality of the beach when booking; many "beachfront" hotels only have access to rocky coves with perhaps a smattering of sand. A number of holiday "villages" exist in the Coral Bay area.

Local Excursions

Half day: Cyprus Night (evening at local village taverna). Full day: Baths of Aphrodite; Limassol; Nicosia; Troodos Mountains; boat trip to Coral Bay, unspoilt Lara Bay and Akamas Peninsula; jeep expedition in the Akamas area.

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