Paphos (Pafos)

The Historical town of Paphos (Pafos, Pathos)

Paphos is a costal town in southern Cyprus that is built around a fascinating history. According to Greek mythology it was the birth place of the goddess of love Aphrodite it was because of this that during the Greek occupation of Cyprus, Paphos was the capital of the island.

Old and New Paphos

There have been two cities that have gone by the name Paphos over the years, it is this first city that is the rumoured birth place of Aphrodite and now referred to as Kouklia. For those wishing to travel to Kouklia it is only 16km away from the New Paphos. Kouklia is a small village with a very interesting history. New Paphos was founded on the west of the island to the south of Old Paphos.

The holiday boom didn't really begin in Paphos until about 20 years ago when it finished construction of Cyprus second international airport. Now its one of the most popular holiday destinations in the west, welcoming nearly three quarters of a million visitors a year, with over 60% of those visitors coming from the UK.

Among its attractions for tourists are the mosaic floors, its old harbour, and its many modern hotels and restaurants, situated along the seaside promenade.

Weather

The climate of Cyprus makes the summer months a popular time for tourism in Paphos, when temperatures easily reach 30 degrees Celsius every day. In the Winter it is cooler and perfect for such activites as bicycle and hiking.

Places To See

Paphos is split into two districts the first Ktima which is on the sea terrace and is the residential district, where as Kato Pafos is on the sea and is built around the medieval port and contains the hotels and entertainment side of Paphos.

in the harbour, there is the Castle of Paphos, originally built as a Byzantine fort to protect the harbour and rebuilt by the Lusignans in the thirteenth century, then dismantled in 1570 by the Venetians, who found themselves unable to defend it against the Ottomans, who in their turn restored and strengthened it after they captured the island.

Located in Paphos is Coral Bay, world famous and considered by many to be the worlds best beach Coral Bay has something everyone can do. Its clear blue waters make it perfect for water sports.

The mosaic floors in the houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, which have been perfectly preserved under the ground for 16 centuries. they are some of the finest mosaic tiles to see and mainly contain scenes from Greek Mythology.

The Tomb of the Kings is an underground tomb, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, are carved out of the solid rock, and are thought to have been the burial sites of Paphitic aristocrats and high officials (the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were in actuality buried there). The tombs are cut into solid rock and are one of most popular tourist destinations in the Paphos area of Cyprus.

Links

The Villa Co Cyprus - Paphos town and history

vtourist.cy.net/paphos/ - The official Paphos web site

cyprusfirst.com/ - for property rentals in Paphos

For more information on Cyprus visit our links page