Tours Travel

Paphos Cyprus – The all year round resort

Paphos in Cyprus is one of the few tourist areas on the island that remains open during the winter months of the year. You may have something to do with all the sights that are close to Paphos town or within an easy coach ride. The Troodas Mountains, for example, are just an hour from the resort. Paphos is also connected to all the other major seaside resorts in Cyprus and to the capital Nicosia via a modern network of motorways. This may explain why Paphos has seen so much growth in recent years both in terms of tourism and as a driving city. There is also little doubt that development will continue apace for quite some time, not only in the town itself, but throughout the Paphos area.

Visitors return to Paphos in Cyprus year after year even though the resort has no real beach. There are some beautiful beaches further along the coast at Coral Bay, but apart from some shale Paphos itself has no beach. The resort area is based around the pretty harbor with its waterfront cafes and trendy restaurants where you can relax with a drink looking out over the beautiful Mediterranean ocean. On the edge of the harbor there is a small medieval fort and it is worth going up to enjoy the view from the top of the tower. Just a short walk from Paphos Lighthouse is the ancient Roman amphitheater which has been restored and now hosts summer concerts. Imagine sitting there on a warm summer evening in the exact spot where the crowd watched gladiators fight to the death.

Further up the hill are the excavated remains of several villas, including the House of Dionysus with its incredible mosaic floors that have survived for around 2,000 years. Also of interest and within a couple of miles of Paphos Harbor are the Tombs of the Kings. A burial ground carved into bedrock dating to around the 4th century BC. There were never any actual kings buried there, but they earned the name tombs of the kings because they were deemed fit for purpose. Visitors to the site can enter the tombs (they are empty) and explore them as they wish. Closer to the city center, in a fenced area on Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (St Pauls Avenue), is the royal pillar where the apostle Paul received 39 lashes for preaching the gospel. However, once he was flogged, the governor converted to Christianity and Cyprus became the first Christian state in the world.

If you’re looking for good food and a lively night out, Paphos can offer you both in equal amounts. There is a street that runs parallel to the main street called “bar street” and it has a very apt name. There are some excellent restaurants offering cuisine to suit all tastes, including some fabulous flambé houses where the meat is cooked right at your table. How’s that for freshly cooked food? Once you’ve eaten your fill, there are plenty of trendy bars to enjoy a nice relaxing drink or even some nightclubs if that’s what floats your boat. Stores also stay open late, so you might even treat yourself to a little retail therapy on the way out from dinner. Cyprus enjoys over 320 days of beautiful sunshine each year, so you may want to go to bed early and recharge your batteries for another hard day soaking up the sun.

With so much to offer the discerning tourist, it’s no wonder people keep coming back to Paphos. The other great thing about Paphos is the golf. In fact, Paphos is the golf hub of Cyprus with no fewer than three excellent clubs and several top-notch hotels right on the courses. With the beautiful climate of Cyprus, Paphos is a golfer’s dream come true in more ways than one. You don’t have to worry about the weather ruining your game and you can walk directly from your hotel to the green. If you’ve never vacationed on the island before, maybe you should check out Paphos, Cyprus.

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