PAFOS REGION

Pafos Town offers boasts a vast selection of accommodation, ranging from luxury beachside hotels and resorts with five-star amenities and services, such as business centres, salt-water pools, exotic gardens and health spas, to a variety of budget hotels and apartments within short driving distances to shops, beaches, eateries, tourist attractions and sites.  The town’s gastronomy is one of the best in Cyprus with a varied cuisine of local food at authentic taverns to international restaurants serving dishes from around the globe. Pafos offers a stylish nightlife scene, with many distinct areas catering to their own type of night owl. From swanky high-end clubs to a wonderful selection of bars and establishments popular with the town’s intercontinental community; enjoy a world-renowned opera performance under the stars at Pafos’ medieval fort overlooking the harbour, or a theatrical production at one of the many ancient or modern venues – Pafos most certainly lives up to its reputation as a cosmopolitan resort.

The Municipality of Geroskipou is located a short driving distance from the mythological birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. The town derives its name from ancient Greek, “Hieros Kipos” which refers to the “sacred garden,” dedicated to the goddess.

This beautifully preserved town features many roadside stalls selling a variety of handicrafts that include basketry and pottery, and the world-renowned confection known as Geroskipou Loukoumi.  The town is home to the Folk-Art Museum, displaying a large and diverse collection of exhibits originating from all over Cyprus and representing the daily life of the island. The Ecclesiastical Museum of Pafos (Byzantine Museum) is also located in the town, and houses unique religious artefacts that include ancient icons, metallic church items dating back to the 6^th Century, liturgical and ecclesiastical embroidery, and manuscripts and books.

Perched on a hillside location overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, the coastal town of Pegeia is renowned for its fountains in its picturesque town square – a beautiful construction featuring typical arches, and a central meeting point where traditional Cypriot women would meet to wash their clothes and fetch daily water. Pegeia boasts spectacular views of the coastline and beyond, and is home to Pafos’ most popular blue flag-awarded beaches at Coral Bay, popular amongst locals and tourists for their pristine waters and golden sands.

If you are a culture lover or historian at heart, the stone-built church of Agios Georgios is a superb example of Byzantine art dating back to the 6^th Century. The basilica complex features extensive floor mosaics depicting geometric patterns and animals. Adjacent to Coral Bay, Maa-Paleokastro is the site where ancient Mycenaean Greeks first landed in Cyprus during the island’s thriving Bronze Age.

The Polis Chrysochous area is one of Pafos’ least developed coastlines and a perfect place to experience the true meaning of relaxation. The Akamas National Park appeals to all nature lovers, particularly those in search of peaceful and tranquil surroundings that include rocky promontories, sandy coves, hidden grottos and abundant flora and fauna.

Nestled within the park, one will discover the renowned Baths of Aphrodite – an ancient, freshwater grotto shaded by a wild fig tree, believed to be the site where the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, frolicked with her lovers.

This rural region is probably one of the best-kept secrets of the Mediterranean. It contains one of the last nesting grounds for green and loggerhead turtles, whose numbers have greatly increased thanks to a successful conservation project on the sandy beaches of Lara. The area is criss-crossed by many beautiful nature trails where you can spot rare endemic plants such as the Cyprus orchid, tulip, and crocus, or watch migrating birds fly overhead. Read more