Paphos

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.