Cyprus
Cyprus, May 2017
Accommodations
- Paradisos Hills: Technically a 2-star hotel because of amenities, but this is oh so much more than two measly stars. This family-run hotel feels more like a B&B even though it has over twenty rooms. Set into the hills, this property gives you wonderful views of the mountains and coast during the daytime, slowly shifting to the sunset of glowing oranges and red, to night when you can see the breadth of stars outside. There is plenty of walking trails nearby and an excellent pool to cool off in the afternoon. The hotel is about an hour away from the paphos airport and city center but, it's worth it. Check out my TripAdvisor review.
Sites/Tours
- Paphos Archaeological Park: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area includes ruins from the Pre-historic time, middle ages and roman period. The mosaics here are a favorite and incredibly preserved for their age. The grounds here are quite big, make sure you slot in at least half a day for this.
- Coastal Broadwalk: This walking/biking trail along the coast starts almost at the entrance of the Archaeological Park in the Paphos Harbor, and follows the coast around on the outskirts of the park going north. There are lots of places to stop and rest to take in the views or picnic. It goes a fair distance north, I stopped once I reached Faros Beach to double back.
- Aphrodite's Rock (aka "Petra tou Romiou): On the south coast in Paphos, this has a sea stack rock that legend says, Aphrodite was born from. You can park opposite the beach and take the tunnel below the road to get to the beach. Try to go first thing in the morning or in the evening when there aren't floods of tour buses. If you do go when it's busy, move over to the other side of the rock (the west side) as it's a much larger area and helps ease the crush of people. It's not a sandy beach but the the rocks are pretty comfortable to lay on, in my opinion at least.
- Coral Beach: This is a great, small, sandy beach on the west coast of the island. Because it's not that big, it can get really crowded, so I actually walked over to the Coral Beach Hotel and paid a small fee for a beach chair on their private beach, which was much more quiet and comfortable. They also have an outdoor shower to rinse off from the saltwater.
- Wine Tasting: There's a handful of wineries in the Paphos area and I popped into Tsangarides Winery. Because Google Maps continually tried to take me off-roading to get there, I didn't arrive until 30 minutes before closing. The owners father was so kind and happy to break out the wine saying "everyone who comes in is family!" They have a nice outdoor patio out front to sit and sip. I definitely recommend stopping by.
- Latchi Beach: This area has lots of great little bars and cafes to enjoy by the water. This is where you can also grab boat ride tickets up the coast with a Cypriot BBQ lunch on the boat or head over to Latchi Watersports Centre. This is where I rented my own boat, the workers there are super friendly and helpful.
- Akamas Peninsula: The northwest tip of Cyprus and accessible if you continue past the Latchi beach area. The peninsula has a range of wildlife and habitats in the area, with some good views off the coast. Uninhabited, it's dirt tracks and walking paths to explore so don't think you can take a Ford Escort up there, it will get stuck. My new boat mate pal, from my boat rental, hired a buggy and we took it up here, getting all the way over towards Lara beach (turtles hatch in this area) and then enjoying some BBQ at Viklari Peyia. Be prepared to get dusty on this trip!
- Baths of Aphrodite: This is towards the Akamas Peninsula. This is the grotto where legend says Aphrodite used to bathe. To be honest, I would only do this if you are bored and really need something to do. I did not find this to be anything exciting.
Food
- Viklari Peyia: This is a hidden gem where you'll find delicious (and large portioned) Cypriot BBQ and fantastic views of the coast.
- Pelican Restaurant: If you need a decent sit down restaurant by the Paphos Harbor, the Pelican is a safe bet. I had a salmon sandwich while watching the locals work on their boats in the harbor.
- Porto Latchi: This is one I can't recommend personally but I know my UK pals love this place for the seafood and go every year they are here.