Things to do in Paphos
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Paphos
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring, joint best window: wildflowers, warming sea, golf and archaeology in perfect conditions.
Hot but not brutal, everything open, turtle nesting begins at Lara.
Peak summer: hottest, busiest and most expensive, sites are mornings only.
Autumn, joint best window: warm sea, crowds gone after mid September, prices softening.
Winter: quiet and green, cheapest hotels, peak golf value and prime hiking between rains.
What's on
- Epiphany Blessing of the Waters January
Harbour celebrations for Epiphany in Paphos.
- Anthestiria Flower Festival May
Flower festival with a Paphos parade.
- Kataklysmos Early/mid June, Whit Monday
Festival of the Flood with harbour festivities and water fights.
- Paphos Beer Festival August
Beer festival in the castle square area with 100 plus beers in local listings.
- Paphos Aphrodite Festival Late August/early September
Open air opera in front of the medieval castle, the cultural event of the Paphos year.
- Statos-Agios Fotios Festival September
Village festival celebrating wine, trahanas and shoushoukkos in grape harvest season.
Best things to do in Paphos
Kato Paphos Archaeological Park
Roman villa mosaics in a large UNESCO park by the harbour, the essential first sight in Paphos.
Tombs of the Kings
Vast underground Hellenistic tombs carved into coastal rock, impressive for scale and atmosphere.
Paphos Castle
Small harbour fort whose rooftop gives the best cheap panorama over the harbour and seafront.
Paphos Old Town
The real lived in city above the harbour, with market, Kennedy Square, cafes and lower prices.
Petra tou Romiou
White sea stacks in blue water where myth says Aphrodite rose, best as a brief golden hour stop.
Agios Neophytos Monastery
Peaceful hill monastery with a hermit cave holding remarkable 12th century frescoes and a museum.
Lighthouse Beach
Sandy municipal beach below the archaeological park, reached by the free coastal path walk.
Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark
Large slide park with lazy river, wave pool and kids area, the default big family day out.
Where to stay in Paphos
Kato Paphos
first trip, all-round base
Walk to the park, castle, harbour and bus station, with the widest hotel choice at every tier.
Paphos Old Town / Ktima
local feel, lower prices, repeat visitors
Working city with market, cafes and best value tavernas, about 1.5 km uphill from the sea.
Coral Bay and Peyia
beach-first family sand holiday
Best sandy swimming beach in the district, about 25 minutes from Kato Paphos by frequent bus.
Tombs of the Kings Road and Chloraka
big full-service resorts
Long coastal resort corridor north of town, best if you will mainly live inside the resort.
Yeroskipou
quiet compromise base
East of Kato Paphos and walkable to the harbour, quieter and cheaper than Poseidonos.
Think twice about
- Bar Street, Agiou Antoniou St, Kato Paphos
Faded strip with noise until the small hours, overpriced drinks and touts. Stay a street or two away.
- Outlying villages without a car
Cheap listings in Emba, Tala heights or Mesogi look close on a map but need a car for every beach and meal.
Best restaurants in Paphos
Seven St. Georges Tavern
No menu meze of about twenty garden and market dishes over two hours, the best known in Cyprus.
Laona Restaurant
Beloved Old Town blackboard taverna for slow Cypriot dishes at local prices, filled by locals.
Hondros
Oldest traditional taverna in Paphos with charcoal cooking and Sunday souvla near the harbour.
Muse Cafe Kitchen Bar
All day cafe restaurant on the escarpment edge with a terrace looking down to the sea at sunset.
The Lodge Steak & Seafood Restaurant
South African styled steakhouse and seafood grill, the best special occasion meat dinner in town.
Gabor's French Restaurant
Old school French fine dining institution with white tablecloths and classic technique for decades.
Koutourou Ouzeri
Modern ouzeri for small plates built for drinking with, in a stylish stone walled Old Town room.
Souvlaki Livadias
No frills souvlaki house doing charcoal pitta for a queue of locals at prices that shame the seafront.
Outdoor things to do in Paphos
Blue Lagoon
Sheltered Akamas cove of clear turquoise water over white sand, best reached by morning boat from Latchi.
Baths of Aphrodite
Small grotto spring trailhead for the Akamas trails, charming for five minutes at the start of a hike.
Aphrodite Trail
Waymarked 7.5 km loop climbing into the Akamas hills with big sea views and spring wildflowers.
Adonis Trail
Waymarked 7.5 km Akamas loop that combines with the Aphrodite Trail for a longer empty peninsula walk.
Avakas Gorge
Narrow limestone gorge with stream, boulders and ferns, the best short hike in the district.
Lara Bay
Wild undeveloped sandy bay where green and loggerhead turtles nest, with a small conservation station.
Aphrodite Hills Golf Club
PGA National Cyprus championship course draped over a ravine, famous for its par 3 across the chasm.
Elea Golf Club
Nick Faldo design minutes from Kato Paphos, rated among the finest modern courses in the Mediterranean.
Best hotels in Paphos
Elysium Hotel
Palatial Byzantine styled resort beside the Tombs with layered pools, spa and polished service.
Annabelle
Classic grande dame in gardens at the harbour end of Poseidonos, closest luxury hotel to the park.
Almyra
Design led sister to Annabelle with white minimal interiors, destination spa and adults only pool areas.
Amavi, MadeForTwo Hotels
Adults only couples hotel with in room breakfast, couples spa and half board fine dining.
Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos
Luxury all inclusive with lagoon pools and themed restaurants, strong if you want all inclusive.
Coral Beach Hotel & Resort
Large resort directly on Coral Bay sand with pools and spa, a value play in shoulder season.
Mayfair Hotel & Gardens
Well run four star on quiet inland streets, a short walk from the harbour and the mall.
Aliathon Resort
Village style family resort with one of Cyprus's biggest pools, near beach and waterpark.
Is Paphos expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €115 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark: weeks ahead
- Blue Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Aphrodite Hills Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Elea Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Minthis Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Secret Valley Golf Resort: weeks ahead
- Zenobia Wreck: weeks ahead
- Elysium Hotel: weeks ahead
- Book 7 St. Georges, Muse at sunset, The Lodge and Gabor days ahead in season.
- Book first Blue Lagoon boat, golf at Aphrodite Hills and Elea, and August car hire early.
Is Paphos safe?
- Heat and no shade at archaeology sites: go early, carry water and a hat.
- Never swim around Aphrodite's Rock and heed flags and gorge closure warnings.
- Emergency number is 112. Check insurance covers quads, buggies and diving.
Paphos travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Harbour fish without a price per kilo agreed first, and imported fish sold as fresh.
- Bar Street PR bars, timeshare touts and metered air conditioning in cheap apartments.
- Adonis Baths and Aphrodite's Rock sold as standalone half day tours are padded.
Getting around Paphos: public transport and more
- Bus 615 runs harbour to Coral Bay and 610 links Kato Paphos to the Old Town.
- Hire a car for Akamas trailheads, Avakas, wine villages, Kourion and Troodos.
- Cyprus drives on the left and signage is in Greek and English.
Who Paphos suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Paphos your trip
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