Paphos

Capital of the west and positively teeming with history is Pafos, site of the island’s second international airport. The resort town has as its focal point a charming fishing harbour by Pafos Fort, lined with open-air cafes and tavernas that serve a tempting menu of the day’s catch.

It was on Pafos shoreline that the mythological Goddess Aphrodite was born a legend that spawned a massive wave of cult worship from neighboring countries that lasted several centuries. The large rock that juts from the sea is known as ‘ Petra tou Romiou’ – The Venus Rock – while the Baths of Aphrodite at Polis also echoes her apparent penchant for the island. At Palaepafos, Kouklia lie the remains of the Goddess’ earliest Sanctuary.

Another ‘first for Pafos was its early recognition of Christianity. While under Roman rule in 45 A.D> it was ther that Saint Paul converted the first ruler to the faith.

The legacy from its remarkable history adds up to nothing less than an open museum, so much so that UNESCO simply added the whole town to its World Cultural Heritage List. Among the treasures unearthed, are the remarkable mosaics in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, beautifully preserved after 16 centuries under the soil. Then there are the mysterious vaults and caves, the Tombs of the Kings, the Pillar to which Saint Paul was allegedly tied and whipped, the ancient Odeon Theatre and other places of interest including the Byzantine Museum and th District Archaeological Museum.

Geroskipou with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi, and its Folk Art Museum is a village known for many years now for its special delight ‘loukoumi’

Agios Neofytos Moanstery where the saint boasts some of the finest Byzantie frescoes of the 12 th and15th centuries.

A small museum dedicated to Archbishop Makarios the first president of Cyprus. The majestic Cedar Valley home of the indigenous Cyprus horned sheep, the moufflon.

Further north lies the resort-town Polis, overlooking the beautiful Chrysochou Bay with its charming fishing refuge of Latchi. The relatively unspoilt state of the countryside and villages make the area a real delight for the walker and the naturalist.

he low –lying scenery around Pafos, much of it cultivated with banana plantations and backed by the gentle foothills of the western Troodos range, has an attractively open quality to it. This is the gateway to the Peninsula of Akamas, a natural wilderness of incredible beauty with breathtaking gorges, spectacular coastlines and enjoyable nature trails.

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