Medieval Castle of Pafos, was originally a Byzantine fort built to protect the harbour. It was rebuilt by the Frankish rulers in the 13th century, which was destroyed after the earthquake of 1222 A.D Just before the Ottoman conquest of 1570, the Venetians, who controlled Cyprus at that time, destroyed what was left of the two towers with the use of explosives, so that the towers wouldn’t be used by the Ottomans and the Ottomans rebuild it after they captured the is...

The tradition of wine production in the Pafos area goes back a long way in history. As archaeological evidence shows in the Roman mosaics of Kato Pafos, in the house of Dionysus, Bacchus is depicted with a bunch of grapes in one hand and a goblet of wine in the other. The village of Kathekas is one of the wine producing villages in the province of Paphos. The Sterna Winery is located just outside the village, in an area where the Laona - Akamas Wine Route begins. It has been producing wine...

The Byzantine castle known as 'Saranta Kolones' ('Forty Columns') due to the great number of granite columns preserved on the site, is located just north of Pafos Harbour and south of the agora. The castle was built in the 7th century A.D. to protect the port and the city of Nea Pafos from the Arab raids and was later remodelled by the Lusignans. A three-metre thick wall with eight towers and a moat surrounded the castle. Access was across a wooden b...

Located close to Coral Bay Resort, the place of Mycenaean Colonization οf Cyprus Museum, is where the first ancient (Mycenaean) Greeks settled in 1200 BC after emigrating to the island following the fall of the Mycenaean Kingdoms in mainland Greece. As such, it is a very important site for Cyprus - as this is where the Hellenisation of the island started - and offers great insight on the end of the Late Bronze Age on the island. Its name of ‘Palaeokastro’ (‘old cas...

The first house was discovered accidentally by a farmer in 1962 and systematic excavations at Nea Pafos followed by the Department of Antiquities during which many of the ancient town´s administrative buildings as well as private houses and ecclesiastical buildings came to light such as the House of Dionysos, Theseus, Aion and Orpheus. The mosaic floors of these houses date from the 2nd to the 5th Century AD. The House of Dionysos: This rich building belongs to the Greco-Roman type wher...

Covering about 230 square km and located on the western tip of Cyprus, it's an area of natural beauty unaffected by development. The uniqueness of the area for Cyprus, and for the whole of the Mediterranean, is centered on its precious ecology. The diversity of flora and fauna living in this relatively small area is truly impressive. Rare endemic plants grow there and foxes, snakes and other reptiles as well as many types of migratory birds live in Akamas or use it in their movements. O...

The Pafos Zoo is the first and largest licenced zoo in Cyprus and is located in a green and unspoiled natural environment of more than 100,000 sq.m. It is one of the top tourist attractions of the island. It hosts a wide variety of birds and animals from every corner of the planet. The collection of parrots and poisonous snakes is one of the largest in Europe! Pafos Zoo offers a wonderful wildlife experience just minutes from Pafos. During a visit to the Zoo, you will see over...

National Forest Park A picturesque area, part of the Randi State Forest. Located on the main Pafos – Lemesos road, 10 km far from the city of Pafos. A development project has been pursued for this park and it is already underway. It provides facilities like Picnic area, children’s playground, nature trails, sports trails, cycling tracks and look out points. The Flora the visitor can see is: Rare plants as well as a large number or orchids create natural habitats wi...

One of the most important sanctuaries of Aphrodite throughout the ancient world. It is mentioned by Homer and other Greek and Latin authors. The surviving remains of the sanctuary form two groups of buildings: in the south was the first shrine of Aphrodite, Sanctuary I, built in the Late Bronze Age. It consists of an open court (temenos), surrounded by a monumental wall comprised of enormous limestone blocks. Its western side and part of its south side are preserved along with a hall, whi...

The 'Tombs of the Kings' is the impressive necropolis that is located just outside the walls, to the north and east of Pafos town. It was built during the Hellenistic period (3rd century B.C.) to satisfy the needs of the newly founded Nea Paphos. Its name is not connected with the burial of kings, but rather with the impressive character of its burial monuments. The 'Tombs of the Kings' was the place where the higher administrative officers and distinguished Ptolemaic personaliti...

The "Baths of Aphrodite" is an area in Akamas between Polis and Cape Arnaouti which attracts many visitors. The Goddess of Love used to take her bath in a cool pond in this cave near Polis. According to mythology, this is where Aphrodite met her lover, the handsome Adonis, when he stopped off for a drink while hunting, to quench his thirst. The moment he drank the water Adonis fell in love with the goddess. It is said that if you bathe in the water you will fall in love...

The Engleistra and the Monastery of Agios Neophytos are situated near the village of Tala, about 10 kilometres north of Nea Paphos. The Engleistra was initially a natural cave on the eastern side of a hill’s slope. In front of the hill lies a deep gorge, at the end of which flows a torrent. Inside the Engleistra, Saint Neophytos led a hermit’s life.  Saint Neophytos turned the natural cave into a place of seclusion which consisted of two areas. One area was a small chape...

Excavations in the village of Lempa have brought to five an important settlement of the Chalcolithic age.  Near the site replicas of five houses from this period have been reconstructed using the same materials and the same building methods as used in chalcolithic times (3900-2500 BC). The Chalcolithic settlement site is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.        

Lara beach is located in the Akamas Peninsula. You can get there from driving to Pegia and then to Agios Georgios. You will need a 4x4 car/ quad bike/ beach buggy to get access, but once you get there it is beautiful. It is a beach totally undeveloped as it is a protected area. The only habitants are wild goats, birds and turtles. Due to its character, the beach and the trees are intact making it a small paradise. The sand is soft and golden-grey, while the sea is crystal clear...

Theoskepasti means 'Veiled by God'. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, a fog was sent by God to protect the original church during Arab raids of the Island. The fog made it invisible to the Arabs as they approached it and thus avoided destruction. The modern church was built in 1926 on the ruins of an older chuch, while its restoration took place in 1990. It sits on a rock overlooking the whole of Kato Pafos area. Hundreds of people, both locals and vi...

A masterpiece of nature, Avakas Gorge is situated in the unspoilt Akamas peninsula within Pegeia state forest with the end of the trail located inside the gorge. It follows the course of the Avgas River, from where the gorge gets its name and resulted from constant erosive activity on the erodible, sloping limestone rocks composed of loams, chalks, reef and grain limestone and bentonitic clays. The gorge is also a Natura 2000 area. The trail firstly follows a dirt road (closed to private ve...

The Pafos Odeon lies in Kato Pafos, in the heart of the tourist area. It is a small 2nd century Odeon built entirely of well-hewn limestone blocks. Today it is used in the summer for musical and theatrical performances. Nearby are the remains of the ancient city walls, the Roman Agora and a building dedicated to Asklipeios, god of medicine.   Source: Department of Antiquities   Opening Ηours: Winter hours (16/9 - 15/4 ) Monday - Sunday: 8.30 - 17.00  ...

The Archaeological Museum of the Pafos, houses a large number of archaeological objects found at the most interesting sites of the Pafos district area, representing all the Prehistoric and Historic periods. Founded in 1964 after Cyprus' independence and financed by the government of the Republic, it was built to shelter the objects, that until then were kept in the complex of the Turkish baths. In 1989 a new exhibition gallery was added to the west wing of the building. The Museum co...

The Byzantine Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Pafos has been transferred to Geroskipou and has been renamed "Ecclesiastical Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Pafos" It is located near the church of Agia Paraskevi on the site where the Primary School housed formerly. The museum exhibits unique collections. Among them, the oldest icon of Cyprus, of Agia Marina in orans position framed with scenes of her martyrdom, the only one dating back to the pre-iconoclastic period, 7th-8th cen...