What to see in Paphos: exploring Cyprus on your own. Sights of Paphos - what to see. A complete guide to iconic places Beach with Aphrodite's Stone

During these January holidays, I finally got around to the photographs brought from Cyprus in October 2017. For everyone who is considering whether to stay on the island of Aphrodite or not, I would like to show these places seen through my eyes. And whoever has already seen it, I hope it will be pleasant to remember. Today is about what was filmed while walking around Paphos, the ancient capital of the country. A little more than twenty pictures will not take much time, but let them share the sunshine with you!

First of all, the pedestrian with the camera in my face got to the Kato Paphos bus station, where I got my bearings nearby thanks to the Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa previously found on the maps (pictured). This is a corner that would be a shame not to visit in Paphos, because in essence it is an open excavation site. No fees, no restrictions. Take a walk, breathe the wind of the times, sunbathe.

The weather in mid-October was sunny, always above 25 degrees Celsius. We met cat after cat. The island fully confirmed that the meowing brethren live here in freedom and are a kind of highly noble congregation. The expression on the faces, mannerisms and fatness in this environment are a much more common phenomenon than among fellow four-legged creatures walking the streets in Russia.

Still there, nearby, we will see an impressive Orthodox building of a later era. The current temple of Panagias Theoskepastis (see above). And nearby, nearby... everything is close... Ottoman Baths - the picture below, under these very words... Unlike the above, this one was taken through the bars, and they say that before the path was more open.

Streets of Paphos. Not deserted, as it might seem based on my photographs, but quiet and calm.

Formally, the island, which is part of the European Union, is not so clean in a European way. At least not in Western European style...

In some places there will be outright trash here and there.

After walking along the hill, we’ll look across the road to better distinguish the line of sea property.

And against the backdrop of rocky landscape elements, which are common in Paphos, there is another architectural monument.

Right here you can get into the Catacombs of St. Solomonia (one of the holes is visible on the right). Absolutely legally and calmly get there without any tickets. First, I only recommend reading about the history of the place and the person whose name it is named. During my journey through the passages in the catacombs, I came across an installation made of threads, which looked interesting in the evening with the lamps on. What I mean is that the place is not abandoned or named simply because there is some kind of urban legend. The place is iconic.

The vegetation, as is already becoming noticeable, is typical of rocky Paphos with its near-stony tones and frequent dryness.

Or the island nature of its growth where you often shuffle your feet on stones and sand.

The rocks that scare many websites and reviews of those wanting to swim, in fact, will not be a big obstacle for those who like to swim. For those who like to lie on perfectly flat beaches - yes, these sea shores are not so convenient. But if we talk simply about the safety of navigation, the cleanliness of the water, the ability to find a good stretch of sea with sand without any long crossings and to enjoy the salty waters barefoot without any damage to your feet, Paphos will not disappoint. There are so many scares, photo attempts to strengthen these scares are scattered no less all over the Internet, that I just want to reassure you on this score: if you are not a fan of perfectly flat felting on a perfectly flat place, but just want an eco-friendly holiday, don’t be afraid of anything - you’ll come, you’ll understand that I was right.

Let's call it morning minutes.

Well, this is a turn in the other direction and a little stylization.

Where exactly are we going next? What's in the camera's memory? Archaeological Park. Finding it is easy. We head all the way to the Kato Paphos area. Walking along the coast, we will certainly see Paphos Castle. We follow along the coastline in its direction and right in front of us along the way we look out for the gates of the Archaeological Park. They are large with ticket offices and toilets nearby.

There are a number of free audio guides around the park that are completely legal online (thanks to the Cyprus Tourism Organization). Take advantage of the legal opportunities to avoid paying a little for information if you wish. I can tell you from my own experience that free stuff is a pleasure. By the way, we are already in the park. The photo below proves this.

A few meters from the location for the above photo, I take the photo below.

And I go up to get a closer look at the lighthouse.

The sun is in your eyes... I remove the color to make it feel...

However, a series of New Year holidays flew by, and with them the author’s new journey. But still, before you start writing notes about it, it’s worth completing our series of posts about our big autumn trip to Cyprus. So that later, with peace of mind...

Today we, dear and respected, will take a long walk around the city of Paphos. It was the last day of the Cypriot vacation, all the planned distant locations had been visited, and it was time for leisurely walks without any specific attractions. But still, this is Paphos: the attractions there will find the walkers themselves!

1. The weather SUDDENLY decided in the morning that since it’s the end of October, it’s time to turn on autumn. Clouds rolled in, pouring rain every now and then, and a strong wind howled under the roofs. But the author and Muniz did not give in to the desire to sit at home, but went for a walk. At the same time, too lazy to carry umbrellas. They say, we will launch a psychic attack on this rain of yours, and it will not happen!

Having risen to the center by bus from the Gavan station, we will begin our walk from the Karavella bus station. Contrary to its sonorous name, Caravel is a small parking lot for buses and a shed for the dispatcher, so there is nothing to photograph there. After drinking a frappe in one of the coffee shops, we walk through the center. The center of Paphos has undergone major reconstruction, and in some places it is just beginning.

2. Here and there you come across artistic graffiti, inscribed in the appearance of the reconstructed center. And no utility workers cover it up with ugly gray paint, which is good news!

3. Renovated square at the city hall.

4. One of the streets was made pedestrian to the delight of tourists.

5. The police and town hall (or city hall?) are located in cozy Cypriot houses.

6. Graffiti fascinates with the multidimensionality of the design.

7. Near the noose of office work, donkey parking is paid at the parking meter.

8. An astronaut, a high-molecular compound and a space hummingbird.

9. Tavern in a native Cypriot building.

10. Taverns. Thousands of them!

11. National architecture surrounded by faceless concrete boxes.

12. Temple of Agios Kendeas.

13. Byzantine architecture.

14. We return to Arbat through alleys with picturesque houses.

15. "Arbat" leads straight to the restored market. The author found a time when there really was a vegetable and fruit market there. But times have changed - now it is a tourist place with taverns and souvenir sales.

16. As you get closer to the market, there are more and more people.

17. The shackles of the Global Web.

18. We are moving towards the market.

19. We are greeted by a flying donkey.

20. New attraction: plant wall.

22. The final stop of bus 610. If in past years there were at most 5 people traveling on it, now a landing party in the form of a full bus lands on the market. And 610 became as full as 615 to Coral Bay Beach.
But first of all, everyone runs to take a photo on the observation deck.

23. Building of a new market.

24. Inside the market there is a courtyard with flower beds. All around there is a crowd of sellers of souvenirs and clothing.

25. Behind the market begins the Turkish district of Paphos. The author does not know how many Turkish Cypriots remained there after 1974, but the Turkish street names have been preserved. However, in the Mutallos mosque SUDDENLY there appeared... A synagogue!

26. Let's take a closer look at the mosque-synagogue. The yard is closed, we look through the fence.

27. The mosque, or rather its minaret, is being restored with the help of the UN.

29. We are moving through the Turkish quarter. This building was clearly abandoned by the Turkish Cypriots.

30. The streets are all narrower.

31. Rows of potted plants crown the fence.

32. Streets of the Turkish quarter. We are moving along Namik Kemal Street.

33. There is a small park on the square.

34. The minaret of the mosque-synagogue rises above what looks like toy houses.

35. We approach the observation deck.

36. From here you can see the Paphos Archaeological Park and the hotels along the Street of the Royal Tombs.

37. Panorama of Paphos. Far below by the sea is the Kato Paphos area, where the author loves to settle on vacation.

38. It’s time to set up a telephoto camera and photograph different parts of the wide-spread Paphos. Lighthouse in the Archaeological Park.

39. A large cathedral not far from the author’s place of residence.

40. A minaret, slightly reminiscent of a rocket ready for launch.

41. Entrance to the stadium.

43. The surrounding cliffs are decorated with hieroglyphic installations. Panorama of the street of the Royal Tombs.

44. The cliffs are equipped with a playground. Not a soul was around, only the wind grew so strong that it began to roll a cola can up the hill.

45. A strange structure, everything is tightly locked.

The very first expectation of tourists arriving in this Cypriot resort city is to find that mysterious bay in which the beautiful Aphrodite appeared from the foam of the sea. Their dream is about the same - to take the plunge and emerge as beauties. The stronger half of humanity prefers walks around Paphos in order to find the most delicious foamy drink.

Although it is not only the sea, beaches and restaurants, it is also one of the most ancient cities of the island, where many monuments have been preserved, including the Villa of Theseus with its extraordinary mosaics, tombs, tombs of the ancient rulers of the island, catacombs named after the saint Solomonia.

Walks around Paphos

In 1980, a very important event took place for Paphos - its historical center was taken under protection by UNESCO specialists, that is, it was recognized as a world-class monument. This means that vacationers arriving at this resort have a unique opportunity to add a rich cultural program to the beach and sea.

The city has two districts, the upper one, which is actually located on a hill, and the lower one, on the coast. Many commercial establishments are concentrated in the upper town, while the lower town, called Kato Paphos, contains restaurants, bars and taverns. This part has the best prospects, especially in the development of tourism infrastructure.

Important tourist sites

Paphos has a very ancient history, so traces of certain centuries are present in the city, open to those who wish, to those who go on an independent journey or under the guidance of a guide. Among the most attractive buildings and structures of this Cypriot resort are the following:

• The Odeon is an ancient theater that today delights with performances and concerts;
• a temple in honor of the god Dionysus with amazing mosaics;
• the impressive forty columns preserved from the ancient huge castle;
• a luxurious necropolis, richly decorated.

The city has shrines that belonged to ancient Christians - temples, churches, and monastery complexes. Many of them continue to operate today, maintaining a decorous atmosphere.

Wildlife lovers in the vicinity of Paphos will also find several interesting places, in particular the village of Latchi, whose residents are engaged in fishing, and the Akamas Nature Reserve.

Today we will take a short, but hopefully very interesting walking tour around Paphos. Since we come to Paphos by car, the starting point will be a large parking lot located near the embankment.

Usually there is always a place on it where you can stick a vehicle, but there are exceptions. On one of the weekends, we were not able to find him right away. If you come “from the beach” (we mean, of course, from a hotel located outside the city) by bus, then its stop is also nearby.

34.756400 32.410000 – parking near the harbor in Paphos

Let's first look at our future route, and then we will tell you about the sights of Paphos that we will come across along the way.

So, we go from below along the blue line - this is the “there” route. We leave the parking lot, cross a busy road, but do not move along it, but walk a little further. We look for a landmark with our eyes - a fairly large building that will remain on the right hand. We turn behind it and find a quiet street there.

We’ll follow it, but not far, about a hundred meters. This will be our first point, which is marked on the map as "Paul's Column". We don’t even have time to really tell anything during this time; we’ll have to explain it on the spot. And then a view of the picturesque “ruins” opened before us.

This is nothing more than the ruins of the largest early Byzantine basilica on the island. In the depths we see a church built “already” in the 13th century. And now a few words about the column... No, not about the one we see in the foreground, about a completely different one. IN story about St. John Lampadist, we have already said that the apostles Barnabas and Paul arrived in Cyprus in the year 45. Paul, with the help of John, reached Paphos and tried to convert the local Roman governor to Christianity. In the end, he succeeded! And Cyprus became one of the first to adopt Christianity. It worked, but not right away. Legend says that it was at this (!) column that Paul was beaten with whips. I received forty lashes... Let's turn our eyes to the left, here she is.

Now you can walk through and explore the current church. When we went inside, suddenly the sounds of an organ were heard. Looking around, we noticed the performer. He played for us... or maybe just for himself.

We go further along the route, that is, up the street. Just a few steps away we come across another “strange” structure. These are ancient Roman baths - baths in our opinion. If we are curious and go inside, we will see a vault with a “starry sky”. This is natural ventilation and lighting at the same time. And for me it’s a planetarium.

By the way, these photos were taken in December 2007. But in June 2010, when Lena’s friend came to visit us and we took her to “pretentious” places, we were surprised to find that the entrance was now closed. It turns out that my photos of the “observatory” at that time are somewhat unique.

We rise further. If you don’t just walk past the houses along the street, but try to notice something else on the sides, then you will certainly see that here and there you can see the remains of ancient buildings. This could be a small masonry wall, or a piece of foundation. They are trying to preserve them. Finally we come to a fenced off area.

This is one of the excavation sites.

From this angle it is not very clear what we see. Let's go around the site and climb up the path, since the normal road has already ended. And from above we will be able to see better... It’s clearer, isn’t it? This is an ancient amphitheater, or just a theater.

Since we've climbed the hill, let's take a look around. Here is a view of upper Paphos, and here is a view to the west, where we will actually move now.

As we move, we pay attention to the holes in the ground and some buildings above them. This is somehow strange...

And there are even steps here. Let's take a look inside!

We were here just before Christmas. In Cyprus, the church is Orthodox, but the dates of their church holidays coincide with Catholic ones. For example, Cypriots celebrate Christmas on December 25th, and feast of Epiphany− January 6th. By Christmas, you can find similar “installations” in every city or village. In Paphos I got caught in a cave. And Lena “fit in” too.

You can also climb and wander around these “rooms,” which is what we did then. Well, now let's go out into the light. The exit (or rather the entrance) turned out to be quite civil. These caves are man-made. Originally there were quarries here. And later, the already excavated “apartments” served as a place of residence for Christian hermits.

As a result, we find ourselves on a busy road. We will return back along it. To do this you need to turn left. But if you look to the right, there is an intersection about two hundred meters away. If you turn left there, then after 1.5 kilometers we will come to one of the most famous places in Paphos - Royal Tombs. But this will be our next journey, and today we will go slowly in the opposite direction. On the map that we provided at the beginning of the story, the return route is marked in “red” color.

Catacombs of Saint Solomonia

On the way we will meet another attraction of Paphos - the catacombs of St. Solomonia.

Imagine, a woman, for reasons of faith, refused to eat pork (she was a Jew), and for this she was killed along with her children. These were the times in the second century BC. Well, then in these catacombs there was the Church of St. Solomonia.

Going down you will find a spring with water that heals eye diseases. For those who believe in it, of course. Well, don’t forget to tie a ribbon to the tree standing at the entrance so that your wishes come true.

All that remains is to get to the place where we left the car - which is about another six hundred meters down the street, and this will be the end of our excursion today. If you come from the Coral Bay area by bus, then in principle you don’t need to go anywhere, just find the nearest stop.

Well, if you are not completely tired, then you can take a little walk along the embankment and reach the old castle in the harbor.

Medieval castle of Paphos

Paphos Castle was originally a Byzantine fortress built to protect the port. It was built by the Lusignans in the 13th century, destroyed by the Venetians in 1570 during the Ottoman invasion, and rebuilt by the Ottomans after they captured the island in the 16th century. Initially, the role of the castle was played by the Forty Columns Fortress (Saranta Kolones Fortress), the ruins of which are located several hundred meters to the north. Throughout its long history, the castle was used both for defense and as a prison, and also as a salt warehouse during the island's time as a British colony. In 1935, the castle was declared an ancient monument, and today it is considered one of the symbols of the Paphos region.

Open daily:
08.00-17.00 (from November to March)
08.00-18.00 (April, May, September, October)
08.00-19.30 (from June to August)
Entrance: 1.7 euros

The square in front of the castle often hosts cultural events, and the annual Aphrodite Opera Festival takes place in September. The castle building usually serves as part of the scenery. In May 2008, for example, we accidentally stumbled upon a dog show being held there.

Well, one useful tip for a snack. After the walk, we suddenly wanted some ice cream. We go to the first ice cream kiosk we come across on the way from the parking lot to the harbor and buy it. We then came across similar kiosks every ten meters, but in the further ones it cost significantly less than in the first one. You can draw your own conclusion.