Beautiful countryside, a cosmopolitan resort, historic sights as well as sporting activities, the Pafos region has something for everyone at any time of the year.
This structure, guarding the mouth of the harbour has had a very chequered history.
Originally a Byzantine fortress stood on this spot and this was reinforced by the Lusignans, whose territories extended across numerous Mediterranean locations in the 1200s.
Later the Venetians dismantled the old stronghold, but when the Ottomans took Cyprus they built the castle that you see today.
It’s a squat, rectangular building that for the past few hundred years has served as a prison and warehouse for salt, but now it’s a cultural landmark and emblem for the city.
Beer and ale might not come to mind straight away when you think of Cypriot gastronomy, but the evidence shows that the west side of the island has been brewing beer for thousands of years.
On a rise outside Paphos is this craft pub and microbrewery that was the first to be located on the island and has imported English brewing traditions to create a choice of authentic artisan ales.
A brewery tour is available at 14:00 on weekdays, or you could visit for a meal paired with a hand-crafted beer made with local spring water.
Aphrodite’s Rock Brewing Company is a family business employing well qualified and highly experienced brewing specialists from Great Britain as well as employing local staff who all share the dream to create and brew the wide cosmopolitan range of fresh, full-flavoured locally handcrafted “Island Beers” and “Artisan Ales” right here in Cyprus for the pleasure of local residents and our tourist guests that come to Cyprus.
A family-favourite for those long summer days, Aphrodite Waterpark is the largest attraction of its kind on this side of Cyprus.
Situated in Kato Pafos on the coastal road easily accessible by car or the local bus which drops off right on our doorstep!
This non-stop aquatic thrill features, high-speed water slides, an extensive lazy river, wave surge pool, lots of swimming areas and a spectacular kids water-play area, with food court and beverage areas spread throughout the park connected by a lush, tropical environments that are both immersive and interconnected.
In addition Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark offers secure lockers, free Wi-Fi, music, disabled facilities, lifeguards entertainment, activities and much much more!
For visitors young and old; the water park offers an extreme level of excitement and delivers an “aqua” adventure unlike any other!
This attraction was once the private menagerie and aviary of a local businessman and animal collector, Christos Christoforou.
At the turn of this century Christoforou decided to open his zoo up to the public with the aim of showing off his collection and educating visitors about animal conservation.
The zoo is situated in a landscaped environment of gardens and ponds, and houses monkeys, giraffes, tigers, white lions, kangaroos, meerkats and more.
The bird area is possibly the most interesting, with more than 200 species including a wide range of birds of prey.
In Pafos you’re close enough to make a day-trip to a fabulous corner of the island. Akamas is less than an hour north along the coast and because of its rugged terrain of peaks and gorges has never been developed.
The upshot is an abundance of nature, with a third of Cyprus’ endemic plant species found here.
Akamas also is one of the Mediterranean’s key nesting areas for the loggerhead and green turtles.
At the remote Lara Beach you’ll be able to swim or relax on the golden sands, but will also get to see the areas that have been set aside to provide space for hatchling green turtles to reach the water.
If you’re visiting Pafos with kids and want to get away from the beach for a while then there’s no shortage of things to do.
One option that will go down well is a horseback ride or pony trek. There are stables just outside the town, like the Eagle Mountain Ranch with a range of trips into the lovely Mediterranean scenery just outside Paphos.
You could even saddle up for an overnight trip and camp out in the aromatic pine scrub and olive groves, while couples could take a twilight ride to see the sun go down off the western coast of the island.