Sightseeing in Pafos (Paphos)

Check out the best sights of a European Capital of Culture!

Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) Castle

Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) Castle

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 a...

Aphrodite's Temple (The Sanctuary of Aphrodite)

Aphrodite's Temple (The Sanctuary of Aphrodite)

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...

Lara Beach

Lara Beach

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...

Lempa Village

Lempa Village

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 th...

Akamas Peninsula National Park

Akamas Peninsula National Park

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 th...

Cave - Ancient Wine Aging Cellar

Cave - Ancient Wine Aging Cellar

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 w...

Pafos Mosaics

Pafos Mosaics

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 administ...

Baths οf Aphrodite

Baths οf Aphrodite

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 P...

Archaeological Museum of Pafos

Archaeological Museum of Pafos

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 Histor...

Ecclesiastical Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Paphos

Ecclesiastical Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Paphos

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...

Tombs of the Kings

Tombs of the Kings

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.)...

Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodites' Rock)

Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodites' Rock)

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 pursu...

Odeon-Agora

Odeon-Agora

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 theat...

Agios Neophytos Monastery

Agios Neophytos Monastery

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...

Church of Panagia Theoskepasti, Pafos

Church of Panagia Theoskepasti, Pafos

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. Th...

Medieval Castle of Pafos

Medieval Castle of Pafos

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...

Maa-Paleokastro

Maa-Paleokastro

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 follo...

Avakas Gorge (Linear)

Avakas Gorge (Linear)

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 Avga...

Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) Castle

It took its name from the large number of granite columns

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...

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Aphrodite's Temple (The Sanctuary of Aphrodite)

It is the best known of the ancient Goddess sanctuaries and the ancient ruins

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...

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Lara Beach

The beach with the most beautiful sunset

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...

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Lempa Village

The Cultural Village of Cyprus

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.        

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Akamas Peninsula National Park

An integral part of the natural and cultural heritage

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...

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Cave - Ancient Wine Aging Cellar

It is located in Kathekas and dates back more than 3000 years

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...

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Pafos Mosaics

It is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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...

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Baths οf Aphrodite

It combines the myth with the natural beauty!

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...

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Archaeological Museum of Pafos

Exhibits are found from the most important archaeological sites of Pafos

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...

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Ecclesiastical Museum of the Holy Metropolis of Paphos

It touches the religious feelings of every visitor

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...

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Tombs of the Kings

They are important and majestic!

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...

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Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodites' Rock)

The Place of Birth of the Goddess Aphrodite

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...

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Odeon-Agora

Musical and Theatrical Performances

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  ...

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Agios Neophytos Monastery

It is one of the most famous monasteries in Cyprus

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...

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Church of Panagia Theoskepasti, Pafos

Veiled by God for protection!

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...

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Medieval Castle of Pafos

It has been declared a listed building and is the symbol of the city of Pafos

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...

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Maa-Paleokastro

It is a fortified settlement of the Late Bronze Age

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...

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Avakas Gorge (Linear)

A gorge treasure for the lovers of natural paths

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...

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