Paphos Cyprus

Paphos for six hundred years has been the capital of the Cyprus island  and to this day it has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

In the western part of Cyprus, today Paphos is a charming and well equipped town flashing with all the comforts and long beaches where to abandon oneself in the sun.

The Goddess Aphrodite Cult center where, according to mythology, you will find the place where she was born (Petra Tou Romiou). A must see is the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park which includes the Tombs of the Kings, a huge necropolis from the 4th century BC between the Hellenistic and Roman periods which owes its name not so much to the fact that there are buried royals, but for its grandeur and magnificence. Tombs carved in the rock, some external, some buried with Doric columns still well preserved. Known for centuries, the most important excavations, however, have been made only since 1970, bringing to light artifacts and objects of daily use that according to the Mycenaean and Egyptian belief could have been used in the afterlife to the deceased. A real dive into the past that is worth doing. Take at least three hours if you want to see them all. The site is open all year. For information +357 26 306 295.

Other interesting sites in the park are the four villas with their magnificent mosaics ( Dionysus house,Theseus home, Aion house and Orpheus home). In the Dionysus house in the reception hall a large mosaic representing the God on a chariot with two panthers, the Theseus house the largest with over a hundred rooms, the Asklipion the hospital, the Saranta Kolones Palace (forty columns) dating back to 1192, all framed with a wonderful sea view. It is open every day from 8.30am to 5.00pm in winter and from 8.30am to 7.30pm in summer.

Here too for an alternative day at the beach, ideas are not lacking and I recommend you take advantage of so much history as long as we can.