Paphos
Paphos hosts the most historical attractions as it was in fact, the capital of Cyprus in the Roman times. The old town of Paphos remains typically Cypriot with winding streets lined with restaurants, open-air cafes and ancient churches. It is also boasts a wonderful indoor market selling a colourful selection of fruits and vegetables.
The lower and newer part of town is known as Kato Paphos and is the tourist area. Here you will find an endless choice of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and a quaint little harbour offering excellent fish taverns overlooked by Paphos castle.
Interesting sites in Paphos are The Mosaics (located in Kato Paphos) where amazing mosaics have been beautifully preserved for 16 centuries in the House of Dionysos. The Tombs of the Kings (Kato Paphos) where a wide area of underground tombs were carved out of solid rock creating burial chambers for ancient nobles.
Approximately 15km east of Paphos you can see Aphrodite's Rock. This impressive landmark is where Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love) is said to have risen from the waves.
The charming west coast town of Pafos focuses around an attractive little harbor whose picturesque open air fish restaurants line a quayside of bright fishing boats and pleasure craft.
With a population of just 28.000 Pafos nestles in the lee of the Western Troodos Mountains, which add another dimension to this area of scenic beauty. The town has its own international airport nearby and has opened up the Pafos area to tourists, The resort is graced with some luxury hotels along the coastline.
Pafos has an air of holiday charm combined with history, and olden-day elegance is lent to the town by its classical style buildings in the upper part of town which leads to the shopping area. The lower part of the town - known as Koto Pafos has a life of its own albeit so close by, down near the sea -home of the harbor, the fish tavern's, souvenir shops and several beautiful hotels with important archaeological sites around them. Pafos is entwined with Greek mythology and the legendary birth of Aphrodite on her shores brought fame and worshippers there to follow the cult of the Goddess. Landmarks associated with Aphrodite are the chunky, rugged rocks of her beautiful birth shore known as the Aphrodite Rocks or "Petra tou Rontiou ",
The evocative sanctuary of Aphrodite at Kouklia Village, one-time shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands, the Baths of Aphrodite at Polis, supposed source of fertility and the Fountain of Love, or Fontana Amorosa, a few miles further into the Akamas Peninsula. Even the town's name is linked to the Goddess, for Pafos was the name of the mythological daughter of Venus and Pygmalion.
Pafos became the capital of Cyprus under the successors of Alexander the Great - the Ptolemies and in those days its harbor was a busy, thriving port. It continued as the island's first city for more than seven centuries, retaining its importance under Roman rule its most famous Governor Sergius Paulus, was converted to Christianity by St Paul in 45 AD.