Paphos Hotels - About Paphos Resort
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The capital of Cyprus in Roman times, Paphos is an exquisite and a "must" to visit sometime during your holiday. Principal attractions include the harbour, built during the time of Alexander the Great and dominated by the 14th Century fort.
Paphos-Aphrodite's Birth Place: The charming west coast town of Paphos focuses around an attractive little harbour whose picturesque open air fish restaurants line a quayside of bright fishing boats and pleasure craft.
With a population of just 28.000 Paphos nestles In the lee of the Western Troodos Mountains, which add another dimension to this area of scenic beauty. The recent addition of its own international airport nearby has opened up the Pafos area, and the resort is graced with some luxury Paphos hotels along the coastline.
Paphos 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 Kato Paphos has a life of its own albeit so close by, down near the sea -home of the harbour, the fish taverns, souvenir shops and several beautiful Paphos hotels with important archaeological sites around them.
Paphos is entwined with Greek mythology, and the legendary birth of Afrodite on her shores brought fame and worshippers there to follow the cult of the Goddess. Landmarks associated with Afrodite are the chunky, rugged rocks of her beautiful birth-shore known as the Afrodite Rocks or "Petra tou Romiou", the evocative sanctuary of Afrodite at Kouklia Village, one-time shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands, the Baths of Afrodite 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.
We do not sell Paphos hotels at full prices (Rack rates), every single one of our Paphos hotels has reduced rates. |
Pafos became the capital of Cyprus under the successors of Alexander the Great - the Ptolemies and in those days its harbour 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.
But Paphos history dates back a great deal further. In fact the whole area abounds in historical and archaeological treasures.
Places of interest:
Paphos District Archaeological Museum: Griva Digeni 43. Attractive collection of Cypriot antiquities-Neolithic Age to 1700 A.D.
Byzantine Museum: A. Ioannou 7. Icons from the 12th to 18th centuries.
Ethnographical Museum: Exo Vrysis 1. From the Neolithic Age to the present day.
Tombs of The Kings: Kato Paphos. These impressive underground tombs date back to the 4th century B.C. They are carved out of solid rock, some decorated with Doric pillars. The magnificence of the tombs gives the locality its name.
Agia Solomoni Church: Kato Paphos, Leoforos Agiou Pavlou. Originally a Christian catacomb retaining 12th-century frescoes. A sacred tree is believed to cure the sick.
The Mosaics of Paphos: Kato Paphos, near the harbor. The mosaic floors are considered among the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean. They mainly depict scenes from Greek mythology.
Paphos Odeon: Kato Paphos.A 2nd-century Odeon built of limestone. Now used in the summer for music and theater. Nearby, the remains of ancient city walls and the Roman Agor.
Saranta Kolones: Kato Paphos, near the harbor. Built by the Lusignans in the 13th century on the site of a previous Byzantine castle. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1222
Pafos Medieval Fort: Kato Paphos harbor. A Byzantine fort built to protect the harbor. Rebuilt by the Lusignans. Dismantled by the Venetians in 1570 and rebuilt by the Ottomans in the 16th century.
Geroskipou Folk Art Museum: Geroskipou village, 3 km east of Paphos. Named after the sacred garden of Aphrodite. Folk arts and crafts is exhibited in the beautiful Chatzismith house.
Petra Tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock) Birthplace of Aphrodite: 25 km east of Paphos. Legend dictates that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, rose from the waves in this strikingly beautiful spot. The Greek name, Petra tou Romiou or ‘The Rock of the Greek’ is associated with the legendary Byzantian frontier-guard, Digenis Akritas
Agios Neofytos Monastery: 9 km north of Paphos. Founded at the end of the 12th century by the Cypriot hermit and writer Neofytos. The ‘Egkleistra,’ an enclosure carved out of the mountain, contains some of the finest Byzantine frescoes dating from the 12th to 15th century. In the monastery’s church there is an interesting ecclesiastical museum
Peyia: Pegeia village, 19 km northwest of Paphos. Agios Georgios Basilica and the fountains of Pegeia. 4,5 km from the village are the ruins of two early Christian basilicas with mosaic floors. Pegeia Village is famous for its fountains in the stone-paved village square.
