Paphos, the City of Unesco
A place where a Goddess was born
Situated in the south west of Cyprus along the coast from Limassol, you will discover that Pafos combines the easy charm of a modern holiday resort with a real sense of history and culture. You will love its picturesque, taverna-lined harbour with a castle at the end.
Pafos is one of the most important archaeological and historical sites of the region and the whole town is officially UNESCO listed because of the wealth of its treasures.
These include the famous Tomb of the Kings, an absolutely must see for every visitor. Spread over a vast area these underground tombs date back to the 4th Century BC. Although they were the resting place of high officialdom rather than royalty, their magnificence gave them the name.
Pafos lies south of one of the most beautiful and environmentally significant parts of Cyprus, the stunning national park of the Akamus.
After the Tomb of the Kings our excursion takes us to Kato (Lower) Pafos for lunch and afterwards we call at the Archaeological Park which features more of the town’s antiquity, the Houses of Dionysos, Aion and Thysseus.
The mosaic floors of these noblemen’s villas date back to between the 3rd and 5th centuries BC and are considered among the finest in the Mediterranean.
Without doubt one of the greatest highlights of our tour is at the beginning of the day. On our drive to Pafos along the coast road from Limassol we stop at Petra Tou Romiou (‘Rock of the Roman’), known across the world as Aphrodite’s Rock.
It was here according to Greek mythology that the Goddess of beauty and love was born. It is one of the most photographed and enigmatic places in Cyprus so have your camera or smartphone at the ready.