the coast
Paphos by the sea: harbour, castle and coast
A short orientation to the town the night cruise is based in, drawn from Wikipedia.
Reserve the Ocean Vision night cruise ↗Four places worth knowing
| Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Paphos Castle | A Byzantine fort by the harbour, rebuilt in the 13th century and restored by the Ottomans |
| Kato Paphos | The seaside district built around the medieval port |
| Petra tou Romiou | The rock in the sea where legend says Aphrodite rose from the waves |
| Palaepaphos | Old Paphos, a major sanctuary of Aphrodite in the ancient world |
A town on the water
Paphos is a coastal city in south-west Cyprus, about 50 km west of Limassol and the island's fourth largest city.
The harbour
Kato Paphos is built around the medieval port. The harbour holds about 300 boats and works as a small marina and a fishermen's shelter.
The castle
Paphos Castle stands by the harbour. It began as a Byzantine fort, was rebuilt by the Lusignans, dismantled by the Venetians in 1570 and then restored by the Ottomans. Its square hosts the Aphrodite Festival every September.
Aphrodite's coast
A few kilometres outside the city stands Petra tou Romiou, where legend places Aphrodite's rise from the sea. Nearby is Palaepaphos, one of the most celebrated pilgrimage places of the ancient Greek world.
A World Heritage Site
UNESCO inscribed the ruins of ancient Paphos as a World Heritage Site in 1980.
A Capital of Culture
Paphos was named a European Capital of Culture for 2017, a title it won in 2012.