Cyprus

Cyprus enjoys a Mediterranean climate which means that there are over 340 days of sunshine per year. Temperatures during summer months reach into the mid 30s and this makes for a great beach holiday and the beaches in Paphos are fantastic and include the extremely popular Coral Bay which is a breathtaking beach filled with miles of soft sand and deep blue waters making it perfect location for water sports. There are four main beaches in Paphos and you can try your hand at a number of different water sports including jet skinning, diving, snorkelling, fishing, and parasailing.

Diving is also an option and there are a number of diving schools that will take you on guided tours. For a great family day out, there is also Paphos Aphrodite Water Park. This is one of the largest tourist attractions in Paphos and boasts the largest number of facilities and the largest European family rafting ride.

Most of the hotels and restaurants can be found along the seaside promenade and this is also home to the main shopping lane which runs parallel to the promenade and this is a perfect place to pick up all these important souvenirs.

No matter what you choose to do during your holiday to Cyprus we are sure you will take away with you memories you can treasure forever.

Cyprus Food and Drink

Tavernas, restaurants and hotels offer French Italian and “international” menus. But they take pride in preparing Cypriot food and specialties, especially in the tavernas and popular restaurants. These are some of the Cypriot dishes, which delight both tourists and residents alike.

Mezes
When you order Meze in a Cyprus hotel or restaurant, you are served a rich selection of appetizers and savouries in up to 20 saucers like dishes. For example various cheeses, like halloumi, kaskavalli or feta, tomatoes, olives, celery, sliced artichokes or smoked ham, houmus ( ground chick peas, with olive oil and garlic), octopus (or squid), shrimps, fresh fish, such as barbouni ( the delicious red mullet), succulent snippets of chicken or turkey, cucumbers, green peppers, seftalia (homemade sausage), koupepia ( stuffed vine leaves).

The local bread made of home-grown wheat and the village salad with fresh coriander, green olives, olive oil, lemon and feta cheese make the mouth water. So can taramosalata, a delicious dish made from fish roe, olive oil and lemon.

Main Courses
This consists of moussaka, made from minced lamb or beef covered in layers of sliced potatoes, eggplant and zucchini, or tavas, veal, onion and herb dish. Souflakia or Kebab is either bits of lamb or pork skewered and roasted by slow charcoal fire and eaten with chopped onion, salt and pepper in a pitta bread.
Such a feast is followed by a selection of excellent juicy fresh fruit- oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, melons, lemons, apples, pears, cherries, apricots, figs, bananas, grapes etc.

Some friendly advice! The rule is “eat a little of each” otherwise you will find half way through your meal that you just can’t go on to taste what follows!

If all this seems a bit too much for you to eat- and such a meal can cost less than six pounds- you can order a three course meal, which can also be Cypriot food and style. Some of the best dishes are Cyprus raviolis (a pasta dish) or avgolemoni (lemon and egg soup), patcha (a kind of lamb stew served with lemon). Lemons in Cyprus go with every meal and every meat. Kleftiko (lamb roasted in a traditional oven) or suckling pig with roasted potatoes is delicious. Cyprus grows some of the finest potatoes of the world. Other famous dishes include grilled or fried fresh fish, such as synagrida, fagree, red mullet, Vlachos, trout.

Cypriots, as you will soon discover, are a naturally hospitable people and generous to the extreme, in a way that is so much part of the Mediterranean. The Cypriots cook with less oil than their Mediterranean neighbours and their diet is a healthy one, apart from their love of syrup soaked pastries! Everything is cooked fresh daily, and the quality of the produce is superb, due no doubt to the motto of the Cypriot housewife… if it isn’t fresh we don’t want it.

Some of the popular dishes found in most restaurants and Tavernas are the following:

Bourgouri- Wheat porridge, a substitute for rice
Colocasi- Sweet potato, having a gastronomic affinity with the turnip
Feta- Cheese made with goats milk
Glyko- Sweet, consisting of fruit preserved in syrup
Halloumi- Salty white cheese, made from lambs milk
Hiromari- Local ham, pickled in wine
Kaskavalli- Mild cheese
Kephalorti- Cheese like Gruyere
Keftedes- Fried meat rissoles enclosed in pastry
Loukomades- Similat to the doughnuts with honey
Lounza- Smoked pork tenderloin
Pitta- Flat unleavened bread
Tahini- Sesame dips popular in eastern Mediterranean
Talattouri- Salad dressing or dip based yoghurt
Kleftico- lamb or goat roasted with vegetable in an outside oven
Souvla- lamb or goat cooked on a rotisserie
Souvlaki- pork grilled on a skewer
Sheftalia- small rissoles of mince, onions and spices wrapped in a skin of gut rather like small sausages.
Moussaka- the famous moussaksa slices of aubergine, courgette and potato over laid with mince and   a white wine sauce.

Salads
Salads are available all year round and are usually a wonderful combination of what is freshest and in season at the time.

Beans
Bean dishes are delicious, hearty alternative to meat and can be found in most restaurants. The general term for dishes made with beans or pulses is ospria.

Coffee and coffee shops have played an important role in everyday life in Cyprus since the introduction of coffee to Europe in the 1600s. While you are in Cyprus why not enjoy a coffee in the traditional surroundings of a Cyprus coffee shop.

Relax and let yourself slip into the Cypriot pace of life. Why not take a seat by the sea, under a vine pergola or mimosa tree and sip your first brandy sour, or an ouzo. Pass the time with a handful of sunflower seeds or passatempo as the Cypriots call them.
Just sniff Cyprus and you could become intoxicated by the tang of fresh lemons and the delicate citrus blossom, the wholesome smell of freshly baked bread or the fermenting from the wine harvest.  

Paphos Harbour and Castle
The harbour at Paphos attracts all year round, who take the opportunity to walk along the quay and maybe visit one of the fish restaurants, tavernas or cafes. The view is superb with lots of colourful fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. The castle is in fact all the remains of a much earlier castle in 1391, which was demolished by the venetians. The Ottomans used it as dungeons and the British as a warehouse for salt!
Opening hours Winter daily 9am to 5pm and summer daily 9am to 6pm. The harbour is also a good place to take a boat tour of the surrounding beaches and coastline.

The Paphos Mosaics
The colourful and intricate Roman mosaics to be found in Paphos are a must for all visitors to Cyprus. They were discovered by accident in the 1960 – further excavation revealed a number of Roman houses all with spectacular mosaics, depicting scenes from ancient mythology.

The mosaics give a clue to the wealthy and opulent lives of some of the Roman Paphiots. The mosaics can be found near the lighthouse and fortress of Saranda Kolones situated in close proximity to Paphos Harbour.

Opening hours October to March daily 8am to 5pm- April/ May and September 8am to 6pm. June to August 8am to 7pm.

Family fun in Paphos
The demands of children are usually relatively simple once on holiday in Paphos, Cyprus. They look forward to the beach with much excitement, where they can swim, play, ballgames or build sandcastles. I have found some group activities that would appeal to the all the family without breaking the bank.

Aphrodite Water Park
The water park offers a wide and varied selection of rides for children of all ages. For younger children they have a kiddie’s pool, a pirate ship, a spraying elephant and much more. This is definitely an all day trip for all the family. Plenty to do for everyone with relaxations areas and food outlets.

Opening hours
May – June 10.00am – 17.30
July – August 10.00 am – 18.00
September – October 10.00 – 17.00

Unique payment method
For your convenience, we have made paying at the water park as easy as possible. All purchases made inside the park are simply charged to the special wristband given to you at the entrance and you are billed at the exit when you leave. No need to carry cash at all!

Ask for our special offers or deals before you go.

Paphos Aquarium
The aquarium provides a unique undersea setting of skilfully illuminated caves and rippling water; a marine ambience so inventive as to be impressively lifelike. Sea and freshwater fish comprise the superb range of species on view at the aquarium, where no expense has been spared recreating their natural environment, making full use of the latest marine technology.
Many types of fish from the Mediterranean both common and uncommon and exquisite, jewel bright tropical species disport themselves in 72 spacious, environmentally friendly tanks, one of which is for crocodiles.
A visit to Paphos aquarium is the perfect family outing. An excellent restaurant on the premises overlooks the town s picturesque port and its brooding castle, and there’s a gift shop within the complex too.
Open daily
9am to 6pm/7pm/8pm depending on season

Snake Georges Reptile Park
A small establishment run by Snake George, who is often called upon by the members of the Paphos public to remove unwanted visitors from their houses or gardens. He has a fascinating display of snakes and lizards and is more than happy to show you round and tell you a few tails. The meagre entrance fee is for the upkeep of the reptiles only all kids will love the hands on experience at the end.

Island Cove, Adventure Mini Golf Paphos
A cleverly designed American 18 hole mini course that is beautifully landscaped and provides great entertainment value and challenging play for all ages.
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30 am – 18.00 winters
Daily 10.00am – 23.00 summers

Bird Park Paphos
An interesting park with tropical birds (parrots, eagles, ostriches, flamingos etc). Paphos bird park is truly is magical. The children’s farm is a great location for the children to get close and personal with the bunny rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks and goats.

Opening Hours
Daily 9.00 am – 17.00 October – March
Daily 9.00 am – 20.00 April – September

Being at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe, this island has attracted people to its welcoming shores for thousands of years. With so many places to see, and its tradition of warm hospitality, no matter where the family roams here, children should find their visit an awesome experience.

Tomb of the Kings
The tombs are impressive carved out of solid rock, some featuring Doric pillars and frescoed walls. Eight complexes have been singled out and numbered for visitors with 3, 4, and 8 being the most elaborate.
Some tombs are reached via stairs that lead into sunken rectangular courts surrounded by Doric coloums carved from the rock. Originally tombs were covered with stucco and the walls were decorated with frescoes.

Beyond the colonnades, passages lead to rooms with niches for individual corpses. Bodies were buried with costly grave goods, including jewellery and cosmetic boxes.
As was common in the classical world, on the anniversaries of death of loved ones would hold a ceremonial meal at the tomb with leftovers deposited near the body.

Opening Hours
June to September 8.30am until 7.30pm
October to May 8.00am until 5pm

Baths of Aphrodite
Close to fishing harbour of Latchi to the north of Paphos, this romantic sounding grotto contains a pool of icy water supplied by a perennial spring. Local legend has it that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty used to bathe here and the water had special rejuvenating powers ensuring that her skin remained soft and ageless.  

Troodos
The impressive Troodos mountain range stretches across most of western side of Cyprus, offering cool sanctuary and idyllic hours spent in long walks in its scented pine forests in summer and winter sports and ski-in in winter.

Here are the many famous resorts, Byzantine monasteries and churches on mountain peaks, and nestling in its valleys and picturesque mountain villages clinging to terraced hill slopes.

Nature walks
Which have been created by the Forestry Department in co-operation with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation at Troodos itself, with full details of the rich profusion of flora and fauna found on these very attractive walks, which attract many visitors every year.

In the Troodos mountain range, besides Machairas to the east, and the actual Troodos district around Mount Olympus (height 1951 meters), there are four other districts, each of which has its own character and separate charm. These districts are 1. Pitsillia to the east of Mount Olympus, the 2 Solea Valley and the 3 Marathassa Valleys to the north of Mount Olympus, and the 4 Krassochoria (the wine villages) to the south (north-west of the Limassol district).

Three Old Monasteries

Kykko Monastery
The most famous and richest monastery in Cyprus. Founded in 1100 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it possesses one of the three surviving icons ascribed to St. Luke. The first president of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios 111 served as a novice here. At his own wish he was buried at Throni 3km west of the Monastery, not far from native village of Panayia.

Troodhitissa Monastery
A beautiful monastery standing amid pine trees, it was originally founded in the 13th century, but the present church dates from 731.
Mesa Potamos Monastery
Deserted monastery near platres in an idyllic setting which includes a nearby waterfall.

Krassochoria (the wine villages)
This area is found on the south side of the Troodos range. Old traditions are kept alive in these villages, where the cultivation the vineyards, and wine making are still the main occupation of most of the inhabitants. This is the area which produces famous local red dry wine.

Phini
Famous for its pottery and as the birthplace of Archbishop Sophronios 11. Visitors can see Pilavakion private pottery collection.