Paphos Holidays - Compare Prices & Departure Dates

Paphos, also written as Pafos or Paphus is a small coastal city on the south western tip of Cyprus, between the sea and the Troodos mountains.

Originally the capital of the island during Greco-Roman times, Paphos is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Today the city combines ancient monuments and ruins with a working fishing harbour and popular sunshine package holiday destination.

Pahos is divided into two areas : Kato Paphos boasts the archaeological ruins, the marina, port, many of the holidaymaker hotels and apartments as well bars, cafes and tavernas. Up the hillside inland is Ktima, which is the main residential area of Paphos and the commercial centre.

In Paphos the currency is the euro, the two official languages are Greek and Turkish, with many working in the tourist areas speaking English. The island is two hours ahead of the UK.

Paphos International Aiport (IATA code PFO) is the nearest airport to the resort, around 10km south east of Paphos towards Timi.

Most tourists arriving into Paphos do so on package holidays, so there are lots of charter flights into the airport. Scheduled airlines such as British Airways also fly into Paphos, as well as nearby Larnaca airport.

If you’re on a package holiday, your tour operator will transfer to your resort by coach. If you arrive independently, you can take a taxi, local bus or hire a car for the 30 minute journey into Paphos.

Once in resort, you can explore the main areas on foot. If you fancy heading further afield, take a local bus or hire a bike, scooter or even a quad to get around on.

Paphos is a favourite sunshine holiday destination with its warm Mediterranean climate, laid back lifestyle, friendly locals and fascinating ancient history.

One of the most famous sights is the Paphos Fort, which is at the mouth of the fishing harbour down in the Kato Paphos area by the sea. This is a focal area for Paphos and you’ll enjoy wandering around the marina, sipping a glass of wine and sitting down for a meal at one of the many tavernas lining the harbour area.

Kato Paphos is also home to the main archaeological sights including the House of Dionysus and the House of Thesus – both of which are impressive Roman villas housing world-famous mosaics.

The Tombs of the Kings were not actually built for kings, but for dignitaries in the local area. Although the tombs were looted many years ago, they are still a fascinating insight into the fourth century. Also worth a visit is the Odeon – a large open air Roman ampitheatre that often hosts musical and theatre events in the summer months.

If you want to venture further afield there’s the Paphos Bird Park and the Aphrodite Water Park, which is a modern water theme park with lots to keep kids and adults amused. You can also head inland up to the Troodos mountains with the monastery and hillside villages to explore on the way.

If you want to just sit back and relax, many hotels have their own sun terraces around outdoor swimming pools, or you can choose any of the four large pebble and sand beaches on the Paphos coastline. You can also easily get to the famous yellow sand beaches of Coral Bay, which is 12km away from Paphos.

The sea is very pleasant to swim in and there is a plethora of water sports offered at each beach, from waterkskiing and wakeboarding to parasailing and banana boat rides.

If you feel like being a bit active, there is the coastal path as well as routes up through the cliffs towards Ktima. Mountain biking is also increasingly popular along the coastal paths.

Both major and smaller tour operators offer holidays to Paphos and many of the hotels and apartments are located in the Katos Paphos area down by the harbour.

There is a full range of accommodation available, from family friendly hotels and apartments, to full on five star luxury spa resorts. As Paphos boasts a long coastline, many hotels and apartments enjoy views out towards the sea.

There are small touristy boutiques to wander around in Kota Paphos, but if you want some serious shopping head up to Ktima, where there is everything you could want, with large supermarkets, department stalls, markets and small craft shops.

Good value buys include leather goods, pottery, silver items and lace.

Of course in Paphos you can eat all the fast food burgers and full English breakfasts you want, but there’s also a lot of tasty local Cypriot cuisine. You really should try a Cypriot meze at least once. These mixed dishes are especially good if you head out of the main tourist areas and into the villages on the way to the Troodos mountains.

The main choice of restaurants, cafes and tavernas is by the harbour in Kota Paphos. Here you can eat Chinese, Mexican, Italian dishes as well as lots of fresh fish, Greek and English-style cuisine.

An average price for a meal for two with a bottle of wine is around 40€, but of course you can pay a lot more if you head to the most upmarket restaurants, usually in the bigger hotels.

Don’t forget to try some of the very good local wines and maybe order the local aperitif Zivania. And there’s always the Greek/Cypriot favourite tipple Ouzo.

Paphos has a typically Mediterranean climate, where it hardly ever rains in the summer months. In fact, July and August can be really hot, with warm air coming in from the Sahara, meaning the temperature reaches the mid-thirties and humidity goes as high as 95%.

If you’re not a fan of really hot weather, visiting outside these months is best, or at least choose a hotel with air conditioning and outside pools to cool off in.

The climate is still very pleasant in winter, hence why package holidays are still offered to Paphos during the winter months, but mid-November to March can be a little rainy at times.

• A great mix of classic beach holiday and interesting sightseeing
• Warm weather and sunshine all year round
• Couples and families – Paphos isn’t a party capital

• Real party animals
• Those who can’t stand the heat during July and August

Visit Paphos – the official Paphos area tourist office website

Paphos offers a very tempting combination of sunny weather, friendly people, great beaches and fascinating ancient history and monuments, making for an agreeable all year round holiday choice.