EARLI 2015

 

Pafos (Paphos)

About Pafos (Paphos)

Everywhere you look in Pafos you will come across its glorious history dating back thousands of years, when the cult of the goddess Aphrodite flourished in this beautiful part of the world attracting many visitors from within the island and abroad and later when it was associated with the spread of Christianity.  Pafos was the island's capital for six centuries. As the capital of Cyprus for 600 years in antiquity, the archaeological legacy of Pafos (Paphos) is such that UNESCO put the whole city on its World Cultural Heritage List. It is the perfect place to combine first class holidays with a walk through history.  Immerse yourself in the archaeology, history and culture of Pafos and experience at first hand one of the oldest civisations of the world.

 

 

For more information on the town of Pafos check these links:

Pafos on the Cyprus Tourism Organisation page

Pafos Municipality page (mainly in Greek)

Pafos European capital of 2017

About Pafos

 

Getting around Pafos

Untill recently, Pafos (or Paphos) was the only town in Cyprus, which was traffic free. Though due to the constant influx of tourists, urbanisation and increase in population, things have changed. Traffic can cause some problems, especially in the town centre where the roads are narrow. However, due to government initiative new road developments have been put forward to improve the situation. Below are the best ways to getting around Pafos.

By Car/Taxi
Hiring a car during sight seeing in Pafos is the best option as car rental is insured against collision, accidents, and mileage along with excellent services for tourists. 24-hour airport service is available from many car rental companies and they also offer Cyprus maps, travel tips and additional drivers, sometimes free of charge. Most of the companies have their own websites where you can book your car and make a choice between manual and automatic cars.
Taxis are also very popular while getting around in Pafos. There are two types of taxi services: service taxis and private taxis. With service taxis, they have to be shared with other unknown travellers, which can be unsafe. Private taxis are more preferable as you will be travelling alone or with friends and family.

Public Transport
Travelling in and around Pafos using Public transport can turn out to be inexpensive and convenient.

By Bus
For reaching to Pafos, The KEMEK bus lines are well connected with all the island's main centres (Limassol, Larnaca and Nicosia).
Travelling using buses in Pafos may be cheap, but requires patience. The buses do not run on a regular timetable and also they run on only certain roads and visitors who want to visit some out of the way, interesting places, bus may not turn out to be right kind of transport means for them. Bus tickets are cheap and have to buy only you have boarded the bus. Buses are of two kinds: Urban buses and Rural Buses. Urban buses connect locations across the cities while Rural buses join small villages to the nearby towns.

By Sea
Regular shipping lines do not dock at Pafos harbour as they dock at Limassol. Pafos is just 1 hour by road from Limassol.

Bicycles
Moving through Pafos using bicycles is a good option as its cheap and you can enjoy the sights in your own time. Also most of spots are close by, so hiring a bus or car may not be necessary.

By Foot
As Pafos is a small town, navigating by foot is a good way of discovering the city and its countryside. It is inexpensive and at the same time a good form of exercise. Also you can explore the various sights and gather information about them at your own pace and time, and it can be quite fun if you are in a group.
Sometimes travelling by foot can be very time consuming, especially if you are in Paphos only for a few days and you want to explore the majority of the city.

 

Check below for more about attractions in Pafos:

Historical and archaeological sites

Outdoor activities

 

Source of text: Pafos City-Local Travel Information and city guide

Source of video: Unravel Travel TV