Kosmar - Cheap Holidays to Greece and Turkey

A smart little resort steeped in history and legend

The delightful market town of Paphos stands on a hilltop overlooking the coastal plain below, where it's pretty little harbour is the focal point for a thriving holiday resort. 

Smart modern hotels and apartments have sprung up all along the coastline, with all the restaurants, shops, bars, night clubs and other facilities you need for a great sunshine getaway. 

The harbour lined with open-air cafes and tavernas is guarded by a small, moated 16th-century fortress, which together with the local pelican has become the most photographed feature of Paphos. There is no beach as such in the resort, although several of the large hotels have created man-made sandy coves and bathing platforms, and the sea is warm and crystal clear. A short bus or car journey away you’ll find lovely sand and pebble beaches at Yeroskipou and Coral Bay, and of course a sunbed by the pool is always a very civilized option for working on the tan.

Nightlife in Paphos is generally laid-back, centred around the resort’s hotels and restaurants, although there are smart music bars and discos if you’re itching to get those dancing feet on the floor. 

The Romans (who knew a good thing when they saw it!) chose Paphos as their island capital, and it’s so rich in archaeological treasures that UNESCO simply added the whole area to its World Cultural Heritage List. Don’t miss some of the finest mosaics in the Eastern Mediterranean in the House of Dionysos, or the mysterious Tombs of the Kings, carved into the rock in the 4th century BC.

A few kilometres to the east of Paphos stands Petra Tou Romiou, a vast rocky outcrop on a wild deserted shore marking the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, and close by at Palea Paphos there is a temple dedicated to the love goddess herself, dating from 1500 BC.  

Wonderful classical sites, great scenery, comfortable hotels with great service and a relaxed atmosphere – it’s no wonder that this friendly corner of Cyprus is such a firm favourite with British holidaymakers.