Since May 2021, we have been living in Cyprus. Although we reside in Limassol, we visit Paphos quite often—sometimes for vacations and sometimes just for a fun day out. Even before moving to Cyprus, we had vacationed in Paphos several times, and each visit brought new attractions and experiences we hadn’t discovered before.
Paphos is a coastal city in the southwestern part of Cyprus, located on the Greek side of the island. It’s a great destination for a summer holiday and a perfect winter getaway, especially if you rent a car and explore the surrounding areas.
Looking for recommendations on things to do in Paphos with kids? Check out my post on Top Things to Do in Paphos with Kids.
Searching for a good restaurant? Take a look at my guide on Recommended Restaurants in Paphos.
Not sure where to stay? Read my Hotel Recommendations for Paphos to help you decide.
Yacht cruise in Paphos
During one of my vacations with Roman in Paphos, it was his birthday, and I decided to look for a fun attraction that we hadn’t done yet in the city. That’s when I saw that there were various types of cruises available in Paphos. I looked up companies offering cruises and found Paphos Sea Cruises, which had good reviews and an adult only yacht cruise. Since we’ll soon be parents, I thought this was a good opportunity to enjoy the quiet and go for a relaxing cruise.
The cruise left the port at 10:00, but it’s recommended to get there an hour early and get good seats (The seats aren’t reserved). We got seats on the third floor of the ship and realized afterwards this isn’t recommended for those who suffer from seasickness, or pregnancy. If you have a tendency for sea sickness, you’re better off sitting downstairs, which is what we did after the first stop. We just brought a chair to the side of the yacht where it was shaded and enjoyed the sea breeze. If you want to sit there, there’s no need to come early, unless you want to grab a tanning bed.
The cruise consisted of two stops. At first, we stopped at Coral Bay Beach for an hour and a half with the option of snorkeling, kayaking or just floating with a long sponge noodle floater, and there was also a lunch break with a buffet. Then we continued sailing for another twenty minutes and stopped at the stunning Sea caves, this time for an hour during which we could snorkel, kayak or swim. We also enjoyed a fresh fruit dessert there with watermelon, pineapple and melon, and some cakes.
We returned to the port around 16:00, and Roman and I agreed this was a great attraction. We had a good time and were very pleased with the company’s service.
This particular cruise costs 89 euros and is an “all included” package. The package includes transportation to and from the hotel, a glass of champagne upon arrival, a beach towel, a light breakfast, a fancy yacht with a maximum of 55 people on board, a buffet lunch, and an open bar with alcohol and light drinks.
Adonis Baths
During one of my vacations with Roman, we decided to go explore the villages in Paphos, starting at Chloraka village and moving on to Tala, where we stumbled upon a sign pointing towards Adonis Baths. We were in Paphos three times before, and had never heard of them until then, so we decided to check it out.
The drive was on a dirt paved road through the mountains. It was a bit rough, but suitable for any type of vehicle (Ours was a small automatic car which barely made the ascents, but it was fine). It’s about a half hour drive on an unpaved road, but it was worth the effort to find this gem in the mountains. There’s a 9 euro entrance free per person, there are two natural pools with waterfalls.
My recommendation is visiting early in the day, in the middle of the week if possible, so it’s less crowded. The water is really cold, so take note. (For example, I only dipped my feet in, but Roman enjoyed swimming in them). There’s also a museum there (We didn’t find it particularly exciting) and a food stand with sandwiches, coffee and more… There’s also a tanning bed area. By the baths is a tavern for anyone looking to have lunch there.
Oniro by the sea restaurant
I found a recommendation for Oniro by the sea. A restaurant with an amazing view of an abandoned ship and water caves.
It’s a great Mediterranean seafood restaurant with a wonderful view. It’s recommended to reserve a table in advance, so you can sit in the first row facing the sea. We didn’t book one, but after we arrived at around 15:00, a table in the first row became available within about 15 minutes.
We ordered two salads – I had a mango, avocado and jumbo shrimp salad and Roman got a ceviche salad with salmon, they were both excellent (At about 12 euros each). We chose to split a main dish, a special dish of linguini with jumbo shrimp – it was perfect (I can only hope they have it on the menu when you’re there). Roman had a passionfruit cocktail (About 9 euros for a cocktail) and I had a non-alcoholic cocktail of ginger and almonds (About 6 euros for a non-alcoholic cocktail). The cocktails were of really high quality, we enjoyed them immensely. This restaurant is highly recommended, regardless of the view. View included (For the sea caves and the abandoned ship), I think this is a must when visiting Paphos. You can spend hours just looking out and taking photos of the magnificent sights.
Old Town in Paphos
The old town of Paphos offers a peaceful and authentic experience. Among the narrow alleys, you’ll find local shops, quaint restaurants, and cafes. Once, we even booked a room in the heart of the old town and spent the night there with Maya to experience Paphos differently, not just staying at an all-inclusive hotel by the sea. We stayed in a lovely and affordable apartment at a place called Rooms – Unique Staying in Paphos Centre.
For breakfast, we went to Piedra All Day Cafe Lounge Bar, which we enjoyed. In the afternoon, we wandered the streets and even found a small playground, then stopped for coffee at Cafe Nero, which has a stunning view.
Fun Segway tour
We took a Segway tour with Paphos Segway Tours company. We were a group of eight and had two super nice guides, Liam and Callum.
After all the group members had arrived, we went outside for an instruction on the Segways.
During the tour, we went through several interesting sites on Paphos, stopping at each one while the guide told us about the place.
We rode along the sea a lot – it was really relaxing and I didn’t want the tour to end.
The company has longer, special tours for those already experienced with Segways. Maybe next time we’re In Paphos we’ll try one of the advanced tours.
I wrote about the tour in detail in a post about the segway tour.
Wine tastings
About a 30-minute drive from Paphos center there’s a great winery that offers wine tastings for visitors, Tsangarides winery. From the moment we arrived, we fell absolutely in love with the place. The area is very idyllic and the design itself is very pretty as well. We sat outside and the owner, Angelos, brought 4 kinds of wine for us to try – White, Rosa, red and organic.
In addition to that, he served us some cheese and grapes as well. We chatted a lot and found him to be a really charming and humble person. At one point, a group of Hungarian journalists showed up and he gave them a tour of the winery, which we joined in on.
The winery produces as many as 300,000 bottles a year. It was really interesting learning about the wine making process – we really like drinking wine and touring wineries. If you come as a couple or a small group the tastings are free. A larger group would have to pay 5-euros per person, which is a purely symbolic price.
We enjoyed the winery and meeting Angelos very much. If you like wine I think this is a wonderful experience for those staying in Paphos.
Archaeological site Paphos
Near the harbour, there is a big archaeological site. It may sound boring to you, but Roman (my husband) and I were surprised for the good. First of all, there was an amazing brewing (we visited in the spring) and it was so beautiful to wander around there and to see all those flowers. Aside from the flowers, the site itself is impressive.
There are ruins and mosaics and you can walk for at least 2 hours there to see everything. There is also a castle near the site (outside of it but close). We had a great time there and the weather was very good, so it was completely great.
An entrance ticket costs 4.5 euro
Opening hours: every day 08:30-17:00
Paphos zoo
This is a large, kid-friendly zoo with a variety of fun activities. Although I’m personally not very fond of zoos, there are some interactive experiences for children, such as feeding the fish and watching a short parrot and owl show (about 15 minutes). The show is suitable for children who can sit quietly, as movement can startle the owls, which fly right above the audience. Additionally, you can feed the lemurs for an extra 5 euros per person, or participate in feeding a Bengal elephant for an additional 50 euros for a group of up to 5 people.
The average time to spend there is 3 hours.
The show hours are 12:00, 14:30, and 17:00
Opening hours: every day 09:00-18:00
Link to purchase tickets for the zoo
Indoor local market
A great local experience. If you want to buy unique souvenirs this is definitely the place to visit and it’s worth checking it out even if you don’t plan on buying anything.
There are many shops with souvenirs, bags, wallets, statues, and more, at decent prices. Although it’s not a big market, the selection is pretty big and we saw souvenirs there that we didn’t see in other places.
You can park the car in a parking place (there is a yellow sign on the way that shows you where it is). At the parking there is also a small market with fruits and vegetables (we bought fresh kiwi, mango, and strawberries there that were very good) and from there you can climb the stairs.
In the market there is also a small shack that sells iced coffee and hot coffee for euro and a half.
Opening hours Monday-Saturday 08:00-14:00, on Sunday it’s closed (the shifts are changing but it will be open at the hours I mentioned).
A direction map
Hang out in the port
Paphos Harbour serves as a central tourist port in Cyprus, primarily for cruises and boating. The harbour area features restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops, making it a popular spot for leisure. Additionally, there are water activities such as sailing, fishing, and yacht tours. The harbour is located a short distance from the city center, offering easy access to tourist activities.
Tombs of kings
Underground tombs from the 4th century. It turns out that kings are not buried there, but important people such as the military general of Alexander the Great. The tombs are impressive, and the name of the place attracts many tourists. The area itself overlooks the sea, making it a very nice place to visit and explore.
We’ve visited there several times, both on our own and with the girls, and honestly, we’ve always enjoyed exploring the place, but it was even more fun with the girls.
Entrance ticket costs 2.5 euro.
Opening hours every day 08:30-17:00
And in the summer 08:30-19:30
Joulietta Homemade Chocolate store
We are not big chocolate fans, but when we found this homemade chocolate store, we had to try it – Joulietta Chocolatier Patissiere. There are many flavors and you can even watch how they make the chocolates one by one.
In the summer they also do chocolate workshops. The seller, as well as the owner and chocolates maker, was nice and she let us try the cherry chocolate which was good.
We decided to take takeaway to our hotel. We chose the cappuccino and caramel flavors and we ate them in the hotel’s bar’s balcony with a coffee 🙂 it was very delicious.
Kings Avenue Paphos Mall
The mall includes a wide variety of fashion stores, jewellery, electronics, and more. Additionally, it has a diverse food court with restaurants and fast food outlets. There is a Japanese restaurant we enjoyed (check out my post on recommended restaurants in Paphos). The mall also has a large play area for kids and a cinema that shows both children’s and adult movies in English.Opening hours: every day 10:00-20:00; on Sunday it opens at 11:00
Bicycle trip
Along the main road there is a long bicycle trail. It’s very fun to rent bikes and do a bike trip with them or use them as transportation.
Other things to do in Paphos, that we didn’t try, but they looked nice
And there are other attractions like a fishing tour, jeeps tours, and more. You can book them from your hotel or from agencies. We saw several agencies along the port
Questions and Answers about Paphos
I receive quite a few questions on social media and email about Paphos, so I decided to gather here the recurring questions with clear answers.
Do I need to rent a car in Paphos?
If you’re planning a relaxing beach holiday, you can get by without a car, using taxis or buses for transportation. However, if you want to visit sites outside the city, such as Lara Beach, the Agios Neophytos Monastery, or Venetian Bridges, it’s highly recommended to rent a car – even with the opposite driving (steering wheel on the right, like in the UK).
Special offer for blog followers: I recommend renting a car from Cosmos Rentals, and I received a 10% discount coupon for online bookings from the owner. To book directly through Cosmos Rentals (don’t forget to use the coupon code at checkout: trvbox). For more information on car rentals in Cyprus.
Which area is recommended for a hotel in Paphos?
The harbor area is the most central, with restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and proximity to the Kings Avenue Mall. Coral Bay area is ideal for those seeking beautiful sandy beaches with hotels and more peaceful vacations. Another option is Lower Paphos (Kato Paphos), where there are hotels close to key attractions like the Royal Tombs and famous mosaics.
Is there a water park in Paphos?
Yes, the Aphrodite Waterpark is a large and recommended water park, usually open from April to October. It’s located about a 10-minute drive from the harbor and features slides, a wave pool, and kids’ play areas.
Link to buy tickets for Aphrodite Waterpark – Tickets can be reserved for free in advance, with a free cancellation option up to the day before.
What kind of electrical sockets are in Paphos?
Cyprus uses G-type sockets (like in the UK) with three prongs in a trapezoidal shape. You can buy an adapter in most supermarkets or convenience stores, and many hotels offer adapters at the reception.
Which beaches are recommended in Paphos?
- Coral Bay Beach – A sandy and organized beach with clear water and sunbeds.
- Lara Beach – A natural and secluded beach, where sea turtles lay their eggs.
- Venus Beach – A beautiful beach with a local legend claiming that Aphrodite was born there.
- Faros Beach – A beach close to the city with a view from the Paphos lighthouse.
Nightlife in Paphos – Where to go?
Unlike the lively Ayia Napa, Paphos nightlife is quieter, focusing on stylish bars with a pleasant atmosphere and stunning views. You can start the evening with a meal by the water in the harbor area, and then continue to one of the many bars along the promenade.
For those seeking more lively entertainment, Agiou Antoniou Street – also known as the “Bar Street” – offers plenty of pubs, bars, and clubs, where you can hop from one place to another and enjoy different styles. This street is especially popular with tourists, but for a more local vibe, you’ll find authentic tavernas in the old town.
Recommended bars and clubs in Paphos:
- Robin Hood Pub – A popular pub in the heart of Bar Street, designed like a medieval castle. The atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming, with different music every night to suit all tastes.
- Loft Club – A modern-style club offering Greek, electronic, and pop music. Open only on weekends and occasionally hosts special dance and music performances.
- Pit Stop Pub – A family-run pub for over 25 years, located near the Royal Tombs. Known for bingo nights and live music events.
Is there a casino in Paphos?
Yes, there is a small casino in Paphos – C2 Pafos – Cyprus Casinos, which only has slot machines and no gambling tables. The largest casino in Cyprus, City of Dreams Mediterranean, is located in Limassol, and it is the biggest casino in Europe.
How to get to Paphos?
There are direct flights with Ryanair to Paphos. Another option is to fly to Larnaca and then drive to Paphos, which takes at least an hour and a half. You can also take a taxi or bus from Larnaca Airport to Paphos.
The less recommended option is to fly to Larnaca and then travel to Paphos. However, if there are no direct flights to Paphos, flights to Larnaca may be necessary. In that case, the most affordable way would be to rent a car, as taxi fares can be at least 120 euros one way.
Where to stay in Paphos?
We’ve stayed at several hotels in Paphos. We loved the Olympic Lagoon Resort – a 5-star all-inclusive hotel, Minthis Golf Resort – a stunning golf hotel in the mountains, and the Louis Ledra and Louis Breeze hotels. But there are many other great hotels in Paphos, and I’ve written about them in detail in my post: Recommended Hotels in Paphos.
Where to buy a SIM card for Paphos?
I recommend eSIM, an electronic SIM, and I recommend the Airalo company. I was very satisfied with their user experience (easy-to-follow instructional videos for SIM card operation), and everything worked perfectly.
For blog followers, there’s a 15% discount code for Airalo to purchase an eSIM – use this link to redeem the discount. The code is already included in the link and will appear at checkout.
Guided Tour or Custom Itinerary in Cyprus – Hot Recommendation!
If you’re planning a trip to Cyprus, I highly recommend Roni Schwartz! A Cyprus resident who takes care of everything – private tours with a certified guide (the guide is fluent in English/Russian), very professional and pleasant, who will take you on a perfect 8-9 hour tour day. Roni plans a personalized itinerary, tailored to your preferences, and ensures you’ll see all the places you want. It’s also suitable for larger groups, and everything is done in a comfortable and luxurious vehicle.
Contact Roni for a guided tour in Cyprus
Want to explore independently?
No problem! Roni also plans customized itineraries (minimum 3 days) so you can experience Cyprus at your own pace, exactly how you like.
Contact Roni for a customized independent itinerary in Cyprus
There’s also a special benefit! If you book any of Roni’s services and mention that you came through my blog, you’ll receive a special surprise!
Paphos is an excellent city for a beach vacation with plenty of attractions. It’s most enjoyable during the summer months, allowing you to enjoy beach activities like water sports, pools, the water park, and the sea. However, you can also find things to do in the winter months.
I hope this post has been helpful. If it has, I would love to hear your comments, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or contact me on my blog’s social media pages: on Facebook and Instagram.
Looking for more information about Paphos? I have additional posts on Paphos and Cyprus on my blog.
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More posts I wrote on that
Great day trips in Cyprus
Best restaurants in Paphos
Cool 48-hour vacation in Paphos – Travel itinerary
Cyprus: Itinerary in Cyprus – Recommendations for accommodation, restaurants and attractions
Recommended hotels and resorts in Paphos
What to do in Cyprus in winter
My recommendations for car rentals in Cyprus
Guided Tours in Cyprus