Travel guide: Paphos

For swimming, plan on June to November: Visit Cyprus gives the open sea as above 22 °C in those months, rising to 27 °C in August. From January to March it averages 16 to 17 °C. At Coral Bay the Pafos Regional Board of Tourism lists lifeguards from 15 April to 31 October; on the Akamas coast near Lara the Cyprus Tourism Organisation says there are none, so swim with extra care there. April and May are described as an excellent season for nature, with green countryside and flowers in bloom, though nights can be slightly chilly. Summer means high temperatures and cloudless skies, with a sea breeze on the coast, so keep the Akamas walks for the morning. For sunsets the regional board points to the Kato Pafos coastline and to the clifftop view of Aphrodite’s Rock from the old Paphos to Limassol road.

Paphos has its own airport: Visit Cyprus names Larnaka and Pafos (PFO) as the two international airports through which visitors enter. Cyprus has no trains, so the choice is a hire car, a taxi or a bus. Airport transfer buses link the towns with the island’s two airports, and the interurban operator lists routes from Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca to Paphos. In Paphos, the Pafos Transport Organisation runs two airport lines: 612 from the Tombs of the Kings bus station and 613 from Karavela station. Check current timetables with the operators before you travel. Four-lane motorways connect Nicosia with the coastal towns, Paphos included, and hire cars can be collected at both airports. Town taxis run around the clock and must use a meter. Traffic keeps to the left-hand side of the road.

Kato Pafos is built almost on top of the ancient city, and the harbour is the starting point for the seafront walk. The Pafos Transport Organisation lists route 610 from the Municipal Market to the harbour, 611 from the Tombs of the Kings station via the harbour to Geroskipou Beach, and 615 from the same station to Coral Bay, which the Pafos Regional Board of Tourism places 12 km north of Kato Pafos. Route 616B links Coral Bay with Agios Georgios via the Sea Caves, route 631 runs from the Harbour Station to Petra tou Romiou, and route 622 runs from Polis to the Baths of Aphrodite, with 645 connecting Polis and Karavela station in Paphos. On public holidays buses follow the Sunday schedule. Check the operator’s current timetable for your day. None of the routes above serves Lara Bay.

Coral Bay is the easy choice: Visit Cyprus describes calm, shallow water and deep golden sand, a popular pick for families with children, with lifeguards from 15 April to 31 October and disabled access. The harbour promenade has a central path at least 4 m wide, and the municipality names better access for people with disabilities as an aim; the church compound with St Paul’s Pillar is listed as wheelchair accessible. Several places need more care. Lara Bay has no lifeguards. The rocky shores at the Sea Caves reach up to 20 m in places, so keep children well back from the edge. The Baths of Aphrodite trail is rocky with a risk of slipping, and bathing in the pool is prohibited. The way into the Agia Solomoni Catacomb may be several stone steps, so it is not step-free.

Most free places here are outdoors. Visit Cyprus calls winters mild with rain, and says it may rain occasionally in December and January, so a wet day calls for a change of plan. The church compound is open daily until 17:00 in winter and until 19:30 in summer, and the catacomb is a short underground stop; check its opening times on site. The Archaeological Park, the Tombs of the Kings and the Medieval Castle at the harbour are listed with an entrance fee, so they are outside this guide. In summer heat, use the shade of the evening: the promenade has continuous sea views, and the regional board names the Kato Pafos coastline for sunset. Plan the Akamas trails for the morning.

Petra tou Romiou lies along the road between Paphos and Limassol, and route 631 serves it from the harbour. Coral Bay and the Sea Caves lie to the north; the Pafos Regional Board of Tourism places Coral Bay 12 km north of Kato Pafos, and route 616B links the two. Further on, the Akamas Peninsula holds Lara Bay, where, according to the Department of Forests, the coast of Lara and Toxeftra has been declared a marine life protection area, and, near Polis, the Baths of Aphrodite with their free nature trail. Visit Cyprus advises drivers in this remote area to drive slowly and bring some water. For the rest of the island, including Troodos, Larnaca, Limassol and Nicosia, see our island-wide guide.

1. Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock)

   Rocks on the coast that legend names as Aphrodite’s birthplace, inside a national forest park

2. Coral Bay

   Sandy bay 12 km north of Kato Pafos between two limestone headlands, with lifeguards in season

3. Baths of Aphrodite

   A shaded natural pool under a fig tree and the start of the free Aphrodite nature trail in Akamas

4. Paphos Harbour Promenade

   The municipality’s western seafront walkway, starting at the small harbour of Kato Pafos

5. Panagia Chrysopolitissa and St Paul’s Pillar

   Church compound in Kato Pafos with Early Byzantine basilica ruins, floor mosaics and St Paul’s Pillar

• Cyprus

  Free places across the rest of the island, from the Troodos mountain trails and villages to the Molos promenade in Limassol, the walls of Nicosia and the salt lake at Larnaca.

When is the best time to visit Paphos for the beach?

Visit Cyprus gives the open sea as above 22 °C from June to November, peaking at 27 °C in August. Lifeguards at Coral Bay are listed from 15 April to 31 October. In April and May the countryside is green and the days pleasantly warm, but nights can be slightly chilly.

How do I get from Paphos airport into town?

The Pafos Transport Organisation runs airport lines 612, from the Tombs of the Kings bus station, and 613, from Karavela station. Cyprus has no trains; check the operator’s current timetable, or take a metered taxi or a hire car.

Can I reach Coral Bay and Petra tou Romiou without a car?

The Pafos Transport Organisation lists route 615 from the Tombs of the Kings station to Coral Bay and route 631 from the Harbour Station to Petra tou Romiou. Check the timetable for your day before you set out.

Which side of the road do they drive on in Cyprus?

On the left. Visit Cyprus points out that vehicles keep to the left of the road, not the right.

Is Paphos suitable for families?

It can be: Coral Bay has calm, shallow water, lifeguards from 15 April to 31 October and disabled access. Lara Bay has no lifeguards, and the cliffs at the Sea Caves reach up to 20 m, so keep children back from the edge.

What can we do in Paphos when the weather is bad?

Most free places are outdoors. The church compound with St Paul’s Pillar is open daily until 17:00 in winter, and the Agia Solomoni Catacomb is a short underground stop. The Archaeological Park, the Tombs of the Kings and the castle charge entry.