Pafos
Shutterstock / Alexander Tolstykh
Overview
Linked by a traffic artery, Kato Pafos (Lower Pafos) and Ktima (Upper Pafos; 3km to the northeast) form a contrasting whole. Kato Pafos is geared towards tourists, with bars and souvenir shops lining the palm-fringed seafront. Dive into the backstreets to discover historic gems such as medieval baths, catacombs and a simple fishermen’s church. But the grand-slam sight is one of the South's richest archaeological locales, the Pafos Archaeological Site, just one reason the city was awarded joint European Capital of Culture in 2017. Standing here, surrounded by acres of history and fields of wild flowers, feels a world away from the busy resort just beyond the entrance.
01 / Attractions
Must-see attractions
Pafos
Nea Pafos (New Pafos) is, ironically, the name given to the sprawling Pafos Archaeological Site, to the west of Kato Pafos. Nea Pafos was the ancient city…
Pafos
Imagine yourself surrounded by ancient tombs in a desertlike landscape where the only sounds are waves crashing on rocks. The Tombs of the Kings, a Unesco…
Pafos
This fascinating site was home to one of Pafos’ largest religious structures. What remains are the foundations of a 4th-century Christian basilica, which…
Pafos
A World Heritage Site, the sanctuary is recognised as being one of the most important ancient sites related to Aphrodite in Cyprus and yet it is arguably…
Pafos
This small fort guards the harbour entrance and is entered by a small stone bridge over a moat. In 2017, to commemorate Pafos' stint as European Capital…
Pafos
One of the loveliest churches in the Pafos area is this six-domed Byzantine church in Geroskipou, 4.5km east of Pafos. Most of the surviving frescos date…
Pafos
This unusual museum is located 4km north of Kato Pafos on the spot where the caïque Agios Georgios (now the museum’s prime exhibit), captained by EOKA…
Agia Solomoni & the Christian Catacomb
Pafos
This modest tomb complex is the burial site of the seven Machabee brothers, who were martyred around 174 BC. Their mother was Agia Solomoni, a Jewish…