| Paphos Πάφος, Baf | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms .JPG/70px-Эмблема_города_Пафос_(Кипр).JPG) | ||
| State | Cyprus | |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | 72 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 400 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 66.000 (2011 census) | |
| Prefix tel | 357 26 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 8010 - 8049 | |
| Time zone | UTC 2 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Pafos is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus.
To know
Pafos is located at the southwestern tip of Cyprus.
Background
Ancient Pafos was a center of the cult of Aphrodite thanks to a famous sanctuary which, according to legend, was built by Tegeo, king ofArcadia. The temple is mentioned by Homer and contributed, thanks to the offerings of pilgrims, to the prosperity of Pafos, at that time one of the nine city-states of ancient Cyprus, second in importance only to Salamis in Cyprus on the opposite side of the island. The cult was still alive in Roman times. The temple was closed by decree ofemperor Theodosius.
The New Pafos east of the sanctuary developed in the Hellenistic and Roman times, becoming the capital of the island. In 45 A.D. St. Paul and Barnabas passed through it, spreading Christianity. Among the converts to the new faith, the Roman governor Sergius Paulus himself. Devastated by the Arabs in 648 AD. was supplanted in the Byzantine era by Constantia (today Famagusta) in the role of the capital of Cyprus, reducing itself to nothing more than a humble village. Its inhabitants had fled the coast due to malaria and raids and settled 3km further north, in today's Ktima Pafos. At the time of the Lusignano it became a sugar cane production center. Ktima means farm, plantation in Greek.
How to orient yourself
Kato Pafos: full screen map.Pafos consists of two distinct centers: Ktima Pafos and South Pafos. The latter lies on the sea and welcomes most of the hotels. The two centers are 3 km apart.
The ruins of ancient Pafos lie 16km further east along the road to Limassol and near the village of Kouklia. Pafos is included in the list of the World Heritage Sites ofUNESCO since 1980.
How to get
By plane
Ryanair connects Milan-Bergamo to Pafos twice a week (timetables).
By bus
Paphos is connected with the main cities of the island by several bus lines. The bus to and from Limassol arrives at the Karavella terminal (see below for more information). The price of the ticket connecting Pafos and Limassol is 4 € one way (April 2013)
How to get around
By public transport
There are two main terminals of the bus circulating in the Paphos area, the one located in the upper part of the city is called Karavella while the one located in the coastal part near the castle is called Harbor. Several lines connect the two terminals while the bus 618 shuttles between them every 30 minutes. The first bus that goes from Karavella to Harbor is at 6.15 in the morning while the last one at 00.30, in the opposite direction the first is at 7.45 and the last at 00.45.
The daily price to travel by all means in the Paphos region is 3 € (April 2013) and also covers the area of Polis, that of a single journey is 1 € (April 2013) .The staff present at the Paphos terminal Karavella speak fluent English and distribute timetables, maps and transport lines for the Paphos area free of charge.
What see
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- Polis (40 km north) - The road that climbs between the mountains allows you to reach, via a side street, the Monastery of San Neofyto the recluse. The monastery church dates from the 15th century and has a beautiful iconostasis. Polis is also an excellent base for visiting the Baths of Aphrodite and the stupendous Akamas Peninsula, protected natural area.
- To reach Polis from Paphos you have to take the bus 645 departing from the terminal of Karavella, eleven daily trips during the week connect the two cities, the first departing from Paphos Karavella is at 6.20 in the morning while the last to return to Paphos Karavella starting from Polis is at 17.00. On Saturday there are only seven races, the first at 8.00 and the last one to always return at 17.00 while on Sunday the number drops to six with the first at 10.00 and the last return at 16.00
- Once you get off the 645 bus you can take the bus 622 leading to the village of Latsi and ai Baths of Aphrodite distant a handful of km.
- For those wishing to do this excursion it is recommended to buy the day ticket to Paphos which at the price of 3 € (updated to: April 2013) allows you to go around Paphos, Polis and even up to Aphrodite's baths for the whole day.
- Rock of Aphrodite (25 km southeast) - Located in the locality of Petra tou Romiu near the old road leading to Limassol, is famous for being considered the place where the Goddess Aphrodite was born.
- A place to take a relaxing bath in crystal clear water, it is easily accessible from Paphos Harbor with the bus 631. Ten daily runs connect Paphos with Aphrodite's Rock and vice versa. From Monday to Saturday the first departure from Pafos is at 7.25 and the last to return to the city is at midnight, on Sunday the first departure is at 6.30 while the last one to return is always at midnight.
- Cape Drepano (22km northwest) - The road borders the shoreline where Coral Bay opens up with numerous hotels. Near the promontory are the ruins of a Roman villa. Neolithic remains have been found on the islet in front of San Giorgio.
Itineraries
Paphos - Polis - Baths of Aphrodite is Akamas Peninsula - By purchasing a 3 € day ticket (price updated to April 2013), take the bus 645 which from the Paphos terminal Karavella leads to PolisOnce in Polis you can visit the Baths of Aphrodite by taking the bus 622 and from there if you want to continue on foot along one of the dirt paths that depart from there and cross the peninsula.
Alternatively, once you arrive in Polis, you can rent a bicycle (price € 10 single person, € 15 total if you are a couple), cross the cycle path that starts from the camping area and runs along the seafront that arrives in Latsi just 4 km away. Then continue to the Baths of Aphrodite and from there take the dirt path until you reach the beautiful one blue Lagoon where to leave the bikes and take a bath. From Polis to the blue lagoon it takes about 1h30 'by bike but several sections are on a slope. Then return by bike to Polis and from there by bus to Paphos.
