Paphos - The Ancient Treasure of Cyprus
- Work To Wonders
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
We have to be honest and say that we didn’t know if we would make it to Paphos. The 2026 war in Iran and the subsequent attacks on bases around the Arab Gulf also led to a drone attack on the British base at Akrotiri, not far from Limassol, on 1st March. This caused most flights to Paphos to be cancelled for a week, and to most tourists cancelling their stay.
We considered it, but decided to wait to see what our airline did. As they scheduled their flights a week later, we decided to go. And we are really glad that we did.
Behind the beaches and the British restaurants, and the legendary hedonism of Ayia Napa, lies a deeply historical, deeply dignified country with roots in ancient times. Paphos is in the Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus, and Greek history is simply unmissable. You can walk along ancient streets, past the ruins of ancient bath houses and homes in the incongruously named New Paphos Archaeological Park. You can visit the final resting place of historical dignities in the Tombs of the Kings - which currently houses neither tombs (there are no bodies there) nor kings. You can walk to places once visited by Apostles. You can walk among Greek legends in multiple locations named after Greek deities. You can even visit the place where the goddess Aphrodite allegedly emerged from the deep - although that particular beach is pretty special all on its own.
The food here is fresh, which means that Cypriots make better British food than the British, although the Greek and Cypriot fare is also delicious. Major cuisines are also well represented.
According to the media, we should have felt ill at ease here, with the threat of war in the Middle East a hundred and fifty nautical miles away. But here’s the thing: we didn’t. We felt relaxed and really enjoyed our time there.
So if you are thinking of cancelling your holiday to Cyprus, don’t. It’s safe. And we’re sure you will enjoy it.
How to get there
British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, TUI and Ryanair all fly to Paphos from the UK and Ireland. As Cyprus has long had links with the UK, most flights are to and from there. In fact, there are fewer airports where you will see a higher concentration of British people outside of the UK. Flights to Paphos take around 5 hours and do not have in-flight entertainment or food included as part of the fare.
Transport from the airport can be pricey as taxis will charge EUR 40 to get to the city. This is almost as much as some car hire companies charge for a full day’s hire. By far the cheapest (although not the quickest) way is to get the 612 bus to the Tomb of the Kings bus station in Kato Paphos, or the 613 to Karavelia bus station, for EUR 2 per person one way. Pafos Bus has a route map so you can see which of these is closer to your hotel.
How we did it
We flew with EasyJet from Edinburgh, which at the time of writing has two flights per week (on a Wednesday and Saturday) to Paphos airport.
We stayed at the Basilica Holiday Resort in downtown Kato Paphos, which was booked through Expedia. While it wasn't anywhere close to the most luxurious hotel we’ve stayed in, it was well priced and located beside all amenities.
We visited the Nea Paphos Archaeological Park (EUR 4.50 per person) and the Tombs of the Kings (EUR 2.50 per person). Both are absolutely worth the entrance money and something of a bargain.
We took a tour to the Avakas Gorge, with a bit of a ‘legendary’ tour guide Dimitris, and booked it through GetYourGuide. Dimitris is a bit of a character: if you’re used to serious and informative tour guides, he is not that!
We also took a day ticket for EUR 6.50 each and visited Coral Bay (bus number 615 from Tomb of the Kings Bus Station) and Aphrodite’s Rock (hourly bus number 631 from Tomb of the Kings Bus Station) to see these sights under our own steam and in our own time. See the Pafos Bus website for details of when the buses are timetabled to come.
Our Top Tips
Check the weather! Cyprus can be very hot in the summer (40 degrees Celsius and more!), but can have rain or be a little windy in the shoulder season, like it was for us. It’s still worth visiting, but you just need to be prepared.
Cypriots are very laid back, and this shows in the timeliness of their buses. Be prepared for them to be late or not turn up at all - except for the airport bus, which kept good time for us. We would advise you to book your hotel close to the places you want to visit and don’t depend too heavily on local transport.
Seafront restaurant prices (with the exception of The English Rose) can be a little pricey. However, if you take a little detour onto the corner of Artemidos and Poseidonos, you will find a little place called Tea for Two, which does excellent value breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Click here to see a Google Map of all the places we visited.
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