Named earlier this year as the world’s most livable small city, Paphos lies on Cyprus’ southwestern part, right next to the Mediterranean Sea. Apart from the sunny beaches and natural landscapes, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the 80s, thanks to its archaeological gems, which include well-preserved Roman villas and stunning Greek mosaics. If we add that it was selected the European Capital of Culture for 2017, we have a full picture and can easily figure out why Paphos has been the number one tourist destination in Cyprus for years.
I have expected this vacation for a long, long time, specially since I haven’t traveled, nor written in ages. Literally. But the truth is that I was pretty busy over the past two years, with becoming and being a father. It took me a while to get used to the new life, while traveling became much more challenging. That’s why this was the first trip abroad with my wife and toddler, Iacob, who was one year and three months old at that time. Going on vacation with a small child is demanding most of the times, not gonna lie. And the whole experience is way different than the ones I encountered before. But in the end we all had a great time, Iacob liked the sea, and we created memories that will last a lifetime – or at least me and my wife.
Let’s get back to the destination, Paphos. Apart from the things mentioned at the beginning, I’ve chosen it for a few other objective reasons as well: the sea temperature in Cyprus in September is the highest in all of Europe (a record shared with Malta), the flight was around 2 hours (a short first flight with a toddler made total sense), and overall it seemed that the city would offer enough entertainment for five days, without the need to rent a car or go to other parts of Cyprus. Plus, I had already visited Larnaka (the other Cypriot city that has a direct flights from Bucharest) back in 2015.
Cypriot cuisine
The local cuisine shares many similarities with the Greek one, but in parallel it has developed its own unique identity. It mixes Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern flavors, resulting in dishes such as halloumi (the squeaky grill cheese that everybody knows), sheftalia (a lamb and pork sausage) and tava (lamb stew with cumin, potatoes and tomatoes). Seafood of all kinds and souvlaki or gyros are widely consumed, for the latter I recommend a place called Gyros Salonikiotikos (Apostolou Pavlou Avenue 58). If you want to try something more fancy – like a reinterpreted Cypriot cuisine with a modern twist, Onar (Archbishop Makariou 26) is your restaurant. It’s an enchanting location, with a cool vibe and flavorful meals.
You can’t leave Paphos (nor Cyprus) without trying some local wines. It is estimated that wine-making on the island started 6000 years ago, and recent archeological discoveries suggested that Cyprus could have been the cradle of European wine. Today, about a third of the yearly production is made from the xynisteri grapes, a variety native to Cyprus. One of the brands from the area that makes great wines (at least in my humble opinion) is Tsangarides, a family-run business established not long ago, in 2005. Their motto is “we blend old school traditions with new school style”.
Accommodation
Paphos might not be a big city, but its main landmarks (the beaches, the old town and the archeological sites) are a bit far away from each other. So you have to decide what counts most, before searching for a place to stay. For me, it had to be at a reasonable walking distance from all areas of interest, and have a separate bedroom and a fully equipped kitchen, to be able to cook some meals for Iacob. With this in mind, I found an apartment in Violetta Gardens (Ikarou 6), a condominium complex with pool, located 10-20 minutes walk from each of the above points of interest. It wasn’t great nor bad, it had what I needed, but definitely the online pictures made it look a bit better than in reality.
Guide to Paphos
When traveling abroad with a toddler, you will have to pass on some of the major landmarks. Especially on the ones which involve many stairs or staying in the sun for hours, with little to no shade. That’s why I wasn’t able to visit the Archeological Site of the Tombs of the Kings, nor the Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos, with the beautiful Roman mosaics. That being said, here’s where I’ve spent my time:
→ The Old Town (also known as Ktima), filled with narrow streets, small squares, restaurants, specialty coffee shops, museums, traditional markets and historical sites. Over the past years, it has been going through a major urban renewal process, and the result is a mixture of old and new. If you’re in the area at the end of the day, head to Dioikitiria Square, to enjoy a charming sunset.
→ The Coastal Boardwalk is a paved pathway along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, stretching for kilometers. It offers plenty of seating, view points and places to have a drink. From the promenade you can observe the ruins of the Site of Nea Paphos and Paphos Lighthouse.
→ Paphos Castle is a former Byzantine fortress, built to protect the port. Each September, a large scene is installed in front of its entrance, to host the Paphos Open Air Festival. The castle is located in the Western part of the city, in the harbor area, known as Limanaki.
→ Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa site contains monuments from different millenniums, from the marble columns of a 4th century basilica to a complete 16th century stone church. When I visited, the church was closed to the public, but I could walk around the site at no cost. An interesting landmark is St. Paul’s Pillar, where according to the legend, the saint was tied and whipped.
→ The Catacombs date back to the Hellenistic period. They are unfortunately not very well protected, with many having graffiti and trash. The most notable catacomb is the one dedicated to Agia Solomoni, one of the first people to embrace Christianity on the island. It is protected by an old terebinth tree, filled with colorful rags and pieces of clothing, representing vows of people who want to be cured by illness.
→ Paphos has a lot of potential in terms of beaches, but none of the public ones really stand out. The sand is mediocre, they have seaweed and a rocky entry to the water, despite having Blue Flag certificates. If you don’t plan to travel outside of the city, I can recommend Lighthouse Beach, Vrisoudia and Sodap. The last one is the most child friendly of them all, with smaller waves and a smoother entry.
→ If you want to cool down from the heat and also do some shopping, not far from Lighthouse Beach you’ll find Kings Avenue Mall. It features more than 120 stores, a food court and a movie theater.
We’re almost at the end, so I think it’s time for the big questions: is Paphos worth visiting? And is the middle of September a good time to do it? I’ll start with the second one: the air and sea temperatures were more than pleasant, and there were less tourists around than in the summer months. The downsides were the agitated sea and the fact that the beaches had seaweed, but these might be issues present in the other months, too. So I’d say that it’s not the perfect month, but it’s definitely a good compromise.
Regarding the first question, I have two versions of answers. The short one is yes, it is. The long version is that I wasn’t overly impressed by Paphos. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a destination that offers enough interesting things for a few days getaway. It has the sea, beaches, museums, archeological sites and tasty food. But since it was the first trip abroad with Iacob, I think that my expectations were set too high. I don’t know what exactly it lacked, but I left thinking that I won’t be looking to go back anytime soon.
Yassou!
Author: Marian Bulacu
Live. Love. Travel. Make a difference.
Convincing! Why you do not translate “Iacob”?
Because that’s his name, not “Jacob”. 😃