Paphos

Paphos Castle:
Paphos Castle in Paphos, Cyprus

Paphos (Greek: Παφος - Pafos; Turkish: Baf/Kasaba) is a city on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. The city has an estimated population of 26,530, with 52,800 living in the urban area.

According to legend, Paphos is the birthplace of Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty), who rose from the sea (see Rock of Aphrodite). In classical times, Paphos was the center of worship of Aphrodite, not just in Cyprus but for the entire region, and the foundation walls of a large ancient temple of Aphrodite are still discernable.

Other historic sites in the area include the Castle of Paphos in the harbor area, which was originally built by the Byzantines, and then dismantled and rebuilt repeatedly during the periods of the Lusignans, the Venetians and the Ottomans. Additionally in the area, there is the Tombs of the Kings, a burial site used from the 4th century BCE, many early Christian catacomb sites, and numerous Roman ruins - including many beautiful Roman mosaics.

Tourists and visitors to Paphos will also want to be sure to visit the Coral Bay area, which is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) to the North of the town. Coral Bay has many restaurants and bars, and also has a wonderful sandy beach (which many consider to be one of the best beaches in Cyprus).

Key Facts about Paphos

Here are some facts about Paphos:

Paphos (Greek: Παφος - Pafos; Turkish: Baf/Kasaba) is a city on the southwestern coast of Cyprus.
Paphos has an estimated population of 26,530, with 52,800 living in the urban area.
According to Greek mythology, Paphos is the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty), who supposedly rose from the sea near the Rock of Aphrodite. As a result of this, Paphos became one of the most important places for the worship of Aphrodite in the ancient world.
Paphos is supposedly named after a mythical figure, Paphos, who was the son of (or according to Ovid the daughter of) Pygmalion. You will recall that Pygmalion is supposed to have created an ivory image of Aphrodite which was brought to like by the goddess, as Galatea.
During Roman times, Paphos was the capital of island of Cyprus. As a result it is home to the remains of the Roman governor's palace, and many fine Roman mosaics.
Air travellers to Paphos are served by the second largest airport in Cyprus, Paphos International Airport. Paphos International Airport is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) Southeast of the city.
Paphos has been selected to be European Capital of Culture in 2017 along with Århus in Denmark.

Attractions and Places of Interest in Paphos

Here are some attractions and places of interest in the Paphos area:

Adonis Baths
Byzantine Museum
Coral Bay, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) North of Paphos
EOKA Museum in Chlorakas, about half way between Paphos and Coral Bay
Pafos Zoo (formerly "Pafos Bird Park") to the North of Paphos
Paphos Aphrodite Water Park
Paphos Aquarium
Paphos Castle near Paphos Harbour.
Paphos Harbour
Paphos Roman Mosaics near Paphos Harbour.
Rock of Aphrodite ("Petra Tou Romiou") between Paphos and Limassol
Tombs of the Kings

Weather in Paphos

The climate in Paphos is classified as Mediterranean, or dry-summer subtropical. Most rain falls from mid-November to March, snowfall tends to occur only about once per decade, and it almost never rains during the Summer. In July and August, humidity can sometimes reach as high as 85%. Overall, Paphos enjoys the mildest climate of any location in Cyprus.

For current weather information, we recommend:

BBC Weather forecast for Paphos, Cyprus

Note: Our company does NOT provide travel, vacation, hotel, car rental services or associated products or services. Any links (including but not limited to banners, text links, or search forms) to such items on this web site are adverts from third parties. Sorry we can NOT answer questions about these types of products or services.

Unless specifically noted on the page in question, our company is NOT associated with attractions or places of interest that may be described on this website. In such cases, we have often provided links to the official sites where possible, or other third party sites containing useful information, purely as a courtesy and for informational purposes only.

All information about attractions, places of interest, travel destinations, travel services, etc., was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared, but may be change at any time. Readers are advised to check with their travel agent, travel provider, or the attraction operator, for current information.

Copyright © 2007-2025, Answers 2000 Limited

CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE,COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.� r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

Disclosure: Our company's websites' content (including this website's content) includes advertisements for our own company's websites, products, and services, and for other organization's websites, products, and services. In the case of links to other organization's websites, our company may receive a payment, (1) if you purchase products or services, or (2) if you sign-up for third party offers, after following links from this website. Unless specifically otherwise stated, information about other organization's products and services, is based on information provided by that organization, the product/service vendor, and/or publicly available information - and should not be taken to mean that we have used the product/service in question. Additionally, our company's websites contain some adverts which we are paid to display, but whose content is not selected by us, such as Google AdSense ads. For more detailed information, please see Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures

In Association With Amazon.com
Answers 2000 Limited is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
In Association With Amazon.co.uk
Answers 2000 Limited is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
As an Amazon Associate, our company earns from qualifying purchases. Amazon, the Amazon logo, Endless, and the Endless logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Our sites use cookies, some of which may already be set on your computer. Use of our site constitutes consent for this. For details, please see Privacy.

Click privacy for information about our company's privacy, data collection and data retention policies, and your rights.

Contact Us Privacy Terms of Use Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures