The harbour at Paphos attracts visitors all year round, who take the
opportunity to walk along the quay and maybe visit one of the fish
restaurants, tavernas or cafes. The view is superb, with lots of
colourful fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. The castle is in
fact all that remains of a much earlier castle dating from 1391,
which was demolished by the Venetians. The Ottomans used it as
dungeons and the British as a warehouse for salt! It can be reached
via a small bridge over a moat and is worth a visit for the view
from the top. Opening hours - winter daily 9am to 5pm - summer daily
9am to 6pm - tel 26932841 (Paphos Tourism Office).
The harbour is also a good place to take a boat tour of the
surrounding beaches and coastline.
Kourion/Kolossi Castle
Ancient Kourion and the castle at Kolossi are both in the Limassol
area and can be visited together in a day. They are just two
examples of the wealth of history to be found in Cyprus - the
Kourion sites dating from the second century AD and Kolossi from the
thirteenth century.
The ruins at Kourion are to be found in breathtaking scenery
overlooking the sea - this is probably the most spectacular
archeological site in Cyprus. There are actually two sites, the old
city of Kolossi and the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates - they are a few
kilometers apart. There is also a museum in the nearby village of
Episkopi. As it is one of Cyprus' most popular tourist attractions,
it's worth arriving early in high season.
Kolossi castle was the commanderie of the Knights Hospitallers - the
name later given to the Commanderia dessert wine. Despite changing
owners a number of times, the castle is inextricably linked with
both the Hospitallers and wine making.
Both Kourion and Kolossi are signposted from the Limassol-Paphos
highway. Kourion is close to Episkopi village, Kolossi to the
village of the same name.
Opening hours Ancient Kourion winter daily 8am to 5pm - summer 8am
to 7.30pm - tel 25995048. Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates October to
April daily 9am to 5pm - summer 9am to 7.30pm - tel 25995049.
Kourion Museum September to June Monday to Friday 9am to 2.30pm -
Thursday only 3pm to 5pm - summer 9am to 7.30pm - tel 25934907.
Larnaca Salt Lake and Hala Sultan Tekke
For those of you arriving at Larnaca airport, one of Cyprus' most
impressive places to visit is right under your noses! As you turn
left out of the airport you will find the road running along a
causeway. On either side you will either see two lakes, or two salt
flats, depending on the time of year - this is the Larnaca Salt Lake
and site of the mosque or Tekke of Hala Sultan. Salt has been
extracted from the lake since ancient times and this continues, on a
small scale, to this day. If you are visiting Cyprus in lat winter
or early spring, look out for the visiting flamingos and other
migratory birds. Another salt lake can be found further along the
coast of Akrotiri.
Peer across the lake and you will see the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque
surrounded by palm trees. This is a wonderful place to visit.
Opening hours Hala Sultan Tekke winter 9am - 5pm - summer 7.30am to
7.30pm.
Agia Napa and Protaras
If you like entertainment of the non-stop variety, then Agia Napa
should be top of your list. It was once a small fishing village, but
not any more. It boasts some of the best beaches on the island, lots
of opportunities for watersports and is a popular destination for
package tours. Arrive on a summer's morning and you will find a
quiet, almost eerie place - but only because most of the visitors
are sleeping off the excesses of the night before! This is Cyprus,
however, and in the midst of all the fun and noise in the very heart
of the town, you can find peace and tranquility in the monastery
with its fountain, flowers and quiet cloisters.
Opening hours 8.15am to 2.30pm and 3pm to 6.30 pm Monday to Friday,
closed on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons - tel: 23721796
The nearby resort of Protaras is said to be more family orientated
and like Agia Napa, has good beaches and lots of watersports. South
of Protaras is Cape Greko, the easternmost point of this end of the
island.
Nicosia 'within the walls' and the House of Hadigeorgakis Kornesios
Look at any map of Nicosia and you will see the distinctive shape of
the walls of the old city. The walls and their eleven bastions were
built by the Venetians in the 1570's - most of the historic
monuments of Nicosia can be found in the winding streets within the
walls. It is also the site of the famous tourist quarter, Laiki
Yitoniak, which is full of gift shops and restaurants. The best way
to see what is on offer is on foot - for a bird's eye view of the
city old and new go to the Ledra Museum and Observatory on the
eleventh floor of the Shakolas Tower (next door to Woolworths on the
corner of Ledra Street and Arsinois Street).
Opening hours winter daily 10am to 7pm - summer 10am to 8pm - tel:
22679369.
One of the most beautiful buildings in the old city is the house of
Hadigeorgakis Kornesios - also known as the house of the dragoman -
built in the fifteenth century. It is a wonderful example of a
combination of Venetian and Ottoman building styles. The position of
dragoman was a powerful one - he served as translator to the Turkish
governor and liaised between the Ottoman authorities and the
Orthodox Christians. He was an immensely powerful man and, as was
common for such people in those days, was beheaded in 1808. The
house can be found at 20 Patriarchou Grigoriou near the Omeriye
mosque.
Opening hours 8am to 2pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday - tel:
22305316
Cedar Valley
A must for nature lovers, Cedar Valley in Tilliryan Troodos is aptly
named. However, the cedars in this secluded valley are no ordinary
trees, but the indigenous Cyprus cedar, Cedrus brevifolia, a close
relative of the famous cedars of Lebanon. There are thousands of
them in Cedar Valley. It's not the easiest of places to find, but
for that reason you almost guaranteed peace and quiet when you get
there. It can be reached via winding unpaved road from Pano Panagia
on the Paphos side of the mountains or from the Kykkos side along a
signposed (unpaved) road along the route from Kykkos to Stavros tis
Psokas.
And if you are really lucky, it won't be only cedars you see. Cedar
Valley is in the heart of the habitat of the moufflon, a species of
wild sheep native to Cyprus, and the national symbol. They are very
shy animals - those who want a guaranteed viewing will need to go to
the enclosure at Stavros tis Psokas.
Panayia tou Araka
It is almost impossible to pick just one of the painted churches of
the Troodos - they are all little gems of craftsmanship set in
breathtaking scenery. Panayia tou Araka - the church of Our Lady of
the Pea - is a superb example and one of ten painted churches on the
UNESCO World Heritage Site list. It is to be found on a terrace near
the village of Lagoudera, surrounded by trees and wild peas from
which it takes its name, with a superb view down the valley. The
church itself is tiny, and is dwarfed by its snow-proof roof and the
wooden trellis that surrounds it. However, when you walk inside, the
vibrant colours and the number of the frescoes take your breath
away. They date from the twelfth century and are brilliantly clear,
having been cleaned relatively recently.
If the church is locked the caretaker priest lives in the adjacent
house - admission to the church is free but donations are welcomed.
As in all churches in Cyprus, visitors should be modestly dressed
and photography is not allowed.
Choirokitia
To go right back to Cyprus's earliest history, you need to visit the
remains of stone-age settlements at Choirokitia, better preserved
than most other Neolithic sites in the easter Mediterranean. The
settlement dates back to the sixth of seventh centuries BC -
although the site was discovered in 1936, serious excavation did not
get underway until the 1970's. It is perhaps one of the earliest
human settlements on the island and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The people of Choirokitia lived in beehive-shaped one storey houses
- more that sixty such houses can be seen at the site, as well as
the original streets and lanes and a larger chieftain's mansion.
This site can be found approximately half way between Larnaca and
Limassol, signposted off the highway. Opening hours winter daily 9am
to 5pm, summer 9am to 7.30 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and
Sunday - tel: 24322710
Lefkara
To those in the know, Lefkara means only one thing, lacemaking. The
exquisite Lefkara lace is one of Cyprus' most famous exports -
Leonardo da Vinci is said to have bought some to take back to Italy.
As you wander around the streets, you will be invited into the many
shops to see and buy the local lace. Lefkara is in fact two
villages, Pano (upper) and Kato (lower) Lefkara. Pano Lefkara is the
home of the Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silver-smithing in
the house of Patsalos - ideal for the visitor who wants to know more
before they buy. Opening house 9.30am to 4pm Monday to Thursday,
10am to 4pm Friday & Saturday, closed Sunday - tel: 24342326
The Paphos mosaics
Last but by no means least, the colourful and intricate Roman
mosaics to be found in Paphos are a must for all visitors to Cyprus.
They were discovered by accident in the 1960's - further excavation
revealed a number of Roman houses all with spectacular mosaics,
depicting scenes from ancient mythology.
The mosaics give a clue to the wealthy and opulent lives of some of
the Roman Paphiots. The main sites are the House of Dionysos, the
House of Aion and the House of Theseus. The mosaics can be found
near the lighthouse and fortress of Saranda Kolones situated in
close proximity to Paphos Harbour. Opening hours October to March
daily 8am to 5pm - April/May and September 8am to 6pm. June to
August 8am to 7pm - tel:26306217
Of course, if after all that you still have time and energy, there's
always the Akamas peninsula, the Archbishop in Nicosia, Panagia
Chrysoirroyiatissa monastery, Petra too Romiou, Aguios Lazaros in
Larnaca ….. And so the list goes on.
