Paphos is rapidly becoming the most popular holiday resort in Cyprus. The small, picturesque harbor is a popular meeting/dining place and Paphos is especially interesting for those who care for history and archaeology. The population is about 40,000.

Close to the waterside restaurants at the harbor lies Paphos Fort. It was built on the site of an earlier, ruined Byzantine castle. Inside there are rooms once used as dungeons while the main room is occasionally used for exhibitions. From the roof one has a fine view of the harbor and the surrounding country.

Archaeological discoveries in the Paphos region are continual, making it a highlight for those tracing civilization's roots in Cyprus. For a glimpse of the artifacts and master works found in the area, visit the District Archaeological Museum.

Returning to the 20th century, enjoy a cool drink, a steaming Cypriot coffee, or a meal of just-caught seafood in one of the tavernas that dot the scenic harbor side in the town of Paphos. Hotels for every taste and budget can be bound in town and the surrounding area. Use them as your home base for discovering this rich region.

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Without changing its traditional character the small community of Geroskipou began the last few years to develop and to grow into a modern city.
The central square of the village is an example of the perfect matching of development and tradition. Having as dominating background the historical church of Agia Paraskevi which accepts hundreds of visitors every day, traditional shops and modern offices co-exist harmoniously.

The beauty of the landscape and its rich history render Geroskipou a place of attraction for every visitor. Anyone visiting Geroskipou will be able to enjoy the tranquility of a small traditional community without being forced to be deprived of any of the services which a big city has to offer. Geroskipou can offer this capability since it is adjacent with the town of Pafos and is just 7 kilometers away from the International Airport.

A very vivid picture is created by the small industries which produce the delights and which preserve the traditional ways in the production.
Significant is also the functioning of the pottery workshops, through which the folklore tradition of Geroskipou but also of the wider district is shown.

Also well worth visiting is the Folk Art Museum of Geroskipou, with folklore art excibits from the 18th up to the early 20th century period. The museum is open daily and visitors can admire the art of the previous centuries Cypriot people, as well as observe their way of living through the exibition of their art works and their every day living items.
Foreign visitors visiting Geroskipou can also make use of another service that the Municipality has to offer. According to the Cyprus Legislation the Municipality gives the possibility to anyone to perform a civil marriage in a very short time.

The Geroskipou beach has been awarded the "Blue Flag of Europe"  for its crystal clear waters and superb facilities to bathers.

A lot of cultural events take place at Geroskipou every year. Among them the Ierokipia, taking place every May for a ten-day period offering theatrical performances, concerts and traditional activities and the celebration of the World Day of Tourism, organized on the 27th of each September.

The Municipality of Geroskipou is also participating in the committee of the Pafos Aphrodite Festival, which every September organizes the world famous events (opera. concerts of classical music etc).

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The Municipality of Pegeia, the largest in extent in the free area of Cyprus, is characterized by a rich archaeological heritage and the beauty of its nature. Its western coastal limits were inhabited for the first time in the Chalcolithic period, around 4.000 B.C., when copper was just beginning to enter into the daily life of the inhabitants, who were still using stone as their primary source of raw material.

It was on the sandy beaches of Pegeia that the first Achaean ships sailed to establish one of their first colonies at Palaeokastro. The Museum of Achaean Colosination was erected at this very spot to commemorate the first arrival of the Achaeans.

Although the area was inhabited without interruption to the present day, archaeological excavations brought to light only a very small part of the hidden treasures in the area of Pegeia. A place of worship with hundreds of figurines, found by chance, partly fills the great gap between the Bronze age and the Roman and Early Byzantine periods, the richest periods in archaeological finds in the area. The interventing Hellenistic period is marked by the very distinct influence of the Ptolemies, evident in the remains of the necropolis at Meletis, in the wooded area of Pegeia.

The most important remains in the area belong to the Early Byzantine period. Their location at Agios Georgios, a spot of magnificent beauty, may be connected to the fact that the harbour served as the stepping – stone for ships from Constantinople on their journey back to the Byzantine capital. Three basilicas with mosaic floors and other significant remains were found while excavations are still in progress.

A unique little island known as Yeronisos, located exactly opposite Agios Georgios, forming the western outpost before the promontory of Akamas and sacred to the god Apollo, was first inhabited during the Chalcolithic period.

The natural beauty of Pegeia, a complex landscape of sandy beaches and weirdly shaped caves formed by the waves constant erosion of the limestone rock, begins well before one’s passage into Akamas.

A rocky outpost on the opposite coast at Maniki marks the location of the ancient harbour, the ramps of the ships still preserved. The border of Akamas is delineated by the beach of Toxeftra while to the west there is a gorge, known as Avakas, created by the millennia – long eroding action of the river.

Wild flowers occur in a bewildering diversity of endemic species together with an equally large number of small harmless inhabitants of the animal kingdom.

The village of Pegeia, at a prime spot on the slope of the hill with a panoramic view of the entire western coast of Cyprus, may be thought of as the hospitable “ household” of the area. Surrounded by a dense forest of pines, it forms the eastern access to the Akamas peninsula. Pegeia, with its rich tradition, expressed in the verses of a well – known Cypriot song, may perhaps be regarded as the most beautiful village in the free parts of Cyprus.

The hospitable inhabitants, the numerous hotels of 3-5 star ratings and hotel apartments as well as the profusion of restaurants of all types, guarantee a memorable stay for the visitor in the neighbourhood of what is now known as the “national park” of Cyprus. 

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Polis tis Chrysochous is located 37 km north of Pafos and  lies on the same site as the ancient city kingdom of Marion, an important commercial centre in Classical and Hellenistic times. Its beautiful climate, crystal clear waters and breathtaking scenery have made the area an attractive beach resort.

A small town (second in size to Pafos) and the agricultural centre of the area. Polis has some old buildings of interesting architectural style which have recently been renovated to create shops, apartments and cafes. The small town square is an ideal place to relax.

Polis was once a short lived kingdom called MARION founded around the 10th century BC by Athenian settlers and finally captured and destroyed in 312 BC by Ptolemy of Egypt, when the Kingdom sided with Antiochus of Asia Minor. It was rebuilt in 285-247 BC by Ptolemy Philadelphus and renamed ARSINOE but it never regained its power and influence.
Both, this area and Fontana Amorosa (Spring of Love) - an isolated beauty spot some 8 kms west along the coast, (accessible on foot) is a place of extreme beauty. This spot was visited by numerous Italian poets during their explorations in search of Aphrodite's hideouts, including Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533). Both Polis and the areas to the west and north right along the bay, feature many long stretches of sandy beaches with scattered pebbles in places. Other areas closer to the Baths of Aphrodite provide secluded coves, some rocky. This is an interesting place for snorkeling.

Taking the road west of Polis, close to the beach you reach the picturesque    fishing harbour of Latchi. A well known fishing harbour with some excellent tavern as by the sea, an ideal place for a fish meze. Nearby there are some good beaches while the harbour itself has undergone extensive reconstruction and now features promenades and walkways built.

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