At the start of August, my family and I hopped on a flight to Cyprus. Cyprus has been on my list for a long time. Mainly because of beaches, all year round sunshine and Halloumi cheese. So hopping on a TUI flight to the Greek side of Cyprus in quest for authentic Halloumi Cheese seemed like the responsible thing to do.
Day 1
Our trip started off with a visit to the Paphos archaeological park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tickets are €4.50 and are fully worth the price as you get to gaze at the beautiful old ruins and mosaics. Situated near the harbour, it’s the perfect place to visit before stopping for drinks and watching the boats come in. Although restaurants and bars by the harbour are slightly pricey, we stopped to do exactly this.
Paphos is also home to the King George Mall, a shopping centre with around 120 shops complete with a food court. It’s always acceptable to spend a healthy amount of time venturing around the Zara & Berksha when on holiday.
Day 2
Day 2 saw us visit Coral Bay beach, the nearest sandy beach to where we were staying. Coral Bay is a 600m crescent of soft white sand. We got there using the 615 bus, which basically went from the beach to the town centre of Paphos and back again. Buses are every 10 minutes from Paphos Harbour Bus Station to Coral Bay, with a journey time of 25 minutes and cost of €1.50.
Later that evening, we hopped on an evening cruise. This cruise featured a buffet dinner, entertainment (live singing and a full on acrobatics show) and fireworks display. Considering it was a good 4 hour trip from harbour to harbour, food and a welcome drink were included, the £69 we paid per person seems quite reasonable. I would highly recommend for anyone who wants a fun evening at sea.
I also found that going to a place where there was a buffet meant less people would judge me for my enormous halloumi intake.
Day 3
Day three featured the hike up to the baths of Aphrodite...my first experience of bringing Greek methodology to life. It’s located underneath an old fig tree. The baths are a small natural grotto (where bathing by the public isn’t permitted). The pool is accessed via some steep steps and can get SUPER crowded when tour buses start to arrive. There is also a hike which brings you to the top of a mountain to see some spectacular views of Cyprus.
Day three featured the hike up to the baths of Aphrodite...my first experience of bringing Greek methodology to life. It’s located underneath an old fig tree. The baths are a small natural grotto (where bathing by the public isn’t permitted). The pool is accessed via some steep steps and can get SUPER crowded when tour buses start to arrive. There is also a hike which brings you to the top of a mountain to see some spectacular views of Cyprus.
Day 4
Pool. Cocktail. Sleep. Repeat.
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| We stayed at the Theo Sunset Bay Resort. |
Day 5
For our final day, we did a day tour from Pafos to Limassol. Our tour was called ‘Cyprus through the ages’ where wandering pretty villages and visiting historical buildings were on the itinerary. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus, after Nicosia. It was also ranked by Tripadvisor as the 3rd up-and-coming destination in the world, in the Top 10 Traveler’s Choice Destinations on the Rise.
For our final day, we did a day tour from Pafos to Limassol. Our tour was called ‘Cyprus through the ages’ where wandering pretty villages and visiting historical buildings were on the itinerary. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus, after Nicosia. It was also ranked by Tripadvisor as the 3rd up-and-coming destination in the world, in the Top 10 Traveler’s Choice Destinations on the Rise.
Out first stop en route to Limassol was Aphrodite’s Rock. Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Beauty and Greek methodology says that it if you swim around the rock 3 times in a clockwise direction, you will find true love.
Our second stop was at Curium, an ancient Greek city-kingdom. There is a lot to see here including, a stunning amphitheatre, the city ruins and beautiful views of Episkopi Bay. To carry on the ancient ruins element of the tour, we then went to Kolossi, a medieval castle and a former crusader stronghold.
We then headed up to the Omodos village in the wine-making region. The village was surrounded by tall mountaintops, and full of pretty streets. A definite go to for an instagrammer.
With high hopes of eating my body weight in halloumi, I can confirm I did. To complement the halloumi I also found the best wine I have ever tasted whilst on a visit to Kthma Gerolemo winery. If you’re a fan of dessert wine, you’ll love the Commandaria wine this beautiful vineyard produces. As there's no better note to end on than wine, that wraps up my Cyrpus guide.
Coming up next in the travel series: Spain
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