I think the relentless dull, grey, dreary weather we had in the UK through, January and February, at the start of last year, made us think of getting away to find some warm sunshine.

Without going long haul, from the UK, our options for finding somewhere in March were limited but Cyprus seemed to fit the bill. It was a new destination for us and friends of ours had given it favourable reviews. Average temperatures, during the day, were going to be in the low 20C and as it happened that’s just how it worked out.

We’re people who like walking and to get out exploring the local area. Don’t get me wrong, we’re also quite happy spending an afternoon lying in the sun, with headphones clasped to the side of our heads, but I can’t do that all day long.

Having checked out a few reviews and had a good look at the area with Google Earth Maps, we picked an all inclusive hotel just outside Paphos called The Louis Patheon, Pafos. The accommodation was situated about three miles to the east of the Old Paphos Harbour and the mapping showed a coastal walkway all the way to the harbour. Perfect for us.

We flew out from Bristol and arrived around midday after a five hour flight from the UK. The weather forecast for the week was good and landing in bright sunshine was a real treat after the gloom we had left behind in the UK.

The initial impression of the hotel was good and it stayed that way throughout our week there. The all inclusive food was very good, staff were great and we had a nice room with a sea view. I would go back there without any hesitation.

It didn’t take us long to get out and about and we walked into the old town the day after we arrived. It was sunny but quite breezy. We both needed jackets but were ok in shorts.
The weather didn’t change much all week but, when the wind dropped we were quite comfortable in T-shirts during the day.

When I saw ‘Old Town’ in the Paphos descriptions I was thinking along the lines of Rhodes City Old Town or similar. It wasn’t quite that but the newer parts of Paphos are nice and there are plenty of sites to visit during a weeks stay.

Right next to the old harbour is the entrance to the Archaeological Site of Nea. The entrance fee was reasonable so we wandered in for a look around. There’s lots to see including tombs, villas and a fortress, plus Roman mosaics. It’s well worth a visit and you could easily spend two or three hours there.

We spent our second day cycling around the area close to the hotel. On our airport to hotel transfer I’d noticed the main roads had really nice cycle paths running alongside them, so we hired bicycles and went out for a ride around. The cycle paths were excellent and lined with citrus trees most of the way. I thought I’d try an orange at one point. That was a big mistake as I discovered the hard way that they were really bitter. Our cycle ride ended with a puncture for me but we were close to the hotel by then so no drama there.

We walked every day and found plenty of things to discover in Paphos itself. It has a smart shopping centre, the old town has a few quirky parts and we also visited Tombs of the Kings, a World Heritage Site. We spent an afternoon exploring the site and there’s plenty to see. It’s well worth a visit.

During our week we spent quite a lot of time loitering around the Old Port. It’s a buzzy area with plenty of cafe’s and places to stop for an ice cream. The British influences are everywhere in Cyprus. They drive on the left, the road signs are familiar, they had UK plug sockets in our hotel room and they even have UK style Charity Shops! What I wasn’t expecting to see in the port was a team of Morris Dancers, in full kit, dancing at the waters edge.

Paphos Castle is located at the western end of the promenade in the Old Port. It doesn’t look like a what I consider a stereotypical castle and it’s quite small. We paid to look around the building. Other than a view over the port or sea, it’s quite a dull place to visit with nothing much to see. In fact, the inside amounted to three empty rooms. Nil points for the castle from us I’m afraid.

Overall we really enjoyed our Cyprus holiday. We found plenty to do and Paphos itself was a nice town to walk around and the attractions were good. Temperature wise it was ok and when the wind dropped, during the day, it was quite warm. Photography wise I came back with plenty of stock images and I think it’s somewhere we will try again.

All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved.