Paphos district, the whole of western Cyprus

Paphos district is the western half of Cyprus in miniature. It has a town whose Roman mosaics UNESCO has protected since 1980, a wild peninsula in the north-west, a coast lined with big hotels and a plateau of stone villages among the vines. Here’s how it fits together, so you know what sits where and where to sleep. How it compares with the other five is in districts of Cyprus.

From Kouklia to Akamas

The district starts on the south coast, where the old Limassol road passes Kouklia, home to the sanctuary of Aphrodite at Palaepaphos, and Aphrodite’s Rock, then climbs the west coast to the Akamas peninsula. In between is Paphos, with its lower town by the sea and its upper town, Ktima, the Paphos old town, on the hill. North of town come Chlorakas, Kissonerga and Peyia, which includes Coral Bay, and on the far side of Akamas lies Chrysochou Bay, with Polis Chrysochous and Latchi harbour. Inland from Kouklia rises the Diarizos Valley, with its wine route and the Venetian bridge at Kelefos.

Inland, the land rises to the Laona plateau and the Paphos hills, home to Kathikas, Drouseia, Ineia and the two Arodes, including Pano Arodes, and further east Pano Panagia on the edge of the range. On the northern rim of the plateau, above Latchi, sits Neo Chorio, the gateway to the Akamas forest. Akamas Municipality puts the peninsula at about 17,000 hectares, 7,000 of them state forest, all within the Natura 2000 network.

People and municipalities

CYSTAT’s 2021 census counted 101,106 people in the district. Paphos town has 37,991, followed by Geroskipou on 8,579, Pegeia on 6,945, Chlorakas on 6,422 and Empa on 5,505. Polis, the main town of the north-west, has just 2,570.

Since the local government reform took effect in 2024, the district has four municipalities. The Union of Cyprus Municipalities gives Paphos 16.95 km², Ierokipia 43, Akamas 142 and Polis Chrysochous 248, with rural communities making up the rest. For a visitor it matters little, except to explain why Coral Bay comes under Akamas or why Geroskipou has its own council.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Pafos before prices climb.

What is there to see in Paphos district?

If I had to pick one thing, it would be the Kato Paphos archaeological park, for the Roman villa mosaics UNESCO counts among the finest in the world. A short bus ride away are the Tombs of the Kings, the rock-cut necropolis north of the ancient city. Both are part of the Paphos listing, together with Aphrodite’s sanctuary at Kouklia, as set out in UNESCO World Heritage in Cyprus.

East of town, Geroskipou has a five-domed Byzantine church and the Paphos Byzantine Museum, now the diocese’s ecclesiastical museum. North-west, Akamas is the place for walking the Avakas Gorge, swimming in coves without hotels and, in season, seeing Lara beach and its turtles. In the hills behind town, next to Tala, stands Agios Neophytos monastery, with its hermit’s cave, and further up are Chrysorrogiatissa monastery and Cedar Valley. On the coast north of town, Lempa keeps a settlement more than five thousand years old, and towards Polis lie Kritou Terra, Lysos and Pomos. My island-wide shortlist is in places to visit in Cyprus.

Getting around

Paphos Airport is about 9 km from town as the crow flies. Pafos Buses, the district’s bus operator, runs its network from three stations in town, Karavela, Kato Paphos harbour and the Tombs of the Kings, plus a fourth in Polis. Route 615 goes to Coral Bay, the 631 to Aphrodite’s Rock via Kouklia, the 645 to Polis via Stroumbi and the 641 crosses the Laona villages on its way to Polis. A single costs €2.

Inland villages see only a few buses a day, though, and much of Akamas has no bus at all. To see the whole district, hire a car, and read car hire in Cyprus before you book. Traffic keeps left, so the driving will feel familiar.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Pafos and choose by the reviews.

Where to stay

The official accommodation list of August 2026 records 129 establishments in the Paphos area and 27 in the Polis area. Most of the big hotels line the town’s coast, from Geroskipou through Kato Paphos to Chlorakas, and I go through them in Paphos hotels. For beach and quiet, see Coral Bay hotels, and for the Akamas side facing the bay, Latchi hotels.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Paphos on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Pafos before prices climb.