Paphos, the town UNESCO has protected since 1980

Paphos is the main town of western Cyprus and, to my mind, the best way into the island if history is your thing. UNESCO added it to its list in 1980, before anywhere else in the country, and what earned it that place fits into a walk from the harbour. Here’s how the town is laid out, what I’d see and how to get about without a car. If it’s your base, my 5 days in Cyprus and one week in Cyprus routes start here. The wider picture of the west is in Paphos district.

Two towns in one

Paphos makes more sense if you think of it as two towns. Down by the sea is Kato Paphos, with the harbour, Paphos Castle, the remains of Nea Paphos and Poseidonos Avenue lined with hotels. Up on the hill is Ktima, the old town, with the municipal market, Kennedy Square, the Markideio theatre and the cathedral of Agios Theodoros, which gives the quarter its name. The harbour castle and Kennedy Square are about 2.8 km apart as the crow flies, and route 610 links them in a few minutes.

The 2021 census gave the municipality 37,991 residents, the largest figure in the district. Akamas Municipality dates the founding of Nea Paphos to the late 4th century BC, at the start of the Hellenistic period, and UNESCO notes that the area had been lived in since the Neolithic.

What to see in Paphos

First, no argument, the mosaics in the archaeological park. UNESCO ranks them among the finest anywhere and describes them as an illustrated album of Greek mythology, full of gods, heroes and scenes of daily life. Next would be the Tombs of the Kings, the necropolis cut into the rock north of the ancient city, which belongs to the same listing.

In Kato Paphos itself, the church of Agia Kyriaki stands on the remains of a 5th-century basilica, and its grounds hold the pillar that tradition links to St Paul. The Agia Solomoni catacomb is close by, and up in Ktima the Paphos Archaeological Museum puts everything excavated in the district in order. If Byzantine churches appeal, Geroskipou is about 3 km east, with the five-domed, 9th-century church of Agia Paraskevi and, next door, the Paphos Byzantine Museum, moved there in 2017. About 10 km north, by Tala, is Agios Neophytos monastery, on route 604. I rank it against the rest of Cyprus in places to visit in Cyprus.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Pafos on Expedia and filter by area before price.

The coastal path

Walking by the sea costs nothing and is one of the nicest things to do here. The council has built a path from Kato Paphos harbour and the castle to the Chlorakas boundary. It runs to 6.85 km in all, 4.25 of them on the main route and the rest on side paths, and runs through protected Natura 2000 land, past the archaeological park and the tombs. I’d do it at sunset, when the west of the island looks its best. The town held the EU’s smart tourism title in 2023, and the beaches where you’ll find ramps and amphibious chairs appear in accessible travel in Cyprus.

Getting around and what it costs

Pafos Buses has three stations in town, Karavela in the upper town, the harbour station by the archaeological park entrance and one by the Tombs of the Kings, on the road out to the necropolis. A single is €2, the night fare from 21:00 is €3 and a day ticket costs €6.50. Route 615 runs to Coral Bay and the 631 to Kouklia and Aphrodite’s Rock. From Paphos Airport to town is about 9 km, served by routes 612 and 613. Why this coast was the great centre of the goddess’s cult is told in Aphrodite in Cyprus, and maps and leaflets come from its tourist office, whose address is in tourist information in Cyprus.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Pafos and pick one that fits your day.

Where to stay

The official list of August 2026 records 129 places to stay in the Paphos area, including 12 five-star hotels. Most line the coast from Geroskipou to Chlorakas via Poseidonos Avenue, and I sort them by area in Paphos hotels. Without a hire car, I’d stay in Kato Paphos. For a swim without leaving town, see Paphos beaches, and for days out to Akamas or the Troodos, Cyprus day trips.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Paphos before you arrive rather than at the desk.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Pafos on Booking.com and filter by area before price.