Paphos Holiday Guide

Flights go into Paphos airport, which is about half an hour's drive out of town. It's not a big resort so you'll nearly always find shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance. The beach is a 15-minute drive away so either hop on a bus or hire a car.

There are two types of taxi, service taxis (people carriers or minibuses), where you'll be sharing the journey with others, or private taxis. Ask at your hotel for a rough estimate of how much your journey should cost before you leave.

Just north of Paphos is Coral Bay, a small resort with a lovely white-sand beach. It's a great family beach as the water's calm and safe for toddlers and there are loads of water sports on offer for teenagers and adults. There are beach bars and cafes when you get peckish, but don't forget your flip-flops as the sand gets very hot during summer.

You're spoilt for choice when it comes to historical sites in the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite. In the Villa of Theseus and the House of Dionysus, you'll find beautiful floor mosaics depicting life in ancient times as well as images of the Greek gods.

Check out the eerie underground Tombs of the Kings, which dates back to the fourth century BC, or take a drive to Limassol, where the old town is full of interesting crumbling houses and mosques.

Boards advertising all-day breakfasts and pie and chips line the streets, meaning the dishes you know and love are never far away should you get a bit homesick. There are international restaurants serving Thai and Chinese food and the odd fast-food outlet such as Pizza Hut.

If you do fancy being adventurous, try a meat or fish meze. You can sample about 20 different appetiser-sized dishes. Or there's local cheese, halloumi, which is typically served grilled. You'll find lemons in a lot of dishes - try avgolemoni, a lemon and egg soup.

You won't have a problem finding a bar in Paphos as there's a whole street dedicated to them. Bar Street (real name Agiou Antoniou) has karaoke bars, nightclubs, cafes and sports bars where you can keep tabs on the footie back home.

Some of the hotels have their own evening entertainment so you can check out traditional Cypriot music and dancing.

The old town is a good place to hunt for a bargain. It's a bit of a maze of narrow, intertwining streets, but locally produced goods are available in lots of the shops. Basket ware, pottery, embroidery, copperware, lace and honey are all good buys.

Another good place to buy gifts and souvenirs is the government-run Cyprus Handicraft Service, where you can watch the craftsmen work before deciding what to buy.

Away from the beach, the Paphos Aquarium is fun, or you could visit nearby Polis, which sits on the edge of the Akamas peninsula nature reserve, home to dense forest, lots of wildlife and several nature trails.

You'll need a hire car, but a trip up into the Troodos Mountains is well worth the effort. Enjoy the cool pine and cedar forests and the charming villages and take a jumper just in case, as parts of the region are at around 6,500 feet.