Paphos Cyprus
Cyprus

6 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Emerald Waterways (6 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

By tender, in most cases. Ships anchor off Kato Paphos, the lower town, and tenders drop passengers at the small seafront harbour guarded by a stone castle. Rough seas can cancel the operation — the usual risk of an anchorage call.
Yes, and that is the strength of this call. The Kato Paphos archaeological park and its mosaics begin a five-minute walk from the harbour. Agia Kyriaki church is ten minutes away. Only the Tombs of the Kings, about 2 kilometres north, need a taxi or the coastal bus.
Two hours in the archaeological park for the mosaics, an hour at the Tombs of the Kings, and the rest along the seafront promenade over a meze. If the call is short, keep the mosaics: they are why the whole town is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Roman floors among the best preserved anywhere, in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion: the triumph of the wine god, Theseus fighting the Minotaur, a beauty contest among goddesses. You walk on wooden platforms between toppled columns. Allow a good two hours and a hat — shade is scarce.
A Hellenistic necropolis carved into the limestone plateau facing the sea, about 2 kilometres north of the harbour. No king lies there despite the name: these monumental rock-cut chambers, ringed by Doric columns hewn from the stone, held the city's notables. Bring water, the plateau offers almost no shade.
The euro. Cyprus is in the eurozone. Cards work in seafront restaurants, shops and taxis, but keep some cash for site admission and small businesses.
Greek, with English understood throughout the tourist area — the region also has a year-round British community. Signage at the archaeological sites is bilingual Greek and English. French is rare outside organised excursions.
April to June and September to November. Both main sites are open-air, on walkways and bare plateaus with no shade: in July and August the midday heat makes the visit hard going. Spring adds wildflowers between the ruins.
In moderation. The harbour castle, the promenade and the seafront ice cream shops work at any age, and distances are short. The mosaics, though, mean two hours standing in full sun: with young children, do part of the park and keep time by the water.
Yes, but by tour or taxi: it sits about 20 kilometres east, on the Limassol road. It is a dark outcrop planted in a pebble bay where legend has the goddess rising from the foam. The site is viewed from a lookout; swimming off the pebbles is possible but not comfortable.