Little fishing harbour turned tourist hotspot

Paphos harbour is a popular spot for lunch, or a sunny stroll; you might even catch a glimpse of the local pelicans strolling along the pedestrian area. Once a little fishing town, and despite having grown into a vibrant city, the harbour area is a beautiful nod to Paphos’ history – it is well maintained and clean, and despite the typical holiday souvenir shops, still remains true to its routes. 

You can spend one hour, or a whole day, enjoying the harbour – whether you pop there for an ice cream and a little walk, stay for lunch and a couple of cocktails, or even tie in spending some time exploring the wonderful archeological sites that are around.

The best place to park is the main parking area close to the harbour itself – Click Here for the Googlemap Location.

Day Tripping to Paphos Harbour is also easy from Aphrodite Hills, as the bus route links directly from the Golf Club car park to the harbour. 

The Harbour

There are a number of restaurants, cafes and bars situated along the harbour, as well as the usual franchises of fast food, and coffee shops, so you’re never short of choices for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A couple of the restaurants have play areas for little ones (most famously The Moorings). Ice cream shops are aplenty too, serving cool flavours, frozen yogurts and bubble teas. If you fancy some fish then the restaurants on the actual harbour itself are a great option; it’s a beautiful setting with little fishing boats in the background. Souvenir shops offer all sorts of gifts and keepsakes, toys, fun trinkets and local delicacies to take home.

Coastal Path

There is a lovely, flat coastal path that runs the full length of the main hotel strip in Paphos starting from the beautiful Saint Nicholas Church right along to the harbour, and continues further along the coast past the lighthouse and beyond. You can pretty much park and join the path from anywhere along the route. There are lots of little beach coves scattered along the way too, so if you fancy, take your beach towel and a book and have a beach pit-stop!

The Medieval Fort

The Fort is a distinct feature at Paphos Harbour and has a colourful past – it was originally built as a Byzantine Fort to protect the harbour, then during the Ottoman invasion in 1570 it was dismantled by the Venetians, then rebuilt in the 16th Century by the Ottomans after they captured the island. The Fort also served as a prison in the past, and, during British rule, as a salt warehouse! Visitors can purchase a pass to explore the castle – details on opening hours and costs can be found HERE.

Paphos Mosaics

A visit to Paphos Mosaics is very interesting – the entrance is between the harbour and main parking area HERE. The whole site is known as the ‘Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos’ and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980. The park includes a number of archeological sites (that date from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages) such as the Agora (market), castle, ruins of an early Christian Basilica, and the Odeon (amphitheater). The most impressive part of the park is its mosaics, found in the houses of four Roman noblemen – the pebble mosaics that make up the floors are stunning and very well preserved. These mosaics are considered amongst the finest in the eastern Mediterranean, and for good reason. Learn about the park’s opening hours and fees HERE.

Boat Trips

There are various boat trips available to take from Pahos Harbour, including day trips, sunset cruises, and even a themed pirate trip on the Jolly Roger wooden pirate ship, hosted by the hilarious Captain Jack Pigeon – lots of fun for all the family. Representatives of the cruise companies can be found at the harbour, or alternatively you can check out details on their websites: Paphos Sea Cruises / The Wave Dancer.

Tomb of the Kings

We also recommend checking out Tomb of the Kings which is found around a five minute drive from the Harbour: location. Another impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site (also since 1980), Tomb of the Kings in an archeological park of monumental underground tombs. VisitCyprus lists prices and visiting hours HERE.