Discovering Cyprus — Rising Son Travels

Nobody can go to a new country with a lack of expectations quite like someone who learned geography in Alaska. So many of the countries I’ve been lucky enough to visit barely registered growing up in Anchorage. Whenever I feel ignorant because of my ignorance, I try and remind myself that in the US we are so much further away than say a British person whose family vacations in Cyprus.

When I arrived in Paphos the first thing that happened to me was my debit card was eaten by an ATM. Luckily I had a back-up, as my hostel was cash-only. Always carry an extra debit card if you’re traveling alone, this was the second card in 3 months that fell victim to a malfunctioning ATM.

I got to my hostel, which was a bit sad looking, and got settled. It was a Saturday night, so I wanted to visit Paphos’ only gay bar, which was appropriately called “Different Bar.”

Different Bar was run by a chatty middle-aged gay man who welcomed each customer with a cocktail and some popcorn. He seemed to revel in the lecherous banter he liked to have with his guests. When I was selecting a drink he suggested something as an aphrodisiac. He informed me that Cyprus is an island of love because of its association with Aphrodite. I found him to mostly be harmless but he did get a bit handsy.

The music at the bar was played via a TV that was connected to Youtube. It didn’t take long before Cyprus’s 2018 entry into Eurovision, “Fuego” came on the TV. “She’s not even Cypriot,” one of the other patrons muttered. The song was a big hit in the bar and on Eurovision, it was runner-up in the 2018 contest. In 2019, Cyprus decided they might be onto something, so they entered a nearly identical song from another knockout called “Replay” without the slightest bit of irony…or shame.

For my first full day in Paphos I decided to visit some sea caves north of the city. I would recommend renting a car when visiting Cyprus, as it makes getting around the island much easier. To get to the sea caves I took two separate buses that eventually dropped me off a good 40-minute walk from where I was trying to go. I wasn’t too bothered as it was a spectacular coastal walk, even if some of it wasn’t exactly on any sort of trail.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I spotted a hidden beach surrounded by rocks with seemingly no way to enter except via the water. I waded into the water, getting my shorts slightly wet as I walked to the beach. I was completely alone. From there I saw what looked like, well, a cave, and walked into it. It was a true sea cave, with waves crashing inside.

I continued to hike down to see what else I could see. There were very few people out, even though it was Sunday. I went for a swim before heading back down to Paphos around sunset.

When I walked from the bus station to the nearby promenade to look for dinner. I spotted a large group of people standing and looking at something. In many countries and situations this would be a good time to turn and walk in the other direction. I felt pretty safe here, since everyone was looking out at the water. A sea turtle swam right up to the promenade and was popping his head out every 30 seconds or so. Since people are terrible, most of them were using their flash. People have no idea how to act around wild animals. It was cute it see its little beak pop out of the water.

I spotted a place for dinner called “Tea for Two,” which seemed like a British-style diner. I had an English breakfast (yes, for dinner), which subbed out halloumi for sausage. 1.3 million British people visit Cyprus every year, and as a former colony it has deep ties.

I took one look at it and was like…ehhh - I don’t really need to pay to go inside.

I don’t know but this statue makes me giggle.

The next morning I walked down to the center of Paphos. There was a cool looking mini-Castle sitting on the water, I opted not to pay the entrance fee, which was probably €5. I was on a budget. The biggest attraction in Paphos is the Paphos Archaeological Park and that was what I was really excited to see.

Paphos Archaeological Park

The location of Paphos Archaeological Park is not ideal from a 2019 urban planning perspective. It’s a sprawling site in a prime location next to the beach that would probably be another promenade or condos if it weren’t for the history and the fact that it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

There’s a ton to see at the park, but the main attraction is the incredible mosaics that depict scenes from Greek Mythology. Of course this meant there was on incest mosaic and another rape mosaic (that I spotted), but that’s Greek Mythology for ya. The mosaics are in their original placement in what used to be houses in the 7th century AD. The collection of mosaics was the best I’d seen in the world, and most of them were in remarkably good condition considering their age. They were the floors of what once must have been magnificent houses.

It felt like a race against the sun while I was at the park because by mid-morning it was beginning to get unbearably hot. I made one last lap to look at all the ruins before leaving to head to the beach.

I was lucky enough to meet a Spanish guy on holiday in Cyprus who rented a car. After my experience the previous day getting to the sea caves this was going to make things a lot easier. I suggested that we go to Petra tou Romiou, or the birthplace of Aphrodite.

Petra tou Romiou

If you don’t remember or never learned the story of Aphrodite’s birth, allow me to provide you with a refresher. Uranus (God of the Sky) and Gaia (Goddess of Earth) had a son named Cronos. Uranus and Gaia fought, natch, and at one point Gaia arms Cronos with a sickle. Cronos kills Uranus and cuts off his testicles before throwing them into the ocean. From the resulting foam, Aphrodite is born. I’ve been unable to look at sea foam the same ever since I heard that story.

Petra tou Romiou, or Aphrodite’s Rock, is a set of large boulders on a beach and yes, it’s quite a foamy area. People also just seem to come and hang out at the beach by the rocks. It was pretty crowded, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a place to enjoy the beach, but it’s definitely worth it for the photo op.

Pissouri Beach

Our next stop via car was to Pissouri Beach, which was just 20 minutes from Petra tou Romiou. Like many of the beaches in Cyprus, it was a little rocky at parts.

Tomb of the Kings

This impressive site in Paphos is a total misnomer; no kings were buried here. For over two millennia it served as the final resting place for nobles with the oldest dating back to 4th Century BC. It looks out on the water, so you can understand the appeal. As I explored the various tombs I could not believe how hot it was outside. There was little at the site explaining everything I was looking at, so I blindly walked around the large site. It was impressive nonetheless and can’t be missed when visiting Cyprus.

During my last night in Paphos I ventured out to a couple really interesting places. One was an incredible viewpoint overlooking the city, and the other was a shipwreck that was honestly spooky as fuck at night.