24 hours in Paphos

I can’t believe we are finally here, it seemed like a lifetime away when we first booked, but here I am with Dave sipping cocktails by the beach in Paphos. The next two weeks are going to be heaven and god knows we deserve it! Dave’s been so stressed with work lately, he needs this break - we both do. Beach in the day, bars at night and Dave has even promised to come on some day trips – I’ll believe that when I see it!

Waking up to the sun 

Waking up to beautiful sunshine and breath-taking beach views - I could get used to this; would certainly make the daily grind a bit more bearable! That’s enough about work, the next two weeks are ours to do what we want, when we want - time to start exploring I think! There are so many things to do in Paphos I’m not sure where to start, but breakfast sounds like a good place to me.

A traditional breakfast

Our first day on holiday in Paphos started with a traditional Cypriot breakfast and it was delicious, Dave and I wasn’t sure what a traditional Cypriot breakfast was but we found a great little cafe in the old town that offered great service and amazing food.

The waiter told us a traditional breakfast consists of olives, baby cucumbers, tomatoes, eggs, grilled or fried halloumi and lountza (Cypriot bacon/sausage) served with fresh sesame seed covered bread called koulouri. Another popular choice is anari (a soft white cheese ofCyprus) or yogurt with fresh fruit and drizzled honey. Both sounded delicious so we each had both – after all we are on holiday!

Paphos Hop-on Hop-Off tour

Tummy’s full, we set off from the cafe looking for our next adventure, I suggested a beach day, but Dave was in the mood to explore and wanted to see all that Paphos has to offer. There were a great choice of excursions and day trips to Limassol, Ayia Napa and Protaras, but we settled on the Paphos hop-on hop-off bus tour.

We spent all morning travelling around Paphos on an open top double decker bus, hopping on and off to see the sights whenever we liked. Our tickets are valid for 24 hours, so we didn’t have to cram all the sights into one day, which was great.

Today we saw Paphos Harbour, St Paul’s Pillar, Fabrica Hill and Paphos Old Town. Tomorrow we will hop back on the bus and visit the Tomb of the Kings, Town Hall and Paphos Archaeological Museum. I’m not sure if it’s the food, the sun or all the exploring we have done, but both me and Dave are exhausted and are heading to the beach for a well-deserved afternoon of sunbathing and relaxation before we hit the town tonight!

Dinner with a view

Who knew relaxing on the beach could make you so hungry! Showered and ready to hit the town, we headed out to find somewhere a little special for dinner where we could experience traditional Cypriot cuisine along with a little romance, we found a great place between Paphos and Coral Bay with a great menu and even better views.

We were spoilt for choice on the menu; it all sounded so good! We went for a Meze Platter for two to start, which was taramosalata, houmous, tacchini, tzatziki, black olives, feta pimento sticks and chilli cauliflower sticks served with hot pitta bread.

For my main course I had the Moussaka - layers of potato, aubergine and courgette filled with ground pork and topped with a creamy sauce and cheese - it was to die for! Dave had the Keftedes (Greek meatballs), which looked just as good as the Moussaka. Both suitably stuffed, we decided to skip dessert and head into town - time to let our hair down with a drink or two!

Dancing the night away

We headed to Bar Street or Agiou Antoniou as it is known to locals, for a few drinks and some good music. Whilst the Paphos strip is quieter than Ayia Napa or Zante, there were still plenty of bars and clubs from Linekers Bar to dance clubs and karaoke bars.

We got chatting to another English couple, they’ve been here for a week already and gave us some great recommendations of where to eat and things to do and see in Paphos. We’re meeting them tomorrow night at Vibes, an underground club - should be good.

We might have both recently turned 30, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still enjoy to party! The balance of beach, culture and nightlife was the main attraction of Paphos for us. Paphos is the perfect location to relax and explore during the day and the let your hair down at night with a couple of drinks.