48 hours in... Paphos, Cyprus

By ROBIN MCKELVIE
Published on 16/02/2013 14:48

Our guide to a two-day break in the Cypriot town

• Friday, 2pm Head out of the centre of town and check into the Ayii Anargyri Spa Resort (rooms start from E100, www.aasparesort.com). Enjoy a dip in the sulphur-laced water, which ripples through the mountains above Paphos.

• 4pm Visit the intriguing Unesco World Heritage listed Tombs of the Kings (Tombs of the Kings Ave, tel: [phone]). No kings actually lie here, but this was the grand last resting place of local aristocrats as far back as the 4th century BC.

• 6:30pm Stroll along the new waterfront boulevard from the Tombs of the Kings, which brings you to the old port. Time for a sundowner at Café Hobo (4 Apostolou Pavlou Ave, tel: [phone]). An ice-cold Cypriot Keo beer hits the spot.

• 8:30pm The restaurants that line the old port are a mixed bunch, but Theo’s (4 Apostolou Pavlou Ave, tel: [phone]) is a cut above the rest. Choose a fresh fish caught that day or go for Cypriot style and settle in for a seafood mezze feast.

• Saturday, 10am Head for Neo Paphos, one of the main reasons Paphos has earned the right to be the European City of Culture in 2017 (www.pafos2017.com). It’s easy to conjure up Greek and Roman ghosts at this ruined waterfront city.

• 1:30pm Lunch Cypriot grill-style at old-timer Hondros (96 Apostolou Pavlou Ave, tel: [phone]). Here the grills are authentic and they do superb kleftiko (roasted lamb) too.

• 8pm Time for the best mezze at 7 St Georges Tavern (www.7stgeorgestavern.com). They keep the largely organic and homegrown food coming until you can take no more.

• Sunday, 10am Savour a massage at Ayii Anargyri. Then enjoy a cup of herbal tea in their relaxation room before descending the hillside for the trip back through the centuries to reality.

THE FACTS

Return flights to Paphos from Edinburgh (www.easyjet.com) start at £160. The Lonely Planet Guide to Cyprus provides an excellent introduction; www.visitcyprus.org.cy