Paphos - Western Coast Attractions

Ayios Yeoryios village has a few restaurants and rooms to rent along the approach road to Cap Drepanum. On the headland is the site of the ruins of a sixth century basilica. The fenced site is inland of the attractive cliff-top church.

The whole area was once a Roman settlement and the remains of tombs cut into the cliffs above the harbor are visible.

8mi/13km from Paphos, is Coral Bay, really two bays in the cliffs with a fine beach. This area is an increasingly popular resort. There are shops and restaurants on the road leading to the beach and water sports facilities on the beach itself.

There is a parking lot above the beach and a camping facility nearby.

The Kissonerga Archeological Site is under excavation. A large number of steatite figures have been found here. These statues, 36cm high, were used in religious rituals. No structures have been found here, but numerous artifacts, including early pottery, were found in depressions carved out of the ground.

The track to Lara is very difficult, and almost impossible, unless you are on motorbike or in a car with four-wheel drive. The road leads to one of the best beaches on the island, unspoiled and free of tourist trappings. On the beach is a hatchery for the Loggerhead Turtle. Here, turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, each one laying about 100 eggs in a hole dug in the sand. Eight weeks later the eggs hatch, but they must be protected from predators such as foxes and crows.

There are no watersports allowed on this beach.

Polemi village was once known for its topaz crystals. Like many villages in the area, it was badly damaged in the 1953 earthquake. It has a Byzantine church with a 17th century icons.

Ayia Moni, just over a mile from Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery, is a small church from A.D. 4, built on top of an ancient temple to Hera. The current buildings were built much later.

Khlorakas is famous as the landing site of Colonel Grivas Dhigenis in 1954 at the start of his guerrilla campaign against the British and is known as Dhigenis' landing. Dhigenis was Greek god and the name was given to Grivas as an undercover name. There is a small museum here which contains his boat, which was captured in 1955 while carrying arms for EOKA. The museum is open daily and is freely accessible.