One Week in Cyprus: A Journey Through Culture and Nature

Day 1

Due to winter conditions in Zagreb, our flight was delayed, and we landed in Paphos a little over half an hour later than scheduled.

Upon entering the country and airport, it was necessary to go through border control. Fortunately, there were enough document scanners, so for us European citizens, the process was smooth and quick.

Since we were late, the rental car agency representative called Tin to ask where we were. She had stepped outside the airport so she wouldn’t have to wait too long inside. First, she said she had gone for a coffee, but we couldn’t find her there. We called her again, and by then, she was already at a gas station, where the car was parked. This was a very affordable car rental, €130 for 7 days with insurance included. Once we found her, we filled out Tin’s details and picked up the car.

We then headed to Paphos Castle and Harbour. We walked around for over an hour, had the biggest ice cream ever, and then went to our hotel. This area is beautiful and very touristy, full of restaurants and gelato shops. One of the biggest surprises was a restaurant called Pelican, where a real, live pelican stood outside. It even walked along the street, attracting tourists! Unfortunately for the restaurant, it didn’t attract us, as we weren’t hungry.

The Dolce Vita gelato we had was delicious but huge. We asked for one scoop of each flavor, which ended up being enormous. Probably, if we had asked for a smaller cup, we would have gotten less. We still don’t know how they portion the flavors into cups, so if you decide to try it, I recommend asking about scoop sizes first. Ice cream is not charged per scoop but by weight. Mine was so big that it cost over €6, while Tin’s was around €3—he only took one flavor in the large cup.

Before heading to the hotel, we first visited Paphos Castle, where entrance tickets cost €2.50 per person. It’s not much, but there’s also not too much to see inside. The best part is climbing the stairs to the rooftop, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the sea, the harbor, and Paphos.

Afterward, we walked along the beach in the opposite direction to get closer to the sea. The weather was fantastic, and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

Since we were still quite tired, we went to the hotel to rest. We debated whether to go into town or just relax, and in the end, relaxing won. We took a walk along the beach to Sunset Point and St. Nicholas Church, saw dozens of cats along the way, and after sunset (which wasn’t very visible due to clouds), we returned to the hotel.

We decided on a peaceful, relaxing evening and played a few rounds of billiards in the hotel’s game room.

The only thing I regret is that our itinerary includes Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, which is right next to the harbor and castle, so we could have visited it today. Luckily, it’s was on our way the next day and it was a logical first stop!

Day 2

We had breakfast at 7:30 AM, taking it slow and without rushing. Once we were ready, we headed to the archaeological park next to the castle and the harbor. We parked the car for free again, bought tickets for €4.50 per person, and spent an hour and a half exploring mainly Byzantine-era ruins. Most of the site is in ruins, and many outdoor structures are barely recognizable, but there is one covered house where the mosaics on the floor are well preserved. The ones outside were mostly covered with foil and sand—probably due to the season—or are still being cleaned and preserved.

The site offers an app with an audio guide, which we used for some of the buildings. The stories were mainly about mythology and gods, as they are the main themes of most structures and mosaics found there.

It’s worth noting that there are many places with free public restrooms. For example, we found one near the restaurants by the harbor the previous day, and at the archaeological park as well.

After the archaeological park, we went to the Tombs of the Kings, where we also spent some time exploring the tombs. Entrance tickets cost €2.50 per person, which felt like a great deal compared to the archaeological park, as we were actually more impressed here. There are about eight tombs, and some are very large and well-preserved, allowing us to walk down the stairs into them.

Back on the main road, we happily drove towards the famous Edro III Shipwreck, where we stopped briefly to observe the wreck and the nearby sea caves. We decided not to drive further in search of more caves, as this gave us a good enough impression.

Instead, we added Paphos Zoo to our itinerary, which was located a bit further north. This turned out to be a great decision! The entrance fee was €17.50 per person, but it was worth it. The zoo is large, home to many rare animals, and we even got to see the Bird Show at 2:00 PM, which was very interesting and fun.

However, I did notice that some enclosures were quite small, which I didn’t like. There were a lot of birds, and their cages were arranged in a way that in just a one-minute walk, we passed about ten of them. Additionally, the tiger and lion enclosures were quite small—there were at least five of each, but their space seemed only big enough for one lion, by some zoo standards.

The highlight of our visit was feeding the lemurs! We paid €5 each for a bowl of food and were allowed to enter the enclosure. It was amazing, as three or more lemurs immediately jumped on us as soon as we walked in. We had so much fun and couldn’t stop laughing!

We spent almost three hours in the zoo, and by then, we were starving, so we headed back towards Paphos. On the way, we stopped at Lekanto Restaurant Coral Bay, where Tin had traditional roast lamb, and I had minced meat and rice wrapped in vine leaves, all cooked in a tomato sauce. It was tasty, but I have to admit, the vine leaf had a very strong and unfamiliar flavor, making it a bit challenging to eat. The tomato sauce was also quite intense. I didn’t finish everything, but I did eat enough, and I wouldn’t say it wasn’t good—just that the flavors were quite strong and different from what I’m used to. Still, I’m glad I tried it, and I didn’t feel bad afterward—just that it wasn’t exactly to my taste.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel, spent some time by the pool, took a shower, and, feeling satisfied with the day, went to sleep.

Day 3

Since we had one more day in Paphos, we decided to drive to Akamas National Forest Park and hike the Aphrodite Trail. The trail is 7.2 km long, with an ascent through the forest up to Aphrodite’s and Adonis’ Oak Tree, and during the descent, there is a stunning view of the sea on the left side.

The ascent lasted about 2 km, with an elevation gain of around 300 meters. The trail is not too demanding, and we completed it in a little over two hours, with one break at the top. It was lovely to walk through nature, enjoying the peace and our own thoughts.

After the hike, we returned to the hotel exhausted and fell asleep. We slept for about two hours, and by the time we woke up, it was already dark outside. Nonetheless, we decided to drive to the city center, take a short walk, and sit down for pizza. After eating, we returned to the hotel and quickly fell asleep again.

In the city center, we parked at Parking Center of Paphos, where we paid €1 for two hours of parking. Tin installed an app and paid through it. You select the parking lot and enter the parking spot number, not the license plate number.

Day 4

After breakfast and packing, we set off towards Nicosia. Our first stop was at a self-service gas station, where we filled up the car. We quickly reached the highway, which is free of charge, with a maximum speed limit of 100 km/h. That seemed a bit slow to us, but we followed the rules. However, some drivers were going faster.

Before reaching Nicosia, we made a stop at Kolossi Castle for a visit. Entrance tickets cost €2.5 per person. Unlike the archaeological park and tombs, this castle is well-preserved and restored, but the interior is completely empty.

One interesting thing was that we were unsure whose territory we were on. This area is under British sovereignty, yet there were no visible borders.

I regret not checking earlier that the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats was nearby. As the name suggests, there are supposed to be many cats there. Although we saw cats all over Cyprus, I wonder if there are really so many at the monastery. Since it’s close, I recommend visiting and checking it out for me.

We continued our drive. We considered stopping at Choirokoitia, a Neolithic site, but after seeing it was on a hill, we decided to skip it and move on.

Arriving in Nicosia, we noticed heavier traffic, but it was still manageable. We found a parking lot in the city center, where we paid €3 for three hours.

We headed towards Ledra Street, where the Green Line and the border between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is located. We decided to cross the border and explore the Turkish-controlled side.

We had to go through border control on both sides. There was also a sign warning against bringing counterfeit goods into Cyprus. This made sense because fake branded products were sold in shops right after crossing the border. It was interesting to see, but we didn’t buy anything.

We took a short walk through the Turkish side, had baklava, and returned to the Cypriot side. At the border, they didn’t even ask us any questions, so we technically could have bought something, but we decided to respect the rules.

We then walked around Nicosia a bit more, visiting Famagusta Gate and the Liberty Monument, but nothing stood out as particularly special. Along the way, we saw a church and a cathedral, but other than that, there wasn’t much to see.

So, we got back in the car and drove to Larnaca, where we would be staying for the next four nights. After checking into our hotel, we took a nap.

In the evening, we walked along the beach to Larnaca Medieval Fort and back before going to bed early.

Day 5

In this hotel, breakfast is served a bit earlier, at 7:00 AM, so we ate and then rested a little more in our room. We headed into Larnaca, where we took a peaceful walk through the city center, visited the market, and saw the Church of Saint Lazarus. We then walked along the beach and the long palm-lined street.

We stopped for tea at Coffee Corner Café, where I was served a small pastry made with the famous Cypriot cheese (Halloumi) along with the tea I ordered.

After enjoying the sun and sipping tea, we returned to our car, which we had parked at a free parking lot behind the marina and right after the bus station (Archiepiskopou Makariou III 16c Parking). Some work was being done on the parking lot, so we’re not sure if it will remain free.

After that, we returned to the hotel and didn’t go out again for the day. A wave of fatigue hit us, and we decided to rest.

Day 6

After breakfast and a bit more resting in our room, we headed towards Ayia Napa and the Cavo Greco National Park. Of course, our first stop was Lidl to stock up on supplies.

The drive took about 50 minutes, mostly on the highway. We parked near Ayioi Anargiroi Church and from there, we walked to Konnos Beach. At the church, we saw at least six cats, all very friendly, following Tin and his backpack, probably hoping for some food. After taking a quick look inside the small church, we started our walk.

The trail follows the coastline, mostly rocky terrain, but it’s not challenging since there’s no incline. However, you have to be careful, as we spotted a very long snake near the trail. After researching, we found out that it was a black whip snake and that it could be mildly venomous. At first, it remained still, but when I turned to look at it, it must have sensed our attention and quickly disappeared into the bushes. Thankfully, it wasn’t aggressive, but I was still terrified.

When we arrived at the beach, Tin quickly befriended another cat and started playing in the sand. We sat on a bench for a while before heading back to the car along the same path. Fortunately (or unfortunately, for Tin), we didn’t see any more snakes.

Next, we drove to a natural bridge, where people are not supposed to climb, but some ignored the signs and risked their lives just for a photo.

We soon continued to the Sea Caves, where the view was truly spectacular. We sat for a while, admiring how nature had shaped the landscape over thousands of years, before moving on to the Sculpture Park and Cactus Park.

We spent quite a bit of time there, exploring almost every cactus and every sculpture. The park is fascinating, and I highly recommend visiting. Many of the sculptures are abstract or semi-abstract, making them impressive and intriguing to observe.

After the park, we headed into the city, where we found free parking by the coast. Since the city is full of hotels, but almost deserted in winter, it felt like a ghost town. There was no problem finding parking, as there were plenty of empty spaces.

We first stopped at Isaac’s Tavern for a delicious lunch. I had octopus, and Tin had a traditional moussaka. We had a good laugh at our waiter, who seemed tired and disinterested but still made a few witty remarks, showing his dedication to his job. Of course, there were cats around the restaurant, patiently waiting for scraps. We didn’t feed them, but the people next to us threw them some cheese and fish leftovers. Soon, at least five cats gathered around them, even fighting a little, so it’s best to watch your jackets to avoid getting them scratched.

After lunch, we took a longer route to the city center, and it truly felt like no one was around, as if we were in an episode of The Last of Us.

When we finally reached the center (church, monastery, and main square), we saw a few more people, which made us feel a bit warmer and less isolated.

We returned to the coast via the main street, which had a very American feel to it. There was a Hard Rock Café, KFC, Burger King, and many cafés and restaurants, though none of them were open.

After getting back to the car, we headed to the hotel, satisfied with our day trip. Just as we arrived, it got dark, so we didn’t go out again.

Day 7

The day was dedicated to the Turkish side of Cyprus, specifically the abandoned city of Varosha and the ancient city of Salamis.

We chose to cross the border from the British base to be as close as possible to Famagusta, but only people with European passports can use this crossing. Others would have to go through a different checkpoint.

We easily sorted out the car insurance and passport check, and soon we arrived at a parking lot near the entrance to Varosha. The entrance is marked on maps.me, the offline maps, which we used for navigation on the Turkish side. Although the Cypriot network worked at times, we didn’t want to risk accidentally connecting to the Turkish network, which is not free for us as it is not in the EEA.

I had disabled automatic network switching, but somehow, my phone still switched to the Turkish network once. I noticed this because my time zone was suddenly one hour ahead.

Varosha is an abandoned resort town in Famagusta, Cyprus, that was once a thriving tourist destination before the Turkish invasion of 1974. After the invasion, the town was fenced off and left frozen in time, with its hotels, homes, and shops slowly deteriorating. In 2020, part of Varosha was reopened to visitors, allowing people to walk through its eerie, decaying streets. The area remains a symbol of division between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

It seemed to us that much more of Varosha is open today than in the beginning, as even with bicycles and a faster pace, we spent around 2 hours there.

At the Varosha entrance, the police only asked if we had a drone, as flying or filming with drones is prohibited over Varosha. Some buildings are used by the UN or the Turkish military, so photography and filming are also forbidden in those areas.

At the entrance, there were golf carts, electric scooters, and bicycles available for rent. Since scooters cost around €10 for 2 hours, while bikes were less than €3 for 4 hours, we chose bicycles. When renting a bike, after making the payment, we were free to choose any of the available bikes. Since some were in quite poor condition, we carefully selected those with fully inflated tires and wheels that turned somewhat normally.

Walking through all of Varosha—at least the accessible part—would have taken too long, and considering the condition of the bikes, we knew we wouldn’t be riding fast anyway, so we could explore at a good pace.

The entire abandoned area fascinated us—how a part of a city could remain frozen in time. The buildings are deteriorating, and nature is slowly taking over.

We spent at least two hours cycling, stopping to observe different areas. Since not all of Varosha is open to visitors, there were guards stationed at restricted border points, in addition to warning signs.

After finishing our visit, we headed to Salamis, the remains of an ancient city. We probably spent too much time there, as we chose the longer route—a full loop—which wasn’t really worth it. The shorter route has better-preserved and even restored ruins, whereas the longer route mostly features scattered remains, some of which are already covered by nature.

The only part that might be worth it is walking in the opposite direction along the longer path to reach the basilica by the sea on the left side. There, you’ll find many ruins that are relatively well preserved.

After a long walk, we were exhausted and headed back. The traffic from Salamis to Famagusta was heavy, and the drive took at least 15 minutes longer than usual. However, we reached the border, crossed smoothly, and continued toward the hotel.

Since we returned later in the afternoon, we didn’t go out again. Instead, we relaxed, watching news and some TV shows until we eventually fell asleep.

Day 8

As our flight was around noon, we left the hotel for Paphos at 8 AM. We refueled the car halfway, left it in parking lot P1 as instructed, called the owner, ensured everything was in order, and entered the airport.

That marked the end of our Cyprus journey.