It started out with me wanting to get away for my birthday, and after chatting with a friend about traveling, I decided to check out if any airlines were having a New Year’s sale since it was so close to my birthday. I was in luck! Ryan Air had flights for as little as 5 Euro! I played around with the dates and after a bit hesitation (I love planning things out and am not usually this spontaneous) I bought a roundtrip flight to Paphos, Cyprus for 5 days at the end of January for 14 Euro total. I was in such disbelief I could book a flight so cheap. Sure, it was hand luggage only, but a challenge to travel light is always in favor.
I’ve done carry on only before, twice now, but it’s still a struggle to take as little as possible. I’m getting better at it, and slowly but surely I’ll get the hang of it. This was also my second trip traveling solo.
Most people when they hear I’m going by myself, they can’t believe I’d be so brave to do something like that. I love it. It’s so freeing and both times I’ve gone by myself I never actually felt alone.
Cyprus isn’t really considered so much to be a touristy place in the winter. Most people flock to the beaches during summer vacation, and once winter hits the cities empty. I had pretty good weather considering it was mid-January.
Day 1
My first full day in Paphos was a rocky one.
I got in late the night before, but luckily my “shared taxi” that I booked through the airline ended up being a private cab. Took me directly to my hotel and only for 11 Euro! It was pouring out rain and I was starving so I checked what was open nearby to grab something quick to eat. It was 11 pm on a Saturday night but everywhere I looked was dark and closed up for the night. I wandered around maybe 15 minutes before just heading back to my hotel and just turning in for the night.
Things will be open tomorrow for sure.
First thing in the morning I headed out and it’s still raining so I ducked into the first cafe that was open. They were super nice to me there and I was able to stay til the rain let up maybe an hour or so later. The cafe was right on the water so once the sun came out it was beautiful.
After breakfast I wandered around the harbor and Paphos Castle. I did an impromptu photo shoot, trying out my new tripod and got some amazing shots.
Continuing my walk on the boardwalk, I saw some pretty incredible tidepools and views of the northen part of Paphos.
After walking about 2 km I decided to circle back and walk the main road back to the harbor. Along the way I stumbled upon a herd of goats who were super friendly. A couple kids came up to me and as much as I wanted to pet them, I knew their mama was around and didn’t want to start trouble. I had originally thought they were someone’s animals, but later learned that wild goats roam freely around the island.
Once I made my way back to the main road, I happened to pass by Agia Solomoni Catacombs, which was on my list of things I wanted to see. I expected it to be better marked, since it was apparently such an important site. There was a tiny street sign, and the only other way to know this was the location was the sheer amount of cloths tied to the trees and railings. The tree is called the Wishing Tree, and it’s said that if you tie a piece of cloth to the tree, your wish will come true. I didn’t actually go into the catacombs, even though they were open to the public. After tons of heavy rainfall and no lighting, I was a bit hesitant to go down there.
Day 2
My second morning in Paphos was a bit less gloomy than the first, but luckily it only rained a little bit in the morning and was just windy. I headed out to a bakery I passed by the day before for breakfast and bought a piece of baklava the size of my head for only €1.30 and a strong cappuccino. I people watched at the harbor while I ate, and even though it was almost 9 am the streets were basically empty.
Behind my hotel there was a tiny church, Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, that actually was originally built in the 4th/6th century, destroyed, then rebuilt in the 13th century and still used to this day. The original mosaics were so well preserved and absolutely gorgeous to see. The property of the church was free to enter, and you could get right up and close to the mosaics.
It was still really early in the morning and the harbor had now a few stragglers walking around.
I decided to take a few photos with my tripod on the rocks by the castle. I did not take into account how strong the wind would be right next to the ocean, and luckily my tripod survived this encounter. The water was absolutely gorgeous, and so blue. I haven’t seen water like this in a long time.
Paphos Castle was also on my list of things to see while in town, and to be honest, there’s not anything to do there besides some nice views from the roof and a bit of a backstory at the entrance. I realized afterwards it was more of a fortress than an actual castle. It was only €2.50 to get in, so I’m not that upset.
Still, the views were pretty great and I got some nice shots of me on a ledge that drops about at least 50 meters or so above the rocks.
Trekking out from Paphos Harbor, I headed up to Old Paphos to check out the market and do a bit of wandering around, as I do best. I saw on AirBnB Experiences (check it out if you’re going someplace new – I found so many interesting activities!) that I could do a pottery class for 5 Euro, so I figure why not? Should be a fun experience and will make a better souvenir than just buying the same old cheap crap I usually buy. The store was called The Place and I highly recommend to check it out if visiting Paphos. They do other art classes, such as wood burning, oil paining, and glass cutting. There was also local specialties, like olives, spices, wine, and fruit spreads. Not learning from the pottery incident at camp at age 13, I should’ve realized to cut my nails before going on this trip. I have long nails, which do not mix well with delicate clay. I tried to make do, but my nails kept cutting the clay while I was trying to mold it. In the end, I was told that the pot I made wouldn’t be ready in time before I left, so they gave me a pot that the potter Costas (who gave me the lesson) made himself and they wrapped it up nicely for me to take home.
Day 3 – Lefkara and Nicosia
Following a good experience I had in Naxos, I decided to check out some day tours in Cyprus. It seems that most travel agencies all run the same tours, but the prices can vary. I did two full day tours booked through Poseidonos Travel and to be honest I felt like I really got my money’s worth. I was able to book both tours through Whatsapp and I paid in person each day. This tour cost €20 and the second tour cost €30. For around 9 hours each I think that’s pretty good. I saw some places a bit cheaper afterwards but I’m happy with the company I went with, they were quick to respond and super helpful when booking my tours.
The tour began with a stop in Kato Lefkara, a village close to Larnaca where they are known for making handmade linens, jewelry, silver, and other items. The village was pretty much deserted since it was dead of winter, and most of the shops were closed until the spring when the majority of the tourists come back. There were a few stores still open and a cafe with a couple locals sitting, drinking coffee, and shooting the breeze. With a population of only 180 people (according to our tour guide), the town is usually pretty empty. Most residents work in the major cities and the children travel outside the city to go to school.
Nicosia was a city I had really wanted to visit. The last divided city in Europe made for an interesting story, and a great place to see. When we first arrived to the city we had an orientation walking tour and we were able to visit the Archbishop’s Palace and St John’s Cathedral, a church from the 17th century with very interesting looking murals on the walls. The bullet holes from the 1974 coup d’état and the following Turkish invasion were visible on both buildings from a good distance away.
Following the walking tour, we were given a couple hours free time to roam about the city. Many of us chose to cross the border into Northern Cyprus. Although technically the same country, you needed to present a passport to cross into the occupied territory. It didn’t take too long to cross into the Turkish side, maybe a five minute wait and got my passport scanned and I was off. As soon as I set foot across the border, I felt like I was back in Israel. Bustling marketplace, people yelling at each other to see who could be the loudest, shawarma meat grilling. It was a nice reminder of home.
Day 4 – Cyprus in a Day: Paphos, Omodos, Nicosia, Larnaca
There’s so much to see in such a tiny country, one day surely isn’t enough to see it all. I was pleasantly surprised by how much ground we covered in just 9 short hours. This tour really gave a good taste of the country and what there is to see.
Our first stop of the morning was Aphrodite’s Rock (or Petra tou Romiou), where it is claimed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite. There is a legend that if someone swims around the rock counter-clockwise three times under certain conditions, they will become ten years younger. What are those conditions, you may wonder? Well, it’s very simple, you see. For the magic to work it must be a Friday the 13th in January under a full moon. Easy, right?
Our next stop was in the village of Omodos in the Troödos Mountains. A tiny town of less than 300 people equally as charming as any other small village I’ve visited. I had my very first taste of Cypriot coffee, which even though I ordered “glykis” (sweet), it was still very strong. It tasted similar to Turkish coffee, which I’m not such a fan of since it’s so bitter. Cypriot coffee is served with a glass of cold water, which was very much appreciated when I accidentally drank some of the grounds at the bottom of the cup.
The village itself was very cute and of course, tons of cats everywhere, as custom in Mediterranean countries. One of the bakeries allowed us to try different local specialties. Our tour guide mentioned a Halloumi pie, which sounded absolutely delicious, but I lost track of time and wasn’t able to try it. Hopefully next time I will!
Our tour ended with a short visit to Larnaca, where we visited the Church of St Lazarus and got some free time to explore. I was so excited to go to the Salt Lake to see the flamingos (since it’s migration season) right outside the city. It was on the itinerary for the tour, but somehow we never made it there. I was disappointed, since the flamingos only flock to Cyprus in the wintertime and was really looking forward to seeing them.
Day 5
During my last day in Paphos I decided to just take it easy. Wake up whenever, explore the Archaeological Park, and don’t rush heading to the airport.
The Archaeological Park, right next to the harbor, is definitely something you should visit, even if you’re not the biggest history buff. The views alone are something to marvel at. The mosaics, I heard were also a must-see – and they were. Such incredible condition for something that’s almost 1,500 years old. Most of them you could still see the exact original image that was made in the tiles.
I read that you should set aside at least 3 hours to be able to fully enjoy the park. I honestly could’ve spent the entire day here it was enormous, and there was so much to see!
I really enjoyed my time in Cyprus and definitely will go back. Such a beautiful country, with rich history and culture. It’s so close, I don’t know what took me so long to get here in the first place.
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International Itinerary 