Paphos

Paphos is a small city of 60000 inhabitats on the southwestern coast of Cyprus, located 100km southwest of Nicosia and 110km west of Larnaca. It may be a small city, but is a significant tourist centre due to the archaeological sites in and around the city. The site has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, with first Greek and later Roman presence. The structures in the Paphos Archeological Park belong to the Classic, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Its highlights are the well preserved mosaics in the Roman villas. The castle in the harbour area was originally built by the Byzantines, and later rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 13th century. Paphos is a good base from which to explore the west of Cyprus. The entire old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980.