THINGS TO DO IN CYPRUS .

There is a lot to see and do in this beautiful country, so if you can, do venture away from the pool.

CYPRUS BEACHES

Cyprus is renowned for its fine beaches. They are the #1 reason why tourists visit the island, and so are vital to the tourist economy of Cyprus. As of 2005, forty-eight beaches on the island fly the EU Blue Flag - a demonstration of just how special the beaches on Cyprus really are.

Paphos District

There are 11 blue flag beaches in the district of Paphos. These are Alykes, Polis Camping Site, Coral Bay, Faros, Geroskipou, Laourou, Municipal Baths, Municipal Beach, Pachyammos, Vrysoudia A and Vrysoudia B. All beaches offer clean and beautiful sands on which to play and sunbathe. Coral Bay in the Peyia municipality is a great beach for kids as the sands slope into the sea at a very shallow angle.

DIVING

Cyprus Diving .

Cyprus is a true scuba diving paradise suitable for both beginners and experienced divers alike. Beneath the sparkling ocean waves that surround the island, a new world awaits discovery. Stingrays, morays, reefs and the odd octopus or two are just some of the underwater delights unveiled only metres below the surface. There are caves, tunnels and shipwrecks too.

No matter what your level of experience, Cyprus offers divers and snorkelers a stunning array of aquatic life to appreciate. Nothing on Earth can prepare you for the thrill of swimming with countless brightly coloured fish in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea or weightlessly floating underwater as you marvel at the collage of live coral, their tendrils gently swaying in the currents that ebb and flow. They are serene moments that you'll cherish forever.

WATER PARK

Paphos Waterpark.

With the largest number of facilities and attractions in Cyprus, the biggest family rafting ride in Europe and virtually guaranteed sunshine for every one of its opening days, it's no wonder that Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark attracts over 100,000 visitors each year. Young or old, swimmer or not there's something here for everyone and everyone's here for fun! - A cool way to spend a hot day - At the Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark!

Museums

Museums in Paphos .

Pafos District Archaeological Museum 43 Griva Digeni Street Tel: 26 93 20 10 Open all the year round Monday - Friday: 09:00-17:00 Saturday: 10:00-13:00 Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Ethnographical Museum Exo Vrisis, 1I Tel: 26 232010 Monday - Saturday: 09:00-13:00 Monday - Friday: 14:00-17:00 (May to September): 15:00-19:00 Sunday: 10:00-13:00 Entrance fees: 0,50 Cyprus pounds Byzantine Museum Paphos Mediaeval Fort Pafos - Harbour area Daily: 09:00-17:00 (Summer daily up to 18:00 hrs) Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Folk Art Museum (basket weaving museum) Inia village Tel: 26 332562 Weekdays: 11:00 - 18:30

Paphos Mosaics Tel: 26 240217 Daily: 08:00-17:00 (Summer, daily: 08:00-1 9:30) Entrance fees: 1,50 Cyprus pounds

Tombs of the Kings Tel: 26 240295 Daily: 08:00-17:00 (Summer, daily: 08:30-19:30) Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Yeroskipou (Geroskipou) - Folk Art Museum 3 km east of Paphos Tel: 26 240216 Monday - Friday: 09:00-1 4:30 (Thursday: 15:00-17:00 not in July - August) Saturday and Sunday: closed Entrance fees : 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Agia Paraskevi Byzantine Church Geroskipou, 3km east of Paphos Tel: 26 261859 Monday-Sunday: 08:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00 (May-Oct.) Monday-Sunday: 08:00-13:00, 14:00-16:00 (Nov.-April) Entrance free for individuals

Sanctuary of Aphrodite, Palaipafos Museum, Medieval Manor Kouklia village, 14 km (9 miles) east of Paphos Tel: 26 4321 80 Daily: 09:00-17:00 (June - August: Monday - Friday: 09:00-19:00) (Saturday & Sunday: 09:00-17:00) Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Museum of the Mycenaean Colonisation of Cyprus Maa-Paleokastro (Coral Bay area) Monday - Saturday: 10:00-16:00 Sunday: Closed Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Archaeological Museum of Polis Polis Tel: 26-322955 Monday-Friday: 08:30-14:00 Thursday: 15:00-18:00 Saturday: 09:00-17:00 Sunday: Closed Entrance fees: 0,75 Cyprus pounds

Byzantine Museum of Arsinoe Bishopric of Arsinoe, Polis Peristerona village, south of Polis Tel: 26-352515 Summer: Monday-Friday: 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00 Saturday: 10:00-13:00 Winter: Monday-Friday: 10:00-16:00 Saturday: 10:00-13:00 Entrance fees: 1,00 Cyprus pounds.

NIGHT LIFE

Night Life in Paphos.

The nightlife in Cyprus can be as energetic, relaxed or as romantic as you like. From world class nightclubs to restaurants offering meals by candlelight, the island's entertainment industry is tremendously varied and caters for all tastes and for people of all ages. Here are the hotspots…

Many fine restaurants and tavernas are to be found around the family-oriented town of Paphos. There is a small selection of bars and clubs in the town too, all of which offer quality entertainment to the young, and young at heart. Fish restaurants, where you can sample fresh fish from the Mediterranean, are a speciality of Paphos.

BIRD PARK

The Bird Park in Paphos.

In Paphos the fabulous Paphos Waterpark is an excellent day out for children and adults of all ages. There are water slides and chutes for kids who like their water rides fast and exciting, and there's slower water rides too. Paphos Waterpark caters for smaller children as well, an enclosed play area and shallow pool offering plenty of opportunities for a splash about.

GOLF COURSES

Two golf courses operate in Paphos.

Tsada Golf Club: The club is situated near Tsada village and is a 15-minute drive north from Pafos town. Founded in 1994 on the hills of Tsada, it is set in the grounds of a 12th Century monastery in a gentle valley. Created by Donald Steel, it plays to a par 72 and measures 6,060 metres. The altitude of 550 metres above sea level ensures cool breezes during the summer. The clubhouse facilities include a bar, restaurant, tennis, outdoor swimmimg pool, a driving range and putting green.

The Secret Valley Golf Club: It is located 18kms east of Pafos and 49kms from Limassol, near Petra tou Romiou. It is an 18-hole course, plays to a par 72 and measures 6,158m.

PAINTBALL

Two Paint Ball field operate in Paphos.

Paintball is a team participation sport that has gained a tremendous following around the world in recent years. The exhilaration of stalking an opposing team through the undergrowth in an effort to capture their flag while armed only with a paintball gun and paint pellets attracts millions of people to try out paintball games every year. In Cyprus, paintball became legal in May 2004. There are now four licensed paintball fields operating in the country, the locations of which are revealed at the bottom of this page. Paintball in Cyprus is an experience that will live long in the memory. Virtually any number of scenarios can be played out in the well-equipped paintball fields across Cyprus. These include storming a castle, mock battles around makeshift villages and even paintball battles by floodlight. No prior experience or training is necessary, and contrary to popular belief you don't have to be in top physical condition to participate! How to play paintball in Cyprus Most paintball fields cater for individuals and groups. Normally, players will be paired off or grouped into teams, the objective of the paintball game being to capture the opposing team's flag while protecting your own flag from capture. The first team to capture the opposition's flag is declared the winner. You'll be issued with a paintball gun and paintball pellets. The pellets are fired at your opponents to prevent them from advancing and taking your flag. Made from a thin gelatin shell in which water-soluble paint is held, paintball pellets easily break upon impact, splattering the target with paint. If a paint pellet hits you you're out of the game! Is paintball safe? Providing that all of the guidelines issued by the instructors at the paintball field are followed, then paintball is a very safe sport. Paintball fields DNA Paintball - Paphos Tel. +357 99620920 Paintball City Cyprus - Paphos Tel. +357 26 813 999.

HORSE RIDING

Horse Riding in Paphos.

What could be more delightful than meandering through the dappled shade of a pine forest on horseback at the height of a Cypriot summer's day? Just you, your horse, a gentle breeze and some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the Mediterranean - it sure is an experience to savour! Horse riding is very popular in Cyprus. Thousands of people from around the world visit the island each year to relax in the sumptuous surroundings of the Cypriot countryside. Many find that on horseback a more intimate encounter with nature can be enjoyed. You can see Cyprus from a completely new and compelling perspective, the fantastic array of flora, fauna and wildlife making it an adventure to remember. Riding stables are found all over the island. Organised treks from as little as an hour to as long as a full day's riding are offered for both adults and children of all ages. Some of the longer treks incorporate breaks for refreshments and a lunch out in the heart of the Cypriot wilderness. Many stables provide riding lessons too for individuals and groups. For the more experienced rider, horses can be hired from stables and taken out on trekking routes of their own choosing.

CARTING

Karting in Paphos.

When you like to feel the spirit of racing, wait no more and go to Coral Bay or Yeroskipou karting. Open 7 days a week, from 10:00 till 23:00, for all ages, the karting offers you

Go karts

Kiddy karts

Snack bar

Kiosk

Games center

Children playground

AQUARIUM

Paphos Aquarium.

The Paphos Aquarium invites you to enter a mysterious underwater world - to experience life in the fascinating realms of the deep. Never before in Cyprus has there been an opportunity like this for learning about the mysteries of marine life. Now you can admire a spectacular array of colourful fish from different oceans, seas and rivers around the globe. Step into a wondrous, watery world in the heart of Pafos. The Aquarium provides a unique undersea setting of skilfully illuminated caves and rippling water; a marine ambience so inventive as to be impressively lifelike. Sea and freshwater fish comprise the superb range of species on view at the Aquarium, where no expense has been spared in recreating their natural environment as faithfully as possible. Making full use of the latest marine technology, the Aquarium boasts equipment from the United States that includes special filters and up-to-the minute water circulation pumps.

Open daily from 10am to 8pm.

WATER SPORTS

Provided by water sports operators.

Surrounded by water, the island of Cyprus is a natural venue for water sports activities. Enthusiasts from around the world are drawn to Cyprus every year to experience the island's full range of water-based attractions, among which is the world-famous Zenobia shipwreck. It doesn't matter if you're on your own, with your family or in a group. The scope of water activities in Cyprus is so extensive that there really is something for everyone's tastes.

FISHING

Fishing in Cyprus.

Fishing is an extremely popular sport in Cyprus. All year round, locals and tourists are to be found fishing the numerous reservoirs on the island. Deep sea fishing too attracts anglers from around the world, many of whom delight in catching such exotic fish as tuna and amberjack in the warm waters that surround Cyprus. All in all, Cyprus is a fisherman's paradise! Wherever you are located in Cyprus, a place to fish is never far away. There are some 25 reservoirs (dams) in Cyprus, all of which are well stocked with a huge variety of fish. Many of the reservoirs are within a twenty-minute to half-an-hour's drive from the main resorts along the coast, and offer plenty of space to choose an ideal swim.

WILD LIFE

Wild Life in CyprusCyprus.

At just 9,251 sq. km you might think that Cyprus is too small to lay claim to one of the most diverse wildlife populations in Europe. Appearances, in this case, are deceptive. When it comes to wildlife Cyprus's size is not in anyway a limiting factor. Just for starters there are more than 370 species of bird to be seen on the island and 260 species of fish in the warm waters surrounding it. Add to this the presence of two of the world's rarest sea turtles (Green turtles and Loggerhead turtles) and it becomes easier to appreciate just how special the wildlife on Cyprus is. The Cyprus Mufflon - a wild sheep that is found in the Troodos and Paphos mountains - is perhaps the most elusive type of wildlife on Cyprus. Believed to be only around 800 in existence, the Mufflon is found nowhere else in the world and has been officially listed as a protected species. Treks up into the mountains to find these wild sheep in their natural habitat are challenging to say the least. For the less adventurous, spacious enclosures in which Cyprus Mufflon are kept can be found at Stavros tis Psokas and at Platania.

Sheep of a more common variety graze upon the vegetation across hillsides as do wild goats. Smaller mammals on Cyprus include hedgehogs, foxes, rabbits, hares and squirrels. Smaller still is the Cyprus Mouse - a species indigenous to the island - that is covered with thorn like protrusions buried within its fur.

For lovers of reptile and amphibian life a large number of frogs, toads, lizards and chameleons can be found around Cyprus. There are some snakes too, many of which lie dormant in the summer months because of the heat.

The wildlife on Cyprus is truly fascinating. Take a trip in the great outdoors on horseback or lace up your walking boots and get out there and explore. We promise you that it will be an experience to remember.

THE AVAKAS GORGE

The hike up through the Avakas Gorge on the Akamas peninsular in Cyprus is a stunning and rewarding journey, once committed, the only way back, is a return through the Gorge or completing the GPS track. There is no short cut. The hike follows a stream bed up through the Gorge with the limestone canyon sides as narrow as 3 to 4 metres in places, scrambling and climbing over rocks, scree slopes and boulders for about 4 km. After the climb out of the Gorge, there is a good 10 km hike back, following the rim of the canyon on the dirt road from Kato Arodes to Lara. There are many fantastic viewpoints to the sea and back to the wild and beautiful Cyprus countryside. When you arrive at the dirt coast road near Lara Bay, turn left and there is a 1.5 km walk back to the start point.

AKAMAS AREA Paphos is an excellent area for walking - mainly in the virtually untouched Akamas peninsula, although if you wish to travel further afield there are also many great walks in the Troodos hills. There are numerous guidebooks which give details on walks and there are also leaflets available from any CTO office. Additionally the Laona Project has published a small booklet entitled 'Discover Laona… Walks, Strolls and Drives' which gives details on seven walks in the Akamas area.

SAFETY IN CYPRUS

Crime in Cyprus is, comparatively, at a very low level. The Police is always ready to assist anyone who needs help. In case of emergency, one may telephone 199 or 112 (in all towns). All policemen speak good English.