Pafos

Pafos was the capital of Cyprus for 600 years in ancient times and its archaeological legacy is such that UNESCO has put the whole town on its World Cultural Heritage List.

It was the centre of the cult of Aphrodite with numerous temples such as her sanctuary at Kouklia built in her name and the area known as Petra tou Romiou believed to have been where the goddess rose from the waves.

The intricate floor mosaics in villas dating back to the Roman period depicting scenes from Greek mythology are considered among the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean.

One of the columns around the church of Agia Kyriaki is known today as St Paul's Pillar. Tradition has it that when the Apostle arrived in Pafos and started preaching, paganists tied him to a pillar and punished him with thirty-nine lashes.

Equally impressive are the underground Tombs of the Kings carved out of solid rock and decorated with Doric pillars.

The museum at Maa-Paleokastro near Coral Bay has an interesting collection of artefacts from the period of Mycenean Greek colonisation of Cyprus.

The monastery of Agios Neofytos has wonderfully colourful frescoes painted on the walls in a cave that a hermit carved out of the mountains.