Although Cyprus wasn’t new to me, it was the first time I had visited it on a cruise. So, the question was, what should we do with our day while considering it a slightly shorter day in port. The answer came from our Cruise Critic roll call in the form of a private shore excursion to Paphos. The beauty of this was there was a maximum of 16 people which meant we could move around much quicker. We were given instructions to get off the ship as soon as clearance was given so we could get away as soon as possible. Everything worked perfectly and we were soon heading towards Paphos and our first stop which was basically a photo stop at Petra tou Romiou – Aphrodite’s Beach Birth Place Rock which as the name suggests is the mythological birth place of Aphrodite.
20 minutes later we were on our way to stop two, the Agia Paraskevi Byzantine Church in Geroskipou village. This is a five-domed church which has some wall paintings dating back as early as the 8th century. No interior photos were allowed so I have one of the outside only.
Moving swiftly on we then visited the Tombs of the Kings which is the impressive necropolis that is located to the northeast of Paphos town. There are 8 tombs you can look at and our guide (Mary) showed us the best ones. Local archaeologists predict there are many yet undiscovered on the site.
Before getting to our last venue, we made a quick visit to Ayia Kyriaki church and Saint Paul Pillar, the latter is where the apostle St. Paul was tethered and whipped.
Our last stop of the day was the Paphos UNESCO Archaeological Park where we were guided around the House of Dionysos Mosaics. I have to say the floors are of amazing detail and condition and I know the photos won’t do it justice.
To finish the visit to this UNESCO world heritage site we made a circular walk around the perimeter to take in various other things, including the impressive Odeon.
The journey back to Limassol took just over an hour and we were back onboard for a late lunch. After we set sail, the open decks became very windy and none of the prized sheltered spots were available so we decided to go back to the cabin and sit out on our balcony which unfortunately was in the shade.
Tomorrow we are in Rhodes with no plans at all so it will be plenty of walking I suspect
Private excursions are always the best way to go. Surprised you had 16. We usually try to stop around 8.