DESTINATIONS PAPHOS | GREECE & CYPRUS
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Explore art, archaeology and the legend of Aphrodite on a five-star stay in Cyprus, writes Cathy Toogood
“
hakespeare was inspired by the story in this mosaic,” says our guide, Mary Patroklou, as she explains the tale of ill-fated lovers Pyramus and Thisbe depicted
in tiny cream, sepia and mocha tiles in front of us. Whether the English playwright ever visited this Mediterranean isle is rather doubtful, but this artistic interpretation is Cypriot through and through. “Can you see one of the symbols of Cyprus, the mouflon (a wild sheep), in this hunting scene?” she adds. We’re marvelling at the mosaics in the Roman-era House of
Dionysus, part of the Unesco-listed Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos. The mosaics, many of which illustrate stories from Greek and Roman mythology, are some of the best preserved in the world. That’s partly because they lay untouched and untrodden for centuries until they were discovered by accident in 1962, by a local farmer ploughing his field. “But there’s a lot more to see in Paphos than just mosaics,” says
Mary. “You can’t leave Paphos without seeing the archaeological sites and the well-preserved mosaics, but you must also enjoy the local way of life. Have a mezze, eat local food and try to eat where the locals do.” If that approach extends to staying in a Cypriot-owned resort too, there’s even more reason for clients to visit since the opening
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of Louis Hotels’ Cali Resort & Spa in May, a new five-star adult- only hotel set near the soft sands of Coral Bay, where guests can complement culture-packed days exploring Paphos (a 20-minute drive away) with time by the pool or in the spa.
APHRODITE BY APP We start our tour of Paphos at the Tombs of the Kings, a set of coastal Hellenistic and Roman underground tombs. Once the burial sites of important officials and aristocrats, the well- preserved tomb three has monumental carved columns and dark passageways to explore, a spooky experience with just a handful of other visitors around. The renowned birthplace of Aphrodite – the Petra tou Romiou
rock formation (pictured) – is a busier site where, according to legend, the goddess of love and beauty was created from the sea foam, emerging standing on a scallop shell. Some say that if you swim three times in an anti-clockwise direction around Aphrodite’s Rock, you will turn time back and feel younger. “I don’t recommend it,” Mary warns, pointing out the dangers involved. Instead, we download the Aphrodite’s Birthplace app and
project a digital image of the goddess on to the spot where she was formed, then capture it in a photograph. Tell clients about²
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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Sabine Klein
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