I haven't been around for a few months but I'm back in the Ciao community now! Thanks for all you...
I haven't been around for a few months but I'm back in the Ciao community now! Thanks for all your comments and ratings while I've been gone! x
Member since:18.02.2007
Reviews:15
Members who trust:17
I've found some time to sit down and tell you all more about the area of Cyprus that I lived in for 9 months last year. In my last review I told you a lot about restaurants and watersports, so in this review I am going to tell you about some places to visit and some nice beauty spots.
THE BATHS OF APHRODITE
In my last review I recommended Aphrodite beach which is my favourite beach in this area. Five minutes further along the same road as the beach, brings you to the Baths of Aphrodite. This little spring-fed freshwater pool is where the goddess of love bathed after her amorous adventures. Its cool water is said to bring eternal youth and although entering the pool is forbidden, you can splash your face with the water. Legend says that anyone who drinks from the pool falls in love with the first person they see afterwards.
This area is beautiful and has some lovely views down over Latchi, but the freshwater pool is about all there is to see so you may feel a little bit disappointed if you have travelled a long way. However there are some walking trails that start at this point, so if you were coming for a long scenic walk as well it would be ideal. I do feel that because this is a cultural spot and if you are travelling to this area then it is something that you have to see, but it wouldn't be a trip that would take up your whole day (more like half an hour!)
Another thing that I would say about the Baths of Aphrodite is that tour bus after tour bus travels there. If you arrive and see that there are any tourbuses already there, I would recommend maybe having a drink it the cafe next to the carpark and wait for all of the people to come down before venturing up there. The pool area is tiny
and there is a single pathway leading up to it, so if you have a bus load of people up there you won't be able to get anywhere near it!
ANASSA HOTEL
I feel obliged to include some information on the Anassa Hotel as it is where I worked for the 9 months I lived in Polis, although there will be very few people who could afford their prices! If you are travelling up to Aphrodite Beach or the Baths of Aphrodite you will pass it on your way. It is a beautiful white building that can even be seen from Latchi beach. It has a very good reputation in this area with a whole host of celebs that stay there. During the time I worked there in the Spa I saw Fat Boy Slim and Zoe Ball, Jessie Wallace, Steven Gately, Edwin Van Der Sar, Presedent Poutin, Johnny Vaughn, Donna Air and my absolute favourite STING!!! If you have visited this area before I'm sure you will have heard of it.
The hotel is stunning and even if you are not staying there you can pop in for a drink or a meal, although be warned the prices are extremely expensive! You're looking a spending 5 Cypriot pounds just for a drink (convert it into GBP and it's even more!)
If you are taking a boat trip you will probably see it from the water. It looks even more stunning viewed from the sea.
AKAMAS PENINSULA
Tha Akamas Peninsula is breathtakingly beautiful and is full of nature trails and walks that you can go on. Even if you are not a keen walker there are some trails that are not too labourious and offer some stunning views over Latchi and Polis, and even down into Coral Bay at Pafos.
There are some shorter walking trails that are quite easy going if you just wanted to see some views, or if you are a keen walker you can even treck all the way to Pafos!
If you travel up to the small village of Neo Chorio which is signposted from Latchi and continue on the same road it will bring you to a well maintained picnic area where there are boards clearly displaying the routes and marking what you will see along the walk. However, you will need a method of transport to reach this spot and I would recommend a car rather than a scooter as it is a bumpy road!
Alternatively, you can pick up a nature trail map from some of the shops in the local area.
LOCAL WILDLIFE
One thing that you will see plenty of in Cyprus is lizards! I have to say that I do really miss seeing the lizards skittling around wherever you go.
If you are walking in the Akamas Peninsula be very wary of snakes, particularly in the hotter parts of the year. There are lots of Vipers in this area which are the third most poisonous snake in the world! However, they are normally more scared of you and they don't like vibrations, so remember to tread firmly and you should scare them away. Also don't walk through any areas of thick grass or bushes.
In the towns you will definately see stray cats everywhere, particularly in Latchi harbour. If you are not a cat lover then you may find it a bit uncomfortable when you are dining outside because they will surround your table begging for scraps. The waiters are normally quite good at moving them away though.
On Aphrodites beach in particular you will see lots of round pits where the turtles have layed their eggs. Unfortunately I was never fortunate enough to see a turtle during my stay in Polis, but lots of people on the boat trips came back saying that they had seen some. The turtles lay there eggs on a full moon, so if you are feeling brave enough and don't mind being eaten alive by mosquitos you could camp out on the beach and watch them all coming ashore.
The most amazing thing I have ever seen here were the flying fish! This is a fish that actually has wings and when they are being attacked they leap out of the water and literally fly accross the surface before diving back in again! It is incredible how far they go above the surface of the water! If you are taking a boat trip then keep your eyes peeled as this is when you will see them because the sound of the boat scares them.
SIGHTSEEING IN PAFOS
If you are staying in the Polis area then there is undoubtedly going to be a day or two where you will want to travel into Pafos. As I mentioned in my last review it takes about an hour or so to travel to Pafos from Polis and you will either need to hire a car or you can get a bus. Ths bus comes about once an hour and you get it from outside the Old Town Restaurant at the main T-junction in Polis. Don't expect a big posh bus, it's more like a minibus.
PAFOS HARBOUR
Pafos harbour is a much bigger harbour than the harbour at Latchi and you will notice many more boat trips, glass bottom boats etc. You will notice that the boat hire is much more expensive here and they are mostly hired on a half an hour basis. This is because there is not really the coastline to see here like you get at Polis so you wouldn't really want to go out for very long. This is the reason that lots of tourists staying in Pafos travel to Latchi for the boat hire.
The harbour is crammed full of tavernas which are busy all day and evening, but it really is a lovely spot to sit and have lunch and watch the brightly coloured boats bobbing in the water.
THE MOSAICS OF PAFOS
The Mosaics of Pafos are somewhere I would highly recommend going to see. In all of the pamphlets and guidebooks you are given the impression that is is going to be one room of mosaics. My goodness do you get a shock when you go there!
The site is massive and has three different villas with almost the whole floor or the villa still intact, displaying some of the most amazing and biggest quantity of mosaics that I have ever seen!
What is surprising is the fact that they are not protected like they would be in England. One of the houses is covered over and the walkways are raised off the floor to prevent damage. The other house is completely open and some people were even walking directly over the mosaics! It made me want to scream!
There is also a small amphitheatre here as well.
The whole site will take you a couple of hours to see and allow yourself plenty of time. When I visited we made the mistake of thinking it was only going to be one room of mosiacs, so had to cut our visit short so that we would make it back in time for the bus. This was disappointing as there was still so much more to see.
The mosaics are located next to the harbour and you will see the building on the right before the first taverna.
This is an absolute must to see and what's even better is it only costs 2 Cypriot pounds per person!
THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS
This is the most advertised historical site in Pafos but if you are thinking of visiting there I would strongly advise you not to bother. It is very disappointing. There is no description of what everything is, there is only a number on the end of each tomb and they aren't even Kings!
It is very surprising that this is more advertised than the Mosiacs of Pafos.
Anyway, I am going to bring this review to a close now before I bore you senseless! I have just told you about the main sights that I particularly enjoyed but there is so much more to see!
If you are planning a holiday to Cyprus I would definately recommend picking up a guidebook so that you can see all there is to offer.
Pictures of Polis & the Akamas Peninsula (Cyprus)
Cyprus Sunset
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Cool. I love your romantic and perceptive style of writing. It's clear that you love this place and enjoy writing about something you love. I admire your ability to express your enthusiasm passionately. top marks for such a wonderful body of text and total respect from me. thanks again for your rating.
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Advantages: Beuatiful Scenery, Very friendly People, Cheap Living (Alcohol, Food, Cigarettes - if applicable), Packed full of activities (especially for trekkers and the adventerous holiday-er), If look hard (-and in unusual places, will find good cheap accomodation) Disadvantages: Not much to do in terms of clublife (unless travel to the nearest biggest city of Paphos), Can be very hot during summer months (although not as much as Dubai for example)
Advantages: A beautiful place for relaxing, great views, great food and cheap drinks! The people in Polis are very pleasant and helpful; they treat you like family once you get to know them. Disadvantages: Not a lot of nightclub's for those who want to go clubbing. You need to hire a car to travel to most areas as buses are never on time.
Advantages: A beautiful place for relaxing, great views, great food and cheap drinks! The people in Polis are very pleasant and helpful; they treat you like family once you get to know them. Disadvantages: Not a lot of nightclub's for those who want to go clubbing. You need to hire a car to travel to most areas as buses are never on time.
Mar 17th, 2007
exceptional by (4%):
very helpful by (96%):
