Activities & History in Cyprus at the Sofilia Holiday Apartments
Activities Paphos Cyprus
There are many activities available in Cyprus, which the Sofilia Holiday Apartments are ideally situated for most of them. Below is a brief insight, all of these activities can be arranged from one of the many tourist information offices along The Tomb of The Kings Road in Paphos Cyprus.
Bird watching; If you prefer something quieter you can go bird watching in the Akamas National Park only a 45min drive from the Sofilia Holiday Apartments.
Paphos Bird & Animal Park; Paphos bird park was opened in 2003 and is set in a beautiful location approx 12km from the Sofilia Holiday Apartments. It has a vast collection of birds including
exotic parrots, hornbills, toucans, eagles, owls, peacocks, ornamental pheasants, water fowl and many more. The park is committed to the breeding and conservation of birds, animals and plant life of Cyprus and of the world, it isl worth a visit. The park is open 365 days a year. For more details see Pafos Bird Park.
Market; Why not visit the market in old town Paphos Cyprus.
Kato Paphos; Hosts a variety of restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and the stunning views of the harbour & Paphos coastline .
Skiing; If you are looking to go skiing in the winter months, the ski slops at Mount Olympus off the Troodos Mountains are only an hour’s drive from the Cyprus Holiday Apartments. Snow falls in January/February. You could take a ski trip and a game of golf in the same day! Further details can be found at Ski Cyprus
Golf; If you are a Golf player Cyprus has a lot to offer you. There are currently 3 excellent golf courses in Cyprus. There are plans for another 6. The 3 excellent golf courses are within a half hours drive of the Sofilia Holiday Apartments. There is Tsada golf course which is 15km to the north of Paphos, Secret Valley golf course is 18km to the east of Paphos, and the spectacular new Aphrodite Hills golf course is 20km to the east of Paphos. All of the golf courses are of a championship standard. For more details see Secret Valley, Aphrodit Hills, Tsada golf.
Sub Aqua Diving; Diving from the beautiful Cyprus beaches is a experience not to be missed out on, especially in the Paphos area of Cyprus.There are several Diving Schools that offer full PADE diving courses as well as organized dives for qualified divers. The largest dive centre in Paphos is Cy-Dive at the Myrra Complex on Poseidonos Avenue. Check their web site out for prices, courses, and details of dive sites.
WaterPark; Paphos is home to the largest water park in Cyprus, and the biggest family rafting ride in Europe. About 10min drive/bus from the Paphos holiday apartment at the eastern end of Paphos. Further details can be found at Aphrodite Water Park.
Water Sports; If you like water sports then Cyprus is for you.There are lots of Water Sports available at Coral Bay which is just a 10min bus or car journey from the Sofilia Holiday Apartments. The sports include Wind Surfing, Water Skiing, Jet Skiing, Banana Rides and Para sending.
HISTORY & LEGEND
The island of Cyprus has a fascinating cultural heritage with many historical and archaeological treasures; UNESCO includes Paphos in its world cultural heritage list.
Paphos is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus, the mythical birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite, of love and beauty. Legend has it that this is the rock from which Aphrodite mythically arose from the foams in the sea. Another legend says that if you swim around the rock three times under a full moon, you'll find true love, and the founding myth is interwoven with the goddess at every level. In Greco-Roman times Paphos was the island's capital, and it is famous for the remains of the Roman Governor's palace, where extensive, fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. There are many historical places to visit in Paphos such as the Tomb of the Kings and the Paphos Odeon, the Sofilia Holiday Apartments are perfectly situated just a stones throw away.
Tomb of the kings Is about is 2 miles northwards of the Paphos Old Harbour. The tombs are impressive enough to be worthy of kings. They are burial caves carved into the bedrock of the hill and decorated with Doric columns and capitals; they date from the 4th century BC. You can freely walk about the place once inside, searching through the rooms of the tombs, with parts underground carved into the rock. High officials rather than Kings were buried here, but the magnificence of the tombs gave the locality its name.
Troodos Mountains-The Troodos mountains cover a large area in the centre of Cyprus with Mount Olympus being the highest point at 1952m. To see the whole of Troodos area would need at least a week. It is dotted with tiny traditional villages, forest paths, and ancient monasteries (most notably the Kykkos monastery with its Byzantine museum). The weather is noticeably cooler in the mountains, and you can even go skiing between January and March. On the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains you'll find Pano Platres which is close to the ski centre, but is also the ideal location if you want to do some walking. It's popular with Cypriots and tourist alike who enjoy the many nature trails of the area (caledonian waterfalls, mesapotamos trail, millomeris trail, artermis and krios potamos).
Houses of Dionysus & the Paphos Mosaics-These are a series of striking mosaic floors in a series of ancient Roman noblemen's villas, dating from the third to fifth century AD, and are a must-see for visitors to Paphos. The site where the villas stood are still being excavated, and can be found about 300 metres from the Paphos harbour. The mosaics featuring mythological scenes are visible in the houses of Dionysus, Orpheus and Aion, and the Villa of Theseus. All were made of small cubes of marble and stone. In the House of Dionysus, for example, 5,985 square feet (556 sq metres) of floor space in 14 rooms are covered with the gorgeous mosaics.
Cypus Wineries-The oldest named wine in world is the dessert wine Commandaria which comes from Cyprus. It may not be very well known for its wines, but they are generally very good. There are many wineries in the Paphos region of Cyprus, many of which welcome visitors for tours and tasting. Further information about Cyprus wineries, and some suggested tours can be found by Clicking Here.
There are lots of other activities available such as Mountain Biking, Walking. Go Karting in The Paphos area of Cyprus, for further information you can go to Go Karting. There are also Boat Trips, Guided Tours, Jeep Safaris etc.
Cruises; There are ferry boat cruises from Cyprus to Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Greece and the Greek Islands. Cyprus is often referred to as the gateway to the Eastern Mediterranean. Many cruise companies take you through that gateway to the Eastern Mediterranean from the port of Lemesos (Limassol).
