10 LEISURELY DAY TRIPS FROM PAPHOS BY BUS.
One of the things that we love about exploring Cyprus, is the bus system. Public transport is efficient, inexpensive and reliable. Wherever possible when we travel we try to avoid hiring a car and in Cyprus, not having a hire car doesn’t have to be a limitation.
Paphos, found to the South West of Cyprus, is a great base from which to explore the island. A resort town with a pretty harbour, there’s lots to see and do on the doorstep. But why limit yourself just to Paphos when you could take day trips further afield?
10 leisurely day trips from Paphos by bus
Here are 10 leisurely day trips from Paphos by bus. We include trips that you can take using the cheap public buses, intercity bus service and bus tours.
1/ Wine tasting in the hills
You may not associate Cyprus with wine automatically, but it has a long history of wine making. Today, there are many contemporary wineries offering visits and tastings. As most of these vineyards don’t export outside the island – this is your one chance to sample the best Cypriot wine on offer.
There are six different wine routes in Cyprus, one of them is Vouni Panagias – Ambelitis Wine Route, which surrounds the area of Paphos. There are ten vineyards on this wine route, many of which specialize in Xynisteri (a white grape) but there are 27 different grapes grown in this area alone.
I’ve linked two different wineries in Paphos villages that you can visit by public bus – see point 3 below. As an alternative, you can book a full day of wine tasting in the Paphos region on an all encompassing tour.
2/ Sail away at the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon in Cyprus is a beautiful cove just off the Akamas Peninsula. It is called the Blue Lagoon (quite obviously) because it has extremely azure blue waters. As it is so remote, most people visit by boat tour, which includes a bus transfer from Paphos.
We took this this top rated tour, which cost around 50 Euros inclusive of bus transport and drinks. It makes a full day out from Paphos and being taken care of on a boat tour was certainly very leisurely.
You can find out more about the Blue Lagoon and the best boat tours to take here.
3/ Explore the Paphos Villages
The Paphos area extends well beyond just the harbour where most tourists congregate. In fact, there are many pretty rural villages in the region of Paphos.
For a leisurely and peaceful day trip from Paphos centre by bus, you could visit some adorable hillside villages.
The first village nearby that you could access on bus is Cholou. In Cholou, you have a traditional Cypriot Taverna, a quaint church and a winery around 20 minutes walk away. Take bus route 639 from Paphos.
The second village that you could visit on the bus from Paphos is Pano Pagnia, found at an altitude of 900m. In Pagnia, you will find cute cafes, a church, hiking trails and Nikodemos Winery. Finally Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery is around a 20 minute walk from the centre of the village. Take bus 637 from Paphos to Pagnia.
Very sadly when we visited Paphos there was a wildfire around these villages. Therefore we weren’t able to visit as planned. If you do visit, please let us know as we would love to hear how they are. Next time we visit Cyprus, this is top of our list!
4/ Swim at Coral Bay
The coastline around Paphos is delightful. Having explored a few different beaches, our top pick for a beach near to Paphos is Coral Bay.
Coral Bay, around 11km from Paphos centre, is a stunning horseshoe bay. It offers calm, clear and beautiful water to swim in. There are a few beach bars and sun loungers to hire (7.50 Euros for two loungers and an umbrella.)
The bay attracts a mixed crowd, families, locals, couples and groups. When we visited on a Saturday afternoon it was quite lively with a great atmosphere. We may be getting old, but the music from the beach bars was a tad pumping for us – pick a sunbed to the West side of the beach if you’d prefer a quieter ambience.
From Paphos Harbour bus station, take the 611 bus to Tomb of the Kings then change for the 615 bus to Coral Bay. Buses run every 10 minutes or so and the total journey takes around 25 minutes. You can purchase a day ticket for the bus for 6.50 Euros, saving a few euros compared to paying for single bus journeys.
💡Combine a day trip to Coral Bay with visiting the Tomb of the Kings (see below.)
5/ Learn at Tomb of the Kings
Tomb of the Kings is an impressive and unique archeological site close to Paphos centre. You could walk there, or take bus 611 which will drop you off nearby.
As a UNESCO world heritage site, a visit is well worth while. Be sure to take advantage of the audio guides accessed via QR codes found next to each tomb, these will give you a bit more information on the history.
In summer, we would suggest visiting here early in the morning (it opens at 08:30) to avoid the heat, then making your way to Coral Bay in the afternoon to cool off.
6/ Visit the city of Limassol
Limassol has an entirely different vibe to Paphos. Whilst Paphos (Kato Paphos particularly) is purpose built with many hotels and a fair few tourist centric bars, Limassol offers a more authentic experience.
In Limassol, you can dine at quaint tavernas, drink at trendy bars, enjoy the upmarket marina or sunbathe at the City Beach.
From Paphos, you can take the Intercity bus service to the centre of Limassol. Buses run regularly, take 1 hour 15 minutes and cost only 4 Euros.
Find out more about the best things to do in Limassol here.
7/ Explore Paphos Old Town
Technically, Paphos Old Town is still in Paphos. But hear me out. Many visitors to Paphos stay in Kato Paphos (the area close to the sea). This is a great place for hotels and a more “resort” feel, but the more authentic parts of Paphos are to be found high up on the hill in Paphos Old Town.
The Old Town of Paphos was named as the European Capital of Culture in 2017 and it was renovated ahead of that.
In the Old Town, you can find an archeological museum (completely free to enter), churches, gorgeous bars around Kennedy Square and restaurants dotted around back streets. Finally, there is also a market that opens until 16:00 each day.
It would be remiss of me not to recommend Souvlaki Mixalos too. A kebab place with a cute terrace and incidentally the best souvlaki we have eaten in Cyprus. Service is a little scatter gun, but the food is fantastic.
From the harbour you can either take a bus (the 610 runs regularly) or walk for around 30 – 40 minutes to reach the old town.
8/ Visit the villages of the Troodos Mountains
Quaint villages cling to the side of the hills, vineyards and olive groves punctuated by the lilac of jacaranda flowers. The Troodos Mountains are found to the centre of Cyprus.
Although they are closer to Limassol, it is possible to visit by tour from Paphos. The bustling village of Omodos and quiet village of Lofou are two of the most visited places in the Troodos Mountains, as well as the village of Platres with two stunning waterfalls.
Find out more about visiting the Troodos Mountains here.
9/ Worship at Aphrodite’s birth place
From Paphos, you can visit Petra tou Romiou – famous as the birthplace of Aphrodite. You may recognize the location from the Botticelli painting, The Birth of Venus.
Legend has it that Aphrodite emerged from the seawater on this beach. Today, you can visit it as a tourist attraction, it’s free to enter.
In all honesty, you may not want to spend a full day here – the sea water is not that calm. But it would serve as a quick morning or afternoon visit from Paphos.
Bus number 631 operates between Paphos and Aphrodite Rock. Find out more about bus times here.
If you’d prefer a tour that combines a visit to Aphrodite’s Rock with visiting the Troodos mountains – consider this top rated tour.
10/ Visit Latchi and Polis
Polis and Latchi are areas to the North East of Paphos, close to the Akamas Peninusla. They are popular with tourists, as the beaches are pretty and quieter than in and around Paphos. They are also popular snorkeling spots.
The buses run regularly to Latchi and Paphos and take around 45 minutes. Find out more about bus times here.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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[…] The total path is around 500km, but you can walk sections of it instead. The coastal path around Paphos and sections of the Aphrodite trail are said to be the most […]