There is plenty to see in the area, especially if you’re prepared to travel up and down the coast. Within Pafos there’s the Roman Mosaics, which, as is usual with these, were found by a farmer ploughing his field. The excavations that took place as a result of this accident have so far uncovered an extensive Roman development, with some superb floor mosaics vividly depicting scenes from ancient mythology. They are said to be amongst the finest in the world.

The harbour was a bit of a disappointment to us, but it’s a good area to visit and people-watch. We reckon that it’s best seen at night, with the moon reflecting off the still waters, the posh boats moored, and the locals strolling the promenade. We were told that we should keep an eye out for the resident pelicans, but we didn’t see any when we visited. If you want shopping, the harbour is the place to be, with a range of shops, stalls, and restaurants to potter round.

At the end of the harbour is Pafos castle. It was originally built in the late 1300s but almost completely demolished within a century being, partially restored by the Turks around 1600. See it because it’s there, but we weren’t particularly enamoured by it.

On the road to the harbour you’ll spot the catacombs of Solomon. There’s a huge tree overshadowing this small site that was decked out with tied handkerchiefs, plastic bags, and paper tissues as a sign of respect from devotees.

On the main road to Limasol there’s the Savvas Pottery. Here you may be able to snap up a bargain straight from the factory. If not, then on the same stretch of road there’s a Cypriot delight factory - well worth a stop if you can find somewhere to park. Additionally, the Sterna winery (off the main road to Polis) offers free tastings but also has superb views of the surrounding countryside.

We’ll remember Cyprus for the clear blue skies, the incredibly friendly folk, and some great restaurants with ambience and superb, flavourful meals. It’s not the prettiest of islands, but if you take your time to move out of the tourist hot spots, the Cypriot culture is easily accessible. ${QuickSuggestions} Travelling from the UK, there’s no need to take plug adaptors for electrical appliances, as Cyprus works off 240 volts and the same three-pin plugs as England. Although tour reps recommend that you buy bottled water (the mineral content is different than in the UK), we didn’t have any trouble with the tap water. Admittedly, we always boiled it and any leftovers from the tea/coffee were chilled in the fridge. I guess this would have helped with any potential problems. Bottled water wasn’t expensive if bought in the supermarkets, but we were happy not to be dragging it into the apartment.

We did manage to find the only bank on the island that could not cope with our ATM card. Having panicked momentarily, we tried the Bank of Cyprus, which was problem-free. Just as well, because we’d taken very little cash with us! Credit cards are readily accepted, but debit cards are frowned upon.

Most shops close for the half-day on Wednesday and Saturday and all day on Sunday. They also have an extended lunch break (between 1 and 4pm), so it’s best to leave shopping to the early evening, when the sun’s gone down. ${BestWay} Pafos is real easy to get around. There are regular buses up and down the Tomb of the Kings Avenue that can get you from the harbour to Coral Bay or into the old town of Pafos. A single journey will cost you $0.70, and that’s real cheap!

A group of four can travel on a short journey nearly as cheaply by taxi, but for longer journeys, the bus will be less costly. However, they do seem to "run full" for most of the time, so you may prefer to put comfort over cost. We were told to always check out that it was an authorised taxi before accepting a lift, as there are "cowboy companies" that operate the main roads.

Of course, if you prefer guided tours, there is no shortage of these. All of the main streets around the town have small travel agents advertising "bargain" tours. Although we didn’t use one, we couldn’t resist checking out the prices, and I have to say, despite the pledges of "being the cheapest," there was little difference in cost.

Of course, you can always walk and take in the shops en route.

From journal Polis to Pahpos