Car hire Paphos

Introduction

Paphos is known as the birth place of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The modern day Paphos consists of two parts: the upper part that is situated on a hill and is the commercial heart, and downtown with its important archaeological attractions, where most hotels and restaurants are also situated. The coastal strip has seen significant developments in the past few years: it is the most concentrated area of cafés and restaurants. The boulevard is especially crowded at night. 

Population

Paphos has over 50,000 inhabitants. It has developed significantly over the past few years as a tourist center and during the summer months there are much more people walking around in the city than the official population.

Location

Paphos lies on the southwest coast of Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean. North of the city lie the Troodos Mountains, where you can go on beautiful nature walks. Paphos is situated almost 70 kilometers west of Limassol. 

Economy

Earlier, fishing was the most important source of income for the inhabitants of Paphos. Although many people still live off fishing, tourism is now the pillar of the local economy. This is not surprising as the city bursts of historical attractions and is located in a beautiful environment where you can enjoy not only white beaches, but also the fauna and flora of the Troodos Mountains.

Airports

Ten kilometers south east of the city lies Paphos International Airport. Soon, a new four lane highway will be opened which will connect the airport with Paphos. Then you can travel by rental car to and from the airport in a short period of time. The construction of the new highway is desperately needed because the current connection (main road B6 and secondary road E603) is often very busy. 

Public transportation

There is only public bus transportation in Paphos. You should however have patience when using it, because the buses don't always run in accordance with the timetable. There are both city buses and regional buses to villages in the area. 

Traffic and parking

If you want to visit places outside of Paphos, a rental car is essential. Driving around in Cyprus is easy, it is only busy in the centre of Paphos. The narrow streets don't support the increasing traffic.

Paphos is linked with Limassol via highway A6 and work is being done to highway A7 to connect the city with Polis.

Hotels

As indicated above: Paphos has developed into the most important tourist destination on Cyprus over the past few years. Therefore, there is no lack of accommodation: from luxurious beach hotels and resorts, to cabins and simple guest houses. We recommend you to book your room well in advance, especially during high season (summer). 

External resources

For more information on Paphos, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Paphos
• Official website Paphos (Greek and English)
• Tourist information Paphos (English)