Paphos travel guide: what to see, how to get there and what a taxi costs
2 August 2026
Paphos is the western corner of Cyprus and the one town where you can walk from a harbour castle to a UNESCO World Heritage site in ten minutes. Paphos Airport (PFO) sits 11 km from the centre — a 15-minute drive, €30 in a booked car. From Larnaca Airport it is 135 km and about an hour and a half, €130 for a sedan. This guide covers what is actually worth your time, and how to move between it all.
Getting to Paphos
| From | Distance | Time | Sedan | Minivan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos Airport (PFO) | 11 km | 15 min | €30 | €50 |
| Larnaca Airport (LCA) | 135 km | 1 h 30 | €130 | €235 |
| Limassol | 77 km | 1 h | €70 | €130 |
| Ayia Napa | ~200 km | 2 h | €175 | €310 |
From Paphos Airport the drive is short enough that most people underestimate it — the airport is south-east of town, and the road runs along the coast. A booked car is €30, which is our minimum fare; on a hop this short a metered taxi may well come out cheaper, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. What the fixed price buys you here is certainty at 02:00 and a driver who is already waiting.
From Larnaca Airport it is a different proposition. An hour and a half on the motorway, and a meter running that long produces a number nobody can predict at the start — Cypriot taxi tariffs also step up in the evening. €130 is €130 whichever hour you land. See the Larnaca Airport → Paphos transfer page for the live fare.
Buses exist between Paphos and Limassol and onward to the other cities, but there is no railway anywhere in Cyprus and intercity services finish in the evening. If you land after dark, a car is not an indulgence — it is the only thing still running.
Paphos Archaeological Park
The single reason Paphos is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The park sits right by the harbour and holds the remains of Nea Paphos — the Hellenistic and Roman city — with floor mosaics that are among the best preserved in the eastern Mediterranean.
A mosaic floor in the House of Dionysus. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
The mosaics are the draw — the House of Dionysus, the House of Theseus, the House of Aion. They are floors of wealthy Roman villas, and they are startlingly detailed once you are standing on the walkways above them.
Practical notes. There is very little shade, the ground is uneven, and in July and August the middle of the day is punishing. Go early or late. Allow two hours if you want to see it properly; an hour if you are only after the headline mosaics.
Tombs of the Kings
A twenty-minute walk north along the coast, or a short drive. Despite the name, no kings were buried here — the tombs held Paphos aristocrats from the 4th century BC onwards, and the name comes from their grandeur.
The Tombs of the Kings, cut directly into the rock. Photo: Stefan Bellini, CC0
What makes them worth the walk is that they are carved down into the rock rather than built up from it — you descend into courtyards ringed with Doric columns, all of it hewn out of the stone itself. It is a large site and an open one, so again: hat, water, not midday.
Aphrodite's Rock
Petra tou Romiou sits on the coast road about 25 km east of Paphos, on the way to Limassol. By legend this is where Aphrodite rose from the sea, and the pebble beach beneath the rock is a genuinely striking place at sunset.
Petra tou Romiou. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Two things worth knowing. The beach is pebble, not sand, and the water gets deep quickly — it is a place to look at more than to swim at. And the viewing point is on the far side of the road from the beach, reached by a tunnel underneath; do not try to cross the road itself.
It works beautifully as a stop on the drive between Paphos and Limassol. A short stop like that is arranged with the driver and not charged separately.
Coral Bay and the Akamas
Twelve kilometres north of Paphos, Coral Bay is the sandy beach the town itself does not really have — a sheltered crescent with clear water and the shallow entry that matters if you are travelling with small children.
Beyond it the road runs out into the Akamas peninsula, the wildest corner of the island: no development, dirt tracks, the Baths of Aphrodite, the Blue Lagoon. A conventional car will not get you far into it, and hire-car insurance usually excludes unsurfaced roads — check before you set off, or take a boat trip from Latchi instead.
Getting around Paphos itself
The town splits in two and this catches people out. Kato Paphos is the lower town by the harbour — the archaeological park, the hotels, the restaurants. Ktima, the upper town, is where the municipal market, the shops and everyday Cypriot Paphos are. They are about 3 km apart and there is a real hill between them.
Local buses connect the two and run along the coast to Coral Bay. They are cheap and reasonably frequent in season. For evening returns, day trips inland or anything with luggage, a car makes more sense.
When to come
Paphos is the mildest corner of Cyprus in winter and the most bearable in high summer, because the west coast catches the breeze.
- April–June — the best of it. Warm sea from late May, wildflowers in the Akamas, no crowds.
- July–August — hot, busy, and the archaeological sites are hard work in the middle of the day.
- September–October — the sea is at its warmest and the light is at its best.
- November–March — quiet, green, and genuinely pleasant for walking. Some beach restaurants close.
FAQ
How far is Paphos Airport from Paphos town?
About 11 km, a 15-minute drive. A booked car is €30 for up to four passengers, €50 for a minivan carrying up to eight.
How much is a taxi from Larnaca Airport to Paphos?
Booked in advance, €130 for a sedan and €235 for a minivan — fixed, regardless of the hour or of traffic. A metered taxi over 135 km will depend on the time of day and can run higher.
Is Paphos worth visiting for the archaeology alone?
Yes. The Archaeological Park and the Tombs of the Kings are both UNESCO-listed and both within walking distance of the harbour. Two half-days covers them comfortably.
Can we stop at Aphrodite's Rock on the way to Limassol?
Yes, it is directly on the coast road. Tell the driver when you book; a short stop is not charged separately. If you want the car held longer while you walk down to the beach, waiting outside airports is €50 per hour and agreed before it starts.
Do we need a hire car in Paphos?
Not for the town itself — the sites are walkable or a short ride apart. For the Akamas and the mountain villages a car helps, but note that Cyprus drives on the left and hire insurance usually excludes dirt roads.
Book your transfer
Fixed fares to Paphos from either airport, with the exact price for your address: Larnaca Airport → Paphos or see all Cyprus airport transfers.