Travel: A Guide to Holidaying in Paphos, Cyprus

Located on the southwest coast of Cyprus, Paphos is a bustling town mixing archaelogical sites with pubs, bars and restaurants. Paphos International Airport is the second largest airport on the island, and the town is located 50km from Limassol, the island's largest port.

Paphos has now become quite a hotspot for British holidaymakers. Consequently, large sections cater exclusively for the Brits, with many English bars, sports bars and the ubiquitous gift shops littering the town. Traditional tavernas still remain for those willing to look, where food of exceptional quality can still be found, including beef stifado and lamb kleftiko, meze and fresh fish traditionally cooked.

The Airport at Paphos is surprisingly large, seeing as there is another one on the island. It is well-run and professional, though often flights are not announced over the tannoy. It is advisable to regularly check the departures board and, if in any doubt, proceed to your gate in good time.

The Duty-free area is fairly large and there are food halls, gift shops and a bar to make the waiting easier. It is fully air-conditioned against the subtropical-Mediterranean heat which lasts from March to November.

There are two main sites to visit, though many others are scattered around the town. The first is the Tombs of the Kings.

Built during the Hellenistic period to house the bodies of rich citizens of Old Paphos, they did not actually contain the remains of kings, but are so elaborate and well-constructed that the name stuck.

Many tombs were built after the fashion of the houses in which the citizens lived, with chambers, corridors and several rooms with elaborately-carved friezes around the entrances. Many were covered in mosaic or painted, but mot of this has now been lost. The bodies are long-gone, but the columns and carvings remain, along with staircases and deep circular shafts which may have been wells. The Tombs of the Kings is a World Heritage Site.

The second site to visit is also a World Heritage Site. It is simply called the Archeological Site due to the many areas it covers. Essentially it preserves much of the Old Paphos, and which New Paphos, the town built by Nicocles and which is still inhabited today, replaced.

This site incorporates the remains of the Old Paphos' city walls and gates, the Agora (marketplace) and Odeon (amphitheatre) and several mosaic floors which were uncovered, restored and preserved in new buildings. There is also the ruins of a large house, where the Roman Consul of Cyprus would have lived in the fifth century - the House of Theseus.

The Odeon is particularly interesting. Built in the second century AD, it is a semi-circular stone amphitheatre which would hold around 1200 people. It was used for festivals and possibly for public-speaking or town meetings. It is in remarkable condition and well worth a look.

In front of the Odeon is the Agora, the remains of the town square where markets and shops would have been erected. Next to the Odeon is the remains of a medical centre, a very large complex of rooms for diagnosis and treatment by Roman-era physicians.

The Houses of Dionysus and Aion are so-called because of the mosaic floors uncovered there. Nothing now remains of the buildings themselves, but the mosaics are remarkably preserved, from intricate geometric patterns to figures of gods and men, hunting scenes, and scenes from myth and legend.

It should be noted this site is very spread out and accessible by stone or dirt trails. Some of the trails are steep and narrow and should not be attempted with push chairs or by the elderly or infirm. There is also not a lot of shade.

Up the coast from the harbour there is a fairly large, sand-and-pebble beach with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire by the day. These are mostly taken early on by the residents of the sea-front hotels, so unless you have your own umbrellas, you may want to make your way to the beach early.

The water is very warm but generally the shallows are full of large rocks - there are small platforms and jetties with steps leading into the water to avoid clambering over these, but the plus side is that they encourage an abundance of fish to swim close to shore, which makes for exciting and rewarding snorkelling.

There are warning signs up illustrating the dangers of rip tides and how to escape one, but I didn't see any evidence of them during my stay. The warning should be noted, however.

A 20-minute bus ride from Paphos will bring you to Coral Bay, one of Cyprus' most famous beaches. Golden sands, warm seas (without rocks) and with beach snack-bars and toilet facilities, it is a lovely beach. Smaller than the Paphos beach, however, it fills up even faster, so an early start is recommended.

Both beaches have water sports facilities including the hire of jet skis, parasending, and scuba diving lessons. Coral Bay does fishing and speedboat trips for the more adventurous, whilst at the harbour cruises, fishing trips, pirate trips, and more can be booked.

As mentioned, Paphos has become somewhat Anglicised, meaning there is an abundance of 'British' bars and restaurants.

Of these, some of the best for food and drink are the O'Neills Irish Bar, the Pit Stop Bar and the Green Corner bar, all on the Tombs of the Kings Road. Also to be mentioned is the Phuket Chinese and Thai restaurant, which is beatifully decorated and serves amazing food.

For those seeking something more traditional, Dias Zeus offers authentic Greek food - the stifado is highly recommended - and Raffles also does fantastic Greek food - the Polynesian Seafood Starter, although a little pricy at 7.90 Euros, is practically a meal in itself and worth every cent. There is also Aphrodite's Garden and some others, although I have not personally eaten there.

Traditional Cypriot lager is the Keo or the Leon, both of which are considerably cheaper than the imported Carlsberg, Magners or Guinness.

The locals are friendly and welcoming, the accommodation is generally to a good standard - we stayed at the Kefalonitis Apartments, self-catering, in a one-bedroom, spacious, fully air-conditioned apartment. It was one of the few self-catering complexes complete with a full kitchen - oven, hob, microwave, fridge-freezer, toaster etc. The rooms was lovely, cleaned every day, with a good pool area and plenty of loungers and umbrellas. There was a supermarket nearby to stock up on essentials.

Like many places, Paphos has suffered in the recession and there are some areas where shops and restaurants have closed and been boarded up. Whilst this is a shame, it is no different to anywhere else and should not detract from a fabulous holiday resort for both families and couples. If you want sun, sea and sand, along with culture, good food and cheap bus travel around the island, Paphos is the place to visit.