Today I want to share my travel itinerary for a weekend in Cyprus with you. This island in the Mediterranean Sea is a great country to visit in Europe. With beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritage, there’s a lot do love about it.
Weekend in Cyprus
Cyprus is a divided country. Greek in the south and Turkish in the north, the Mediterranean island is inhabited by two nations.
I was fascinated by Cyprus’ duality when I was in college, and ever since then I’ve wanted to visit and learn more about its history and culture.
Where to Stay for a Weekend in Cyprus
I recently had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Cyprus. My boyfriend and I planned a romantic weekend getaway to the coastal city of Paphos in the southwestern part of the island.
With only two days to explore, we decided to focus on the Greek part of Cyprus.
We’d been invited for a complimentary stay at the Almyra, a hotel and spa in Paphos where we had a seafront suite that offered wide views of the waves.
With a goal of learning about the history of the island during our weekend in Cyprus, we asked the hotel concierge for sightseeing suggestions.
He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, writing down the names of several must-see places and giving us advice on how to get to them.
Things to Do in a Weekend in Cyprus
We started our weekend in Cyprus by visiting some of the area’s best archaeological and historical sites. The first stop was one of the most romantic places in Cyprus.
We visited a beach that had a huge rock that was said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite.
The rock was surrounded by stone hearts couples from all over the world had placed in the sand in honor of the Greek goddess of love. It was one of the world’s most romantic travel destinations.
From there our weekend in Cyprus took us to Kourion, a hilltop archaeological site near the city of Limassol. Kourion was home to excellent examples of ancient Roman architecture.
From villas to temples, houses to amphitheaters, the site was both large and impressive.
In Kourion there were beautiful mosaics, a large agora marketplace, Roman baths, a nymphaeum, and a necropolis. All of them offered stunning views over the sea.
The city was developed over centuries from the Hellenistic period up through the early Christian era, so Kourion was also home to the ruins of a large Christian basilica.
A short drive from Kourion stood the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. Towering columns from the temple stood against the backdrop of the Troodos Massif, the largest mountain range in Cyprus.
Remnants of a place of worship dedicated to a deity dating back to 6000 BC stood in the foreground. I was amazed at how far back Cyprus’ history stretched, and how much of it is still visible today.
Back in Paphos, we continued our our weekend in Cyprus with a visit to the Paphos Archaeological Park. The park was an open-air museum in which there were several Roman villas with intricate and well-preserved mosaic floors.
The UNESCO World Heritage site covered an impressive amount of land, and we spent the better part of the late afternoon walking through the ruins and examining the mosaics.
Beach Activities in Paphos
But our weekend in Cyprus wasn’t entirely about sightseeing. The island offered all kinds of other entertainment, and we could enjoy much of it without ever leaving our hotel.
Just outside our room at the Almyra, there was a whole range of water sports on offer. The shore was lined with colorful beach chairs and seaside cafes, too.
Our room had a roof deck with huge white sofas and a wall-to-wall window that opened up onto a private terrace with lounge chairs.
Spa in Cyprus
Away from the shore, I was a guest at the Almyra spa during our weekend in Cyprus. The spa focused on natural raw materials used according to the phases of the moon.
I received an exfoliating scrub and back massage in a room overlooking the Mediterranean. Afterwards I sipped tea in the spa’s post-treatment relaxation room.
I didn’t have time to take a dip in the gorgeous outdoor pool or use the indoor pool, gym, sauna, steam room, or tennis court, but there’s always next time.
Bars and Restaurants in Cyprus
I did get a chance to enjoy another relaxing tradition during my weekend in Cyprus, though. Having cocktails at one of the Almyra’s four restaurants was a treat.
Notios was situated next to the hotel’s main outdoor pool. Its open-air dining area had sofas and chairs overlooking the water.
We were also invited to dine at Notios one evening during our weekend in Cyprus. We tried a variety of dishes from the restaurant’s Asian-Mediterranean menu.
My starter of giant prawns, main of vegetable green curry, and dessert of baklava with poached pears in red wine sauce all tasted great with a bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir.
On another night we had dinner at one of the many restaurants along the harbor in Paphos. There we had a traditional mezze feast. It consisted of so many small plates it took up two whole tables.
Everything from hummus to swordfish was served in diminutive bowls, and the bottle of local red wine that went with it was excellent.
Troodos Massif in Cyprus
When we weren’t eating, spa-ing, or exploring historical attractions, we spent our weekend in Cyprus exploring the inland areas.
One day we took a trip to the Troodos Massif in the center of the island. Winding roads went up, up, up through hillside villages of white buildings with blue trim and sun-baked tile roofs.
The Troodos abounded with wine routes, picnic spots, hiking trails, and vista points, all of which offered gorgeous views of the sea below.
Weekend in Cyprus
Unfortunately, our time in the Troodos Mountains came to an end long before I was ready to be done with my weekend in Cyprus.
It was okay, though. I had to leave something for a future trip. If what I’d experienced on this visit was any indication, there was a lot more of Cyprus I’d want to discover.
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