Anyone who knows me will already know how much I love Cyprus – so much so, that I’ve chosen to get married there next year!
So heading on holiday there this year was very special – not only were we heading there with my family, (my mam, dad, and two younger brothers) but we were also going to be visiting our wedding venue in person. How exciting – I couldn’t wait!
Over the years we’ve visited Cyprus plenty of times as a family – usually visiting the east side of the island, staying in lively Ayia Napa. Which is where my mam and dad also got married in 1998!
Recently though we’ve enjoyed a couple of holidays staying at the other side of the island, in pretty Paphos. We had a brilliant holiday – here’s everything we got up to…
Villa Vibes
We usually stay in hotels when in Cyprus – some of our favourites being the TUI BLUE Atlantica Aeneas Resort and Holiday Village Aliathon – but this time my mam suggested we stay in a villa together as a group of 7. We found an amazing 4-bedroomed villa in Chloraka, just 10 minutes’ drive from Paphos Harbour, with its own pool and sea views. Perfect!
Our week’s stay here comprised of lazy days around our private pool, BBQs on an evening, and breakfasts on the balcony looking out to sea. The villa was decorated in an amazingly aesthetic Cypriot/Grecian style, with white walls and bright blue shutters. It felt as though we were in ‘Mamma Mia!’ the movie!
Ocean Vision Day Cruise
One of the best parts of our Paphos holiday was our day on the Ocean Vision Cruise. This state-of-the-art boat resides in Paphos Harbour and does daily cruises, day and night. If you pop down to the harbour for a stroll you’ll see all the boat vendors vying for your attention, but trust us when we say – this is the best one!
My dad loves a bargain, and managed to haggle the price down from €65 per person to €55, and that was with us in the VIP area as an added bonus too! The cruise is All Inclusive, so for that price we had unlimited soft and alcoholic drinks all day, plus a delicious barbeque lunch prepared by professional chefs. Well worth it for the money!
The cruise lasts four hours, departing at 11am and returning to the harbour at 3pm. During that time you’re treated to music by a saxophonist and singer, luxurious sunbeds so you can soak up the sun as you sail along, and towards the end of the cruise (when everyone has had a good few drinks!) there’s even a DJ on where everyone is encouraged to dance on the main deck. It truly is a brilliant atmosphere!
Midway through the cruise the boat parks up, allowing you to enjoy a swim in the twinkling blue Mediterranean sea. Or if you’re feeling like having some fun, they even deploy an enormous inflatable slide leading into the sea – what a way to make a splash!
We had an absolute blast on our little day cruise. We got chatting to other Brits on holiday and had so much fun singing along to our favourite songs as we sailed along, as well as making our way through the All Inclusive cocktail list. The long island iced tea has a lot to answer for!
Complimentary transfer to and from your hotel is even included too, so you don’t have to worry about making your own way there or back. For anyone wanting a fun day trip in Paphos, this is the one!
A visit to Aphrodite’s Rock
For all the times I’ve visited Cyprus, it took me until this holiday to visit the amazing Aphrodite’s Rock! This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area, being known for its stunning natural beauty and status in mythology, apparently being the birthplace of ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite.
The rock stack is just off the coast of a beautiful pebble beach – all shades of white, grey and marble – and we had fun skimming the stones into the sea. A few pretty pebbles even made it back home to adorn our garden!
The local myth here is that any person who swims around the rock will be blessed with eternal beauty, youth, love, and good luck. So of course we swam around it! It was one of the most beautiful sea swims I’ve ever had – the water was so tranquil and clear. I didn’t want to get out!
After our time on the actual beach itself we hopped back in our hire cars (we hired cars for the whole week for ease, but there’s daily trips here with various operators too) and headed back up the hill. There’s a stunning look-out spot to stop off at, giving you amazing views of all the beach, Aphrodite’s Rock and the continuing coast line from high up above. Cyprus is such a scenic island.
Paphos Harbour
Although we loved chilling around our villa, we also loved popping down into Paphos Harbour day and night too.
There’s an array of gorgeous restaurants leading right up to Paphos Castle, tempting you in with everything from the fresh catch of the day to tasty meze platters.
Further down the waterfront, the big, palm-tree lined promenade is lovely for a stroll in the sun, and there’s more bars, restaurants, gelato bars and shops for you to pop into along the way.
We stopped off by a lovely cafe facing the sea, who also happened to have a Happy Hour on for those of us who fancied cocktails! The iced frappe here was to die for, and the strawberry daiquiri was a real winner too. After our drinks, we meandered through the little cluster of shops nearby selling Cyprus trinkets, and purchased bits and bobs to bring home.
We made sure to have one night out down the famous ‘Bar Street’ in Paphos on an evening too. The funky bars with their jazzy neon lights mean you can’t miss this lively part of Paphos, and we had a great time in one of the most popular places – Flairs! With a 2-4-1 cocktail menu, free shots and a free bottle of fizz on the cards, they soon had us doing the conga around the bar to bouncing music. What a laugh! And the best part is ending the night with an authentic greek-style chicken kebab from the eatery next door. Beats a night out back home!
Fantastic food
As well as the fabulous restaurants and bars down at the harbour, there’s two other places that just had to get a mention when it comes to delicious places to dine in Paphos!
Pepperoni Pizza has always been busy every time we’ve went – and that’s because the pizzas here are seriously good! They have a whole menu of Italian feasts if you fancy pasta or something instead, but we’ll be surprised if you can turn down a slice (or two, or three – hell, the whole thing!) here. We went for the classic – cheese pepperoni – and spicy picante, and both were so tasty. The large pizza here is about 50cm wide, so make sure you’re hungry!
The other place we love to dine out in Paphos is Poppadums Indian Restaurant. For full on Indian flavour, this place cannot be beaten! Fluffy naans, complimentary pickle trays, poppadums, and colourful curries that you never want to stop eating.
Fun at the footie
Another of the best parts about our holiday was our impromptu football experience!
A great idea for any football fans when abroad – why not check out the local team? My dad, brother, and boyfriend are all avid football lovers and love attending any matches abroad when they can.
We were lucky enough to have been visiting Paphos when they were scheduled to play Omonoia in the Cyprus Cup Final – a pretty big game for Paphos, having never won a Cup Final before.
So, off we popped to the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, to cheer on our (current!) home team! When buying the tickets we were even given free T-shirts to wear to the match, so we really looked the part.
The atmosphere was like no football match I’ve ever experienced back home – the fans here were something else! It was brilliant hearing all their chants, and it was funny to see flare after flare being set off in celebration of this amazing event.
And the best part of all – Paphos FC truly triumphed, with a terrific 3-0 result! We had a blast jumping for joy with the other home fans as each goal went in. We even stayed to watch them lift up the FA Cup trophy, an iconic moment in the club’s history that we can proudly say we were a part of.
Beach bar heaven
One of the things we love most about Paphos is the beautiful beach bars on offer. They take stunning cocktails and sea views to a whole new level here!
Baracas Lounge is one that was within walking distance of our villa, along the seafront of Chlorakas. It’s one of the best places to sit back and enjoy the sunset – there’s even a giant deck chair and a large love heart sign that you can sit on, giving you the most perfect photos possible.
Sea You Beach Bar is another of our favourites too, residing a little further along the coast. This place actually sits right on the beach and is a lovely lunch spot – we tucked into Chicken Kebabs with fresh tzatziki on a fluffy pitta, and wow, was it tasty. The place has a gorgeous boho-feel to it, and you could easily be mistaken for being in the Caribbean.
Another top spot for fantastic food, drinks, and dreamy views is Sea Caves Lounge Bar. Head here just before sunset and you’ll be treated to a brilliant sight of orangey-hues settling against blissful waters and captivating caves. It really is one of the best spots on the island to enjoy drinks together – the strawberry daiquiri is one of the best I’ve had.
Wedding bliss
And the absolute best part of our Paphos holiday – seeing our wedding venue of course! Me and my fiance Micky have chosen to get married at the wedding venue known as Alassos, on Coral Bay Road. It’s one of the most gorgeous and exclusive wedding venues in all of Cyprus – as soon as we saw pictures of it, we instantly fell in love.
During this holiday, we met our wedding planner, Vicki, there to have a look around in person. We were not disappointed! We walked out into the reception area, with tables already laid out for the wedding happening that day. Surrounded by palm trees, fairy lights, and gorgeous green lawn areas, we could just visualise our friends and family making memories in the sunshine here. Our ceremony area is what really blew us away – a hidden path leading down to panoramic views of the sea on a cliff edge. Absolutely stunning! My mam made us snap a pic of us stood there for a laugh – next time, we would be standing here doing it for real!
Cyprus really is a fantastic place to get married – whether it’s at a private venue like ours, one of the picturesque hotels in the area or even a private beach ceremony, there’s so many options for those looking to tie the knot in the sunshine. Roll on September 2025 when I get to say ‘I do!’ In the most magical place!
Ready to head to Paphos?
If all that’s made you ready to visit this spectacular side of the island then take a look at some of our best deals heading there soon. I’ll be back next year, that’s for sure!
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