The true essence of the Mediterranean can be found in Cyprus – Europe's eastern edge – amid the bottomless beauty of its landscape and culture. This is a place seemingly untouched by time, with slumbering villages, awe-inspiring classical amphitheatres and temples, haunting monasteries clinging to craggy clifftops and scattered Byzantine churches, whose treasures, precious icons and frescoes, are waiting to be discovered by the visitor with a thirst for romance, history and adventure.
The Green Island, as Cyprus was known in ancient times, is the land of the grape and the olive and it relishes its reputation for sharply accented oil and refined, smooth wines. It is also a botanist's dream and in the spring the air is thick with the scent of lemon blossom, and the ground, from the lush hills of the Akamas Peninsula to the remote cliffs of the Troodos Mountains, is carpeted with wild flowers and herbs.
To visit Cyprus at any time of year is to ramble agreeably through history, while enjoying the comforts and pleasures of some of the finest resorts in the world in the seemingly constant sunshine.

PAPHOS
There is a rock rising majestically out of the azure sea at Paphos, which the Ancients believed marked the place of Aphrodite's birth. Since Hellenic times, the faithful of all creeds have flocked to worship at this beautiful bay, establishing a fine tradition of mosaic making and leaving behind monasteries, as well as a distinctive 13th century fort. Yet today sun-worshippers will feel as much at home as cultural pilgrims in this charming town, with its bustling port full of restaurants, bars, shops and enticing little beaches and the friendly intimacy of quality hotels, Alternatively you can watch the sun dip down over the antiquities into the sea from the perch of Ktima Paphos, the working part of town which clings to the hill above.
The gently rolling hills and ancient vineyards of central Cyprus gradually give way, as you drive towards the island's north-westerly tip, to the wild and dramatic beauty of the Akamas Peninsula, named after the mythical son of Theseus. Carpeted in the spring with wild orchids and cyclamen, this lyrical Homeric landscape is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the island. It is a landscape fit for the Gods and so it comes as no surprise to learn that it was here that Aphrodite, who loved to bathe in the sweet waters of a local spring, first set eyes on Adonis.
Secluded on the edge of the nature reserve, alongside the unspoilt little town of Polis and the charming fishing village of Latchi, yet still only a short drive away from the bustle of Paphos.

Pissouri is a laid back rsort flanked by a Blue Flag beach and limestone cliffs, offers complete tranquility for 'get away from it all' holiday. It's the closest resort to Aphrodite's Rock, a beauty spot and beach.