The Paphos Old Town is actually quite a small area: a cluster of pedestrian ways around Kennedy Square. Because in 2017 Paphos shared the distinction of being the European Capital of Culture with the Danish city of Aarhus, local authorities conducted ample works to revamp the Old Town. What you see today is the result of extensive modernization works. However, some traces of the past remain in the private architectural landmarks the government couldn’t touch.

Discovering the Old-World Charm of the Old Town

The Paphos Old Town is not the ancient site of the city. To reach the Tombs of the Kings or the harbor from here you’d walk about 20 minutes or more. The Old Town area surrounds the Kennedy Square and the Municipal Gardens.

The Old Town is an area known by the locals as Ktima, a favorite meeting point around Kennedy Square. The heart of Paphos lost some of its old-world charms, as renovation works in 2015-2017 changed its appearance to appeal to the visitors of the European Capital of Culture 2017. Kenedy Square got a facelift, with new pavement and art installations of all kinds, most of them relocated after the European Capital of Culture event. But many artsy murals still decorate building facades. In fact, this area is an outdoor art exhibition of sorts.

If you adventure off-the-beaten-path, you can discover the old-world essence of Ktima. Behind the polished new square and renovated Markideio theater, many of the buildings display the patina of time with subtle pride. It’s not uncommon, but for the untrained observer, they may look like edifices threatened by decay. In contrast, the main square shines in bright whites. But step inside these whitewashed modernized buildings, and the Cypriot spirit trumps modernity with determined glee.

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The Pafos Zoo is an unexpected wildlife sanctuary. Christos Christoforou’s work of love boasts today two of the most extensive collections of parrots and venomous snakes in Europe.

Pafos Zoo: More than a Tourist Attraction

Although it only opened to the public in 2003, the Pafos Zoo is a veritable tourist landmark. It counts among the most fascinating attractions on the island, as the first and largest licensed zoo of Cyprus.

As much as little explorers love the Pafos Zoo, this attraction is equally interesting for the inner child in every adult. Animals from all over the world enjoy a safe haven on the premises of a 100 000 m² facility, which boasts, besides animal habitats, the Natural History Museum, the Traditional Art Museum, a souvenir shop, a restaurant, a snack bar, and an ice cream kiosk.

The Pafos Zoo will fascinate you. Its collection of birds counts 1000 heads from over nearly 200 different species. According to the zoo, about 45% of its feathered exhibits are threatened or near threatened in the wild.

Then, its remarkable reptile collection has specimens from over 50 species, including the Nile Crocodile, the Gaboon Viper, and the Aldabra Giant Tortoise.

Finally, the mammals section of the Pafor Zoo counts about 500 individual animals from more than 40 different species: they have spectacular Siberian tigers and white lions; Dromedary camels, zebras, and Cypriot donkeys; elephants; red kangaroos and wallabies; marmosets, lemurs, and tamarins; and the list goes on.

The zoo organizes all kinds of thematic events for little visitors, like face painting, reptile interaction, and mystery guest appearances. The Pafos Zoo is also actively involved in the conservation of the species they shelter and protect. In 2017, they released Siberian tiger Aphrodite in a protected habitat in Russia to help rehabilitate this group into the wild.

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