4VIP Tour

Day 1

Arrival to Cyprus and accommodation in the Hotel

Day 2

Full day trip to Birth Place of Aphrodite (Paphos).

According to one legend, Aphrodite was born from the waves on the site off the coast of Cyprus. Hesiod, in his Theogony (circa 8th century BC), provides a dramatic account of the event. Cronus, son of Gaia, castrated his father Uranus on his mother’s orders because of Uranus’ infidelity, and his testicles fell into the sea. A cascade of effervescent white foam appeared from which a damsel of extraordinary beauty arose. This maiden was named Aphrodite who was then escorted ashore on a shell by the soft breezes of the Zephyrs to the rocks known as Petra tou Romiou (Rock of the Greek) and also Aphrodite’s Rock.

According to another, this place is indeed the birthplace of Aphrodite. It is believed that she emerged from the sea at this bay. Aphrodite herself chose the famous rock to begin her life as a human. It is said that Aphrodite first traveled to the island of Cythera, but she found it too small and therefore reached Paphos and settled here. Whichever the legend, this is a popular site for an excursion in Cyprus.

After the lunch we will continue our journey to the Bath of Aphrodite.

The ‘Baths of Aphrodite’ is an area on the way to Akamas National Park just after pictures village of Latchi which attracts many visitors. This beauty spot is situated close to the tip of the Akamas peninsula. A natural pool grotto surrounded in greenery, the site lies at the end of a small nature trail. As its name suggests, the grotto is said to be where the Goddess of Love used to bath in a pond just before her marriage to Hephaestus, the maker of the weapons for the gods. Another version says she was married to Ares, the God of War. Whichever the version, the Baths of Aphrodite provide a magnificent view of the Bay of Polis. You can enjoy the most beautiful sunset during the dinner from the restaurant on the cliff.

Day 3

Free day to explore the city

Day 4

We continue our journey with visit to one of the famous Archeological site mount of Kourion, on which the ancient city-kingdom developed, occupies a dominant position on the coast 4 km southwest of the village of Episkopi in Limassol district. The earliest evidence of settlement in the broader area of Kourion dates to the Neolithic period (4500-3900 B.C.), whilst the most ancient remains in the area of the ancient city itself are connected with settlements and tombs of the Middle and Late Bronze Age. According to tradition Kourion was founded by Argives in the 13th century BC, during the first wave of the Mycenaean expansion and others followed the Argives in the 12th century as a result of the Dorian invasion of Greece.

Systematic excavations were undertaken in 1933-54 by the Pennsylvania University Museum with a break during the war years. During the excavations, the building of the Achilles Mosaic, the Theatre, the Baths and the Complex of Eustolios, the Stadium and the Sanctuary of Apollon Hylates came to light. In 1974-1979 the American Mission of the Dumbarton Oaks Centre for Byzantine Studies carried out excavations in the Early Christian Basilica of Kourion. At the same time (from 1964 until today) the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus excavated the Agora, the House of Gladiators, the Small Basilica next to the Stadium and the newly discovered Coastal Basilica. The Department is also responsible for the creation of the archaeological park of Kourion.

The city has a very large market place and you can find an early Christian Basilica as well within the city walls. Furthermore, large public baths which were equipped with cold, warm and hot spas were built. The large amphitheater sits 2000 spectators and held mostly gladiator games in the city; there is also a Palestra or a training place for gladiators. It’s one of the best sightseeing tours in Cyprus and must be on your Cyprus Holiday agenda.

We will stop for early dinner at one of the traditional Fish tavern on the beach at the bottom of Kourion.

Day 5

Day 6

Full day trip to Archaeological Park of Paphos.

Nea Pafos is situated on a small promontory on the southwest coast of the island. The town was apparently founded at the end of the 4th century B.C. by Nicocles, the last king of Palaipafos. In early 3rd century B.C. when Cyprus became part of the Ptolemaic kingdom, which had its capital in Alexandria, Nea Pafos became the centre of Ptolemaic administration on the island, ultimately becoming its capital. When in 58 B.C. Cyprus was annexed by Rome, Nea Pafos continued to be the capital of Cyprus. After the disastrous earthquakes of the 4th century A.D. the capital was transferred to Salamis, which was then renamed Constantia. Even then however, Nea Pafos dominated the other cities of Cyprus. After the Arab raids of the middle of the 7th century, Nea Pafos went through a period of decline, which lasted a few centuries, and reduced in size. The town regained some of its importance during the Byzantine and the Medieval periods but from the Venetian period onwards the coastal settlement of Nea Pafos was abandoned and the population began to move further inland where the present town of Pafos (Ktima) developed.

We will visit: The House of Dionysos, The House of Orpheus, The Villa of Theseus, The House of Aion, The Agora, The Theatre, The Basilica of Chrysopolitissa and The Castle of 'Saranda Kolones.

In the afternoon we will have a stopover at beautiful Paphos harbor. Dinner with fresh fish and sea food by the sea will be the glorious ending of our journey.

Day 7

Khirokitia (sometimes spelled Choirokoitia) is an archaeological site on the island of Cyprus dating from the Neolithic age. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1998. The site is known as one of the most important and best preserved prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean. Much of its importance lies in the evidence of an organised functional society in the form of a collective settlement, with surrounding fortifications for communal protection. The Neolithic Aceramic period is represented by this settlement and around 20 other similar settlements spread throughout Cyprus. The site was discovered in 1934 by Porphyrios Dikaios, director of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities.

The site is bound to the north, east and southeast by the deep bend of the river, and to the west by successive walls. A complex architectural system, unique in Cyprus and the Near East, provided control over access to the village. Protected by these walls, the houses of the settlement were crowded together. A house consisted of a compound of several buildings with a circular ground plan around an unroofed space, a kind of small inner ‘courtyard’ where grinding took place. These structures were built in stone, pisé and sun-dried mudbrick, or any combination of the three. The roof was flat and consisted of a wooden frame made out of branches, reeds, pisé and earth. Excavation revealed that the dead were buried in pits inside the dwelling units.

On the way back we can visit famous village of Zigy and try the best Fish meze around accompanied by traditional Cyprus wine.

Day 8

After breakfast, free time to explore the city. Transfer from the hotel to the airport and return to Warsaw.