“Petra tou Romiou” is the name of the rock by the sea, next to which, according to legend, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, was born. This place is located 25 km east of Paphos on the main road leading from Paphos to Limassol.
This is a fairly large round boulder that lies at shallow depths near the shore. The waves splash against the stone and, breaking, run towards the sand like white lambs. On both sides stretch golden sandy beaches with rare stones and rocks. The azure sky reflects the sun and crystal sky. This is an amazingly beautiful place.
The charming Aphrodite left dozens of memorable testimonies in Cyprus. The Baths of Aphrodite in Polis and the “Fontana Amorosa” - “Fountain of Love” are also an echo of her appearance on the island of Cyprus. In the village of Kouklia, 14 km from Paphos, are the remains of the earliest Sanctuary of this beautiful goddess. Beauty and love know no boundaries - Aphrodite turned the entire island into her sanctuary, giving Cyprus the mythical glory of the island of love.
"Petra tou Romiou" is translated from Greek as "Greek's stone." The rock received this name in honor of the Byzantine Greek Digenis, a national Greek hero. One of the legends says: when the Saracens attacked the island and besieged Kourion, Digenis decided to train every day in order to kill as many hated enemies as possible in the decisive battle. He chose a simple and ingenuous method - every day he threw stone blocks at the invaders from the fortress wall. They say he achieved great skill in this.
However, more romantic, of course, is the legend about Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. According to ancient myths, Aphrodite was born from sea foam near the coast of Cyprus, and was brought to land on a stone known as Petra tou Romiou in a beautiful shell by the light breeze of Zephyr. The gods named it as we now know it, since “afrizo” means “foam” in ancient Greek.
Homer says in the Iliad that Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and a water nymph. According to Hesiod's Theogony, its appearance was preceded by more dramatic events. Be that as it may, in ancient times the cult of Aphrodite in Crete was widely known. Evidence of this can be found in the majestic temple in honor of the goddess on the territory of Old Paphos. Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Romans, the cult died out, and the temple began to empty and collapse. Local residents say that under certain weather conditions, the rising waves break and form a kind of water column, which transforms into a column of foam. If you use your imagination a little, then for a moment you can see an ephemeral, disappearing human form.
The birthplace of Aphrodite, despite the name with such a military history, amazes with the beauty and tranquility of the landscape. There are several beliefs associated with this place. In particular, it is believed that if lovers swim in the local waves, they will never part and will love each other until death. Despite such a rosy prospect, for some reason there are few people who want to swim here. In addition, it is believed that anyone who swims past the local cliff at night on a full moon will gain immortality.
Petra tou Romiou is one of the most beautiful places on the entire island. The air here is transparent and clean; the colors are unique, bright, rich; the landscape is magnificent! Here the sense of reality almost disappears; such a gentle, exciting beauty of the landscape seems ephemeral, fragile, like a dream, like a child’s fantasy. Having visited this wonderful place, you will give yourself unforgettable moments of bliss, tranquility, and reverent admiration.
Bus transport in Paphos has a developed network of suburban and urban routes, which makes getting around easy and convenient. Prices, routes, types of tickets - all the main information about Paphos buses.
Buses in Paphos depart from two bus stations: Karavella in the city center on Andrea Geroudi Street, from where suburban and intercity buses depart (Limassol, Nicosia), and the bus station at the port - Harbor - in Kato Paphos, from where buses on tourist routes depart. The bus station is connected by route No. 618 Kato Paphos - City Center (Karavella).
A transport ticket in Paphos costs 1.5 euros, but there are other tariffs (you can see them in the bus, next to the driver): daily ticket, that is, a pass for the whole day, passes for a week, a month and a year. Tickets can be purchased directly from the bus driver upon boarding.
(photo © site)
Daily tickets are often purchased by tourists to explore the main city or nearby attractions. A one-day ticket costs 5 euros and is valid from the moment of purchase until 23:00 on the same day. After 11 pm, the passenger will have to purchase a night ticket, which costs 2.5 euros, even if he has a weekly pass. Night routes - from 23:00 to 6:00.
A weekly pass costs 15 euros and applies exclusively to daytime routes (from 6:00 to 23:00). A monthly bus pass in Paphos costs 40 euros, and an annual pass costs 400 euros (covers both day and night routes).
(photo © Clara S. / flickr.com)
The most popular transport routes among tourists in Paphos
- No. 615 Kato Paphos – Coral Bay
- No. 610 Kato Paphos - Center (Market)
- No. 631 Kato Paphos – Aphrodite’s Stone
- No. 611 Kato Paphos – Geroskipou Embankment
Bus number 615 Kato Paphos - Coral Bay / Paphos Bus 615: Kato Paphos Harbor - Coral Bay
Coral Bay is one of the most popular beaches in Paphos, so the bus runs frequently - every 10-15 minutes. The bus runs between the port and the beach from 6.30 to midnight. Experienced people advise not to get to the Coral Bay stop, but to the final one - there are fewer people there, and showers and toilets are free. The bus departs from Harbor station, the fare costs 1.5 euros. It also connects you to the Tombs of the Kings, which is just a stop from Kings Avenue Mall.
(photo © ronsaunders47 / flickr.com)
Bus number 610 Kato Paphos - Center (Market) / Paphos Bus 610: Kato Paphos (Harbour) - Municipal Market
The route connects the port with the city center, where the covered market is located. Tourists come here in search of souvenirs, jewelry and other gifts from Paphos. Also outside the market there is a small fruit and vegetable market and several cafes and restaurants. Transport runs every 10 minutes.
Bus number 631 Kato Paphos - Aphrodite's Stone (Petra tou Romiou) / Paphos Bus 631: Kato Paphos - Petra tou Romiou
Aphrodite's Stone is a must-see item on many tourists' itineraries, because it was here, according to legend, that Aphrodite emerged from the foam of the sea. The bus goes to this extraordinary place strictly on schedule. This route can also take you to Aphrodite Hills. There is a sign in the salon asking not to enter in wet swimsuits or without outerwear, which, however, few people pay attention to. At the final stop you need to go through the underground passage, which will lead you to the Aphrodite Stone. At the stop there is a cafe, a free toilet and shower (although there is a fee - 1 or 2 euros).
Route No. 631 schedule:
Route 631, Kato Paphos - Petra tou Romiou
Route: Harbor (Main Station), Ledas, Alkminis, Poseidonos Av., Danaes Av., Aphrodite's Av., Spyrou Kyprianou Av., Gianni Kontou, Ippokratous, Makariou Av., Paphos-Limassol old Road, Petra tou Romiou.
From Kato Paphos station to Petra tou Romiou
From December to March
Mon-Sat: 07:25, 09:10, 10:40, 14:10, 16:00, 18:40, 22:30
Sun: 06:30, 9:10, 10:40, 14:10, 16:00, 18:40, 22:30
From April to November
Mon-Sat: 07:25, 09:10, 10:40, 14:10, 14:30, 15:40, 16:00, 17:30, 18:40, 22:30
Sun: 06:30, 9:10, 10:40, 14:10, 14:30, 15:40, 16:00, 17:30, 18:40, 22:30
From Petra tou Romiou to Kato Paphos station
From December to March
Mon-Sun: 08:15, 10:05, 11:35, 15:05, 16:55, 19:30, 0:00
From April to November
Mon-Sun: 08:15, 10:05, 11:35, 15:05, 15:25, 16:35, 16:55, 18:20, 19:30, 0:00
Travel time: approximately 45 minutes
(photo © site)
Bus number 611 Kato Paphos - Geroskipou Embankment / Paphos Bus 611: Harbor - Geroskipou Beach (Waterpark)
The bus travels along the coast and connects the port with hotels located along the coast. The movement interval is 10 minutes.
Bus transport schedules in Paphos and Polis, as well as detailed routes, can be found here:
Red double-decker tourist buses also ply around Paphos - Paphos Red Bus Sightseeing. They allow you to see the main attractions of Paphos and listen to the history of a particular place (though in English). A ticket for such a bus in Paphos is valid for 24 hours (it costs 12.5 euros for adults and 5 euros for children). You can find more detailed information.
Car and bike rental in Paphos
Tourists often rent cars to travel around Paphos - offices that deal with this can be found there at every turn, usually under the signs of Rent a car or Car hire. This is convenient, since, for example, you cannot visit Akamas or Troodos by bus. The only negative is that traffic moves on the left. If you are easily adaptable, then feel free to rent a car - this way you can fully enjoy the beauty of Cyprus. The rental cost depends on the make and mileage of the car. In addition to cars, in Paphos you can rent ATVs, buggies, scooters, bicycles and so on.
Introductory image source: © Much Ramblings / flickr.com.
The very birth of Aphrodite is associated with an unpleasant, even dramatic episode in the world of the ancient Greek gods. The Titan Kronos, the son of the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus, on the instructions of his mother, castrated (castrated) his father for repeated infidelities. From the blood and semen of Uranus, snow-white foam formed in the sea. Aphrodite appears from it near the shores of the island of Cythera. Then the wind carried her to the island of Cyprus.
According to another version, Aphrodite was born here from a sea shell. This second version is considered a classic.
The Oras (guardians of Olympus, goddesses of the seasons) were waiting for her on the shore. The most famous painting depicting this event is The Birth of Venus by Italian Sandro Botticelli. In the photo below, click on the photo to enlarge.
According to another legend, this place is associated with the name of the local beach, Akhni. It was here that the Achaeans, returning from Troy, landed.
Another Greek hero reluctantly participates in creating the mythological image of this place. Digenis Akritas, who mixed the blood of Greeks (Romans) and Arabs (the name Digenis means “twice-born”), even in the Byzantine era protected Cyprus from the Saracens: he rolled blocks of stone into the sea from the Troodos Mountains to destroy enemy ships.
These are exactly the rocks that the famous Greek threw off. Near Petra tou Romiou the rock is called “Saracen Rock”. There is also a print of his fingers on the mountain when he leaned his elbows on the ridge. This place is called “Pentodactylos” (from Greek “five fingers”).
There are several more mythical moments in the history of Petra tou Romiou. One of the legends tells that Aphrodite returned from a date with her lover to this place. Having thrown herself into the depths of the sea, she again became innocent.
Local residents say that on a full moon night you should swim around the stone, and youth will return again. The number of laps you swim, the number of years you will become younger.
Even the trees near the beach perform their miraculous function. By tying a handkerchief or piece of fabric to a tree branch, a childless woman can become a mother, and someday lovers will once again find reciprocity in their feelings. Single girls who want to find their soul mate must find a heart-shaped pebble on the beach.
A few notes for tourists
The rocky shore and bottom of Aphrodite Bay make it impossible to swim normally in this place. In addition, the water in the bay is almost always cold due to underwater currents. How to rejuvenate? Only in cold water! Or maybe it’s not so bad, remember Pushkin’s Tsar threw himself into boiling water. Everyone knows how it ended;
Next to Aphrodite's Rock, not far from the beach, there is a cafe where you can have a snack;
There is a very dangerous section of road between the beach and the parking lot. Be careful, or better use the underground passage;
Near the parking lot there is a souvenir shop where you can buy memorabilia about the attraction;
Climbing the rock, as well as swimming in the surrounding waters, is undesirable - it is life-threatening;
Not far from the attraction there is a tourist pavilion, as well as the “Hills of Aphrodite” resort. You can look there;
The beach is not equipped: there are no sunbeds and umbrellas, toilets or changing cabins. But he cleans regularly;
Vacationers and newlyweds often hold photo sessions here, so it gets crowded in any season;
Only ten kilometers separate Petra tou Romiou from the village of Pissouri. This is a resort village surrounded by orchards. It is famous for its sandy beach. There are also small hotels here, as well as two golf courses: Aphrodite Hills and Secret Valley.
Enjoy your visit to Petra tou Romiou, and read our articles about Cyprus ( links below).
25 km southeast of Paphos on the coast (on the old Paphos-Lemesos road) is Petra tou Romiou.
From the cliff there is such a wonderful view that for a reasonable person it eclipses all sorts of legends and stories that go around about the cape. However, for all other romantics, much more important is the fact that, according to legend, it was at the foot of the Petra tou Romiou rock that the beautiful Aphrodite was born from sea foam.
The same legend says that if lovers swim in these waves, they will never part. Organizers of wedding ceremonies and honeymoons use this with pleasure to this day.
However, the name of this place has nothing to do with Aphrodite. Petra tou Romiou (“Rock of the Romans”) refers us to the legendary hero of Byzantium Digenis Akritos, who was half Greek (Romian) and half Arab (hence his name - Digenis, which means "twice-born"). So, according to legend, Digenis famously threw a rock from the Troodos Mountains towards the Saracens invading Cyprus. The legend is echoed by the rock adjacent to Petra tou Romiou called Saracen.
Like any legendary place, Petra tou Romiou has its own set of beliefs. If you find a heart-shaped pebble, you will be happy in love all your life. Lovers will never be apart if they swim here together. Eternal youth, a successful marriage, and children are guaranteed by swimming on a full moon. Artists and poets come here to find inspiration.
Upstairs, in the parking lot, a shower, souvenirs, and a cafe await you. And a little further along the road (towards Limassol/Lemesos) there is a turn to a restaurant located well above road level, overlooking the sea.
Why are these two names always mentioned together? It’s just that Cypriots sometimes know how to make their attractions twice as interesting. This truly unique place is shrouded in a veil of two beautiful legends. Petra tou Romiou roughly translated means , well and Aphrodite's birthplace does not need translation.
Let's take a look at it for starters. But the question immediately arises: from what point does this business card of Cyprus look better? Still, I don’t want to lose face. Let's start with an angle from which you can photograph it only on the distant approaches.
Among the two legends, we will open the story from the earlier one - about the birthplace of Aphrodite.
Birthplace of Aphrodite
Lived once Uranus And Gaia. In ancient Greek mythology, Uranus personified sky, and Gaia - land. Every evening the sky descended to the earth, which is why Gaia gave birth to almost two dozen children, whom Uranus for some reason hated. In the end, tired Gaia persuaded her youngest son Kronos to calm down his father. In other words, he castrated him, which is what Kronos eventually did with the help of a sickle. This is where, apparently, the common phrase came to our people: “with a sickle for...”. An ancient Greek nightmare in general.
A painting on this theme can be found in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (Italy).
Uranus had enormous reproductive power, so even parts of his body that had left their usual place, falling into the water, were finally able to give birth to another new life. The water around them began to bubble with foam, and so the Aphrodite. "Afro" ( αφρός ) means "foam" in Greek. That is, the name Aphrodite is translated as “foam-born.” According to legend, this happened not far from the Greek island of Kythira. But either Aphrodite didn’t really like it there, or the wind simply carried the shell with the goddess sitting in it to the side - it’s not known for sure. The main thing for us is that Aphrodite first set foot on the shore on the island of Cyprus. Later, the Cypriots determined the most suitable place on the island for her first appearance, which can only be here, on the picturesque shore near a huge stone, later named Aphrodite's Rock, where we are now.
This place is truly very attractive, even if Aphrodite did not come ashore here. Now let's retell the second legend.
The legend of the origin of the name Petra tou Romiou
Every nation has its own hero-hero. For example, we have Ilya Muromets. In the Greek epic, which dates back to the 10th-12th centuries, a giant hero is described Digenis Akritus(Διγενής Ακρίτας). The first part of the name "di" means two. The second part “geniz” is reminiscent of the modern word “genetics”. The epic poem tells us that this hero was born from the daughter of a Romian general, who was kidnapped by the Syrian emir, who later, thanks to her, converted to Christianity. In general, the blood of two peoples flowed in Digenis - the Romians (then Romans, count the Greeks) and the Arabs.
In the Greek epic, Digenis was, of course, on the side of the “Europeans.” Once, during another Arab raid on Cyprus, which regularly occurred in the 7th-10th centuries, Digenis showed his heroic power. Leaning with one hand on the Kerynia ridge, with the other he grabbed a huge stone and threw it towards the southern shore, where the Saracen ships moored.
Let's take a little break from Digenis and look at a couple more photos of this place against the backdrop of the setting sun.
Until now, “British scientists” are arguing about which of the stones Digenis brought here, and which have already been lying here since the time of Aphrodite. It seems like it’s inappropriate for Aphrodite to go out onto the empty flat shore, and what then should we call Aphrodite’s Rock? So far they have come to some consensus, deciding that Digenis threw the stones a little to the left of where Aphrodite exited the bay, a little closer to the future Limassol. They are visible in the foreground of the first of the two previous photographs. Let's look at these stones from a different angle.
Sometimes they are also called Saracen Rocks, named after the Saracen robbers who attacked Cyprus, at whom Digenis was aiming.
But we remember that according to the Greek epic, the hero threw a stone from the Keryne Mountains. By the way, after he rested his hand on the ridge, his fingerprints remained on it. Now this place in the mountains is called Pentadactylos(Πενταδάκτυλος), which is translated from Greek as “five fingers.” So, only on the northern coast are there dark stones, one of which lies just in Petra tou Romiou Bay, differing in color from the neighboring blocks. It is more logical to assume that it is precisely this that should be called the Greek Stone. Let's take a look at it.
In fact, there are still many picturesque rocks in the sea. We'll show them a little later, but for now let's change the topic a little.
Aphrodite's Birthplace as a Bathing Place
In the summer, many tourists, even those coming from Ayia Napa and Protaras, where the most “fashionable” beaches are located, try to swim here. Legend has it that swimming in this place will definitely bring rejuvenation to your body. More “advanced” options suggest swimming around the Aphrodite Stone several times, while making a wish, which will certainly come true later. But at the same time, they do not tell you exactly which of the stones should be “cut” in circles. Let's try to understand this issue.
Well, it's kind of stupid to swim around a rock that's mostly on dry land. In photographs taken from afar, it seems that the rock is located directly in the sea. But once you go beyond it, a completely different view opens up. And it seems to us that from this angle Aphrodite’s Rock looks especially photogenic, especially in evening light.
Everything is clear with Aphrodite’s Rock, but it’s worth paying attention to the huge stones to the right of it. They are the main contenders for "rejuvenation circles". The largest one somewhat resembles a lamb's head. Maybe because we associate Cyprus not only with Aphrodite, but also with kleftiko?
In general, there is a choice here. Those who do not want to swim far - and this is also quite dangerous due to the large waves that often cover this shore - can look for stones closer. You just need to swim around them more times to achieve the desired effect.
Now let's talk a little about safety precautions. The entrance to the water is quite rocky, so it is comfortable to swim here in special slippers. In front of Aphrodite's Rock it is flatter, but immediately behind it the depth quickly increases, so the waves here can sometimes be quite large, so be careful!
We personally like the coastline behind the rock much better, so we drag everyone we know there. Let's take a look at this place from the other side of the rock.
Aphrodite as the goddess of love
Not all people who come here need rejuvenation. We remember from the myths of ancient Greece that Aphrodite was the goddess of love. In fact, she had many “areas of responsibility,” but now let’s talk about the main one.
A widespread belief is that this place helps people find their soulmate. And if you have already found it, it will help seal the union with an additional bond. And if your age only allows you to dream about it, here you can find a pebble shaped like a heart or draw one yourself from stones... and grow up faster.
In general, this is the “recipe”. If you want to find a mate, then look for a “heart” stone here. If you come together, then for future inseparability, swim around one of the stones together. And if you decide to get married in Cyprus, then you should definitely do a photo shoot in Petra tou Romiou, which has long been chosen by local “getting married” people.
A little about geology
Let us introduce the chapter with the words of geologists.
The Petra tou Romio lineament is the youngest (emphasized by modern seismicity) and has a strike-slip component. This shear kinematics of the Petra tou Romiou fault is caused by the modern oblique thrust of the African lithospheric plate under the Cyprus island arc.
Everything is clear, right? If not, then we’ll try to explain it popularly. Petra tou Romiou is a truly special place in Cyprus, noted by scientists. It is believed that the island itself began to form some 90 million years ago. Then the first sections of its land appeared from the waters of the Tethys Ocean. These were the future Troodos mountain range and two mountain ranges that are now located in the region of Kerynia (Pentadaktylos) and the Karpasia peninsula. Originally there were two islands. The further emergence of land to the surface connected them. Today's Mesaoria valley lies between the mountain ranges. This happened not so long ago - 1-2 million years ago.
A fault runs through Petra tou Romiou, where tectonic plates continued to “push and shift.” This in particular explains the heterogeneity of rocks in this area. If you drive along the highway past Petra tou Romiou, you can see the rock of Aphrodite in the alignment of the fault. True, this angle quickly “flickers” along the way, but we will show it to you.
First, in general terms...
and now on a larger one.
Walk, walk like that
Petra tou Romiu is not only a valuable beach, but also a good walking place, as it turned out. Looking at nature and looking around, we saw that there was a gazebo installed on the top of the hill. For what purposes, I wonder? If you wish, you can see it in this photo.
We drove off from the beach parking area a little towards Limassol, turned left and climbed a little higher. Here we left the car and went to conquer the surroundings of Petra tou Romiou on foot, looking back at new interesting angles of the birthplace of Aphrodite.
As the walk progressed, we climbed the path higher and higher, and the stones moved further and further away, until the gazebo we wanted to come to appeared before our eyes.
All that was left was to figure out how to get to it - the slope seemed too steep. It was too late to retreat, so we climbed as best we could. One of the types of happiness is the moment of achieving a goal. It is he who is captured on the face of the participant in the “ascent”. But an even greater discovery was that we were almost close to the highway, or rather to its section above the fault, photos from which we recently showed.
Instead of an epilogue
Let's consolidate what we've learned. Petra tou Romiou is a truly unique place in Cyprus. If possible, you should definitely go here. For some reason I remembered that we are often asked the question: “Is it possible to swim in Cyprus in...?” And then there is a list of almost all the months of the year. Well, maybe people ask less often about July and August. We always answer - it’s possible! I mean, no one is prohibiting it. And the rest depends on the desire to do it and so that the weather doesn’t let us down. For example, this photo, which we already showed in the story about the weather of Cyprus, was taken on January 6th, the day when Epiphany is celebrated in Cyprus.
None of the participants in the “photo shoot” were injured.
