#1. Paphos
Linked by a traffic artery, Kato Paphos (Lower Paphos) and Ktima (Upper Paphos; 3km to the northeast) form a contrasting whole. Kato Paphos is geared towards tourists, with bars and souvenir shops lining the palm-fringed seafront.
Dive into the backstreets to discover historic gems such as medieval baths, catacombs and a simple fishermen’s church. But the grand-slam sight is one of the South's richest archaeological locales, the Paphos Archaeological Site, just one reason the city was awarded joint European Capital of Culture in 2017. Standing here, surrounded by acres of history and fields of wild flowers, feels a world away from the busy resort just beyond the entrance.
Ktima, the old centre of Paphos, is overall a calmer place, where locals go about their daily life as they have for decades. Its neighbourhoods are culturally rich, with handsome colonial buildings that house government institutions and many of the town’s museums.