Slovenia / Croatia / Cyprus: Flight to Cyprus and exploring the NW coast
Still in the middle of the night, Nada and I sat in our car and drove to Zagreb, where we parked near the airport. From there, a shuttle took us to the terminal, and after completing all the formalities, we decided to enjoy an early pre-flight beer since we still had some time. Soon, we boarded the Lauda Air plane that was operating our flight, even though we had booked it through the Ryanair website.
After almost three hours, we landed in Paphos, Cyprus, and it was nearly noon. With the time zone change, we added an extra hour. We collected our luggage, and outside the airport, the rental car representative picked us up and drove us to his office, where we signed the rental agreement. We also paid a small extra fee, which allowed us to drive to the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus - Northern Cyprus.
With all the formalities completed, we were ready to enjoy our vacation. With our Nissan Micra, we planned to circle the island in a clockwise direction. Our first stop was the Tombs of the Kings, a vast underground necropolis carved from solid rock, dating back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Despite their name, these monumental tombs were built for high-ranking officials, showcasing Cyprus's rich blend of Greek and Egyptian influences.
Our second stop was the Sea Caves near the Edro III shipwreck, a dramatic coastline of limestone arches and turquoise water, with the tilted shipwreck adding a striking contrast. The last sightseeing stop of the day was the Baths of Aphrodite, a small natural grotto believed in legend to be where the goddess Aphrodite bathed and met Adonis. We concluded the day with dinner in Pomos before heading to our apartment in Pachyammos.
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| Pre-boarding beer. |
Our rented car already had 1 million scratches and since they manually enter them each time, we had to wait for a while, that the report and the agreement were ready.
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| Meeting the Mediterranean Sea. |
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| Nada's first selfie. |
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| Flyer for Tombs of the Kings. |
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| The underground tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, are carved out of solid rock, and are thought to have been the burial sites of Paphian aristocrats and high officials up to the 3rd century AD (the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were buried here). |
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| Entrance tickets are very cheap in Cyprus. |
Archaeological excavations are still being carried out at the site.
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| The tombs are cut into the native rock, and at times imitated the houses of the living. |
Tuši and Nada with the "Kings".
Some of the tombs feature Doric columns and frescoed walls.
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| Rock. |
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| That's us. |
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| A huge necropolis burial site has UNESCO World Heritage Site status. |
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| Tourist. |
Exploring the basement.
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| We made 1500 meters in this area - Garmin Connect. |
This fascinating burial site was used from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.
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| Keep left were the first words every time we started driving. |
Freshly squeezed juice.
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| The Edro III is a cargo ship that ran aground off the coast near Peyia, close to Paphos, during a storm in December 2011. |
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| The vessel, carrying a load of vehicles, broke free from its tow and was left tilted and stranded on the rocks, where it remains to this day. |
The shipwreck has become an iconic landmark along the rugged coastline, especially near the Sea Caves, creating a dramatic contrast between the turquoise waters, limestone cliffs, and the rusting, stranded vessel.
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| The nearby sea caves are natural limestone formations carved by waves and wind over thousands of years. |
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| They feature arches, tunnels, and hidden coves with vivid turquoise water, but strong currents and unstable cliffs make the area unsafe for swimming, so it’s best admired from viewpoints or by boat. |
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| Nada falling into the Baths of Aphrodite. |
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| Short hiking detour near the baths. |
View from the Aphrodite trail - Garmin Connect.
After the dinner we went to our apartment with the pool. Unfortunately to cold for swimming after a long day.
Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Second Angel of peace", TBA8B55, "Ojstrica (2350 m) - ti moje kraljestvo / you my kingdom...", TB8MHFG and "Twin Star", TB33TN8):
- Big ship view, GC9JKPD
- Sunset Series #3 EDRO 111, GC49Y37
- Ghost Ship, GC4KMPX
- Sea Caves Earthcache (Cyprus), Earth, GC2FMBC
- Bathtime for Aphrodite, GCEA62
