Thursday 5 December 2013

Drinks and a walk around the harbour at Pafos...with your dog

Pafos Castle at the end of the harbour
While my parents went to see the incredible UNESCO World Heritage site of Nea Paphos, I was left roaming around the harbour with my dog, Sage. I didn't mind too much, I've been to the site before, and this was a lovely sunny day in late October. However, I can't recommend this site highly enough, for anyone who gets the chance. The mosaics from the Houses of Dionysos and Orpheus, in particular, are some of the finest I've seen. Also, the conservation and presentation of this complex site are really exemplary. Here's the page from the Department of Antiquities website: http://bit.ly/1iDj56Y 

Nea Paphos archaeological park
Nea Paphos archaeological park
Anyway, back to us, waiting around outside the archaeological site...

The Moorings Cafe-Bar
We stopped at one of the cafes along the sea front, just before the harbour, because I was desperate for Internet access (I know, it's tragic really). This was The Moorings. They were perfectly polite and friendly about Sage sitting there, pretty much in the middle of the cafe, getting in the way of the waiters. Prices were as you would expect for a touristy area - around 3-4€ for a coffee.                                                                                                                                     Then we had a walk along the harbour. As I said, this was late October, and just the right amount of busy. I would have struggled if it was any earlier in the tourist season as there are tavernas and cafes on either of side of the walkway, with touts trying to lure people in to their restaurants, and children dangling ice creams at the level of Sage's nose.
Pafos harbour
I held her on a pretty tight leash, and we manoeuvred our way to Pafos Castle, right at the end of the harbour. Of course, we couldn't go inside, but I enjoyed looking at the boats, the colourful cafes and the sea beyond. This end of the harbour was a bit quieter, and we found places to rest in the shade out of the way.



There was a promising looking promenade that ran by the sea from the end of the harbour, but sadly this had a prominent 'no dogs' sign at the entrance, I'm not sure why.
No Dogs on the promenade

Pafos Castle


Finally it was time to regroup, so Sage and I headed back towards the entrance to the harbour, and met up with the others in Kings Taverna. The staff here were extremely helpful, and even offered to get some water for Sage. The food was average, and again tourist area prices (around 10€ for a large salad or souvlaki), but I did appreciate how welcoming they were to us and our dog.
Kings Taverna
I didn't really find anywhere suitable to let Sage off the lead for a play, and no obvious walks away from the crowds, although it's often like this on your first one or two visits to a busy town. I wouldn't recommend this area of Pafos in high summer if you are accompanied by a big dog. But in the spring and autumn months it's manageable, especially if you can find a way to safely leave your dog for long enough for a trip to the archaeological park.


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