You Could Murder Someone Up Here

Well, it's been a hot minute, hasn't it? 69 days if we're counting! I must apologise for the lack of posts/content, life has once again got in the way a bit. I'm sure you've all missed these posts, my dad says some of you have but I'm not sure whether he's just trying to boost my self-esteem? Unfortunately, I have some bad news for those of you who have clicked on this post expecting a thrilling essay about my liveaboard trials and tribulations. Because, although quite a few things have happened on the boat since we last talked, this week I have decided to branch out with my content. That's right, I've decided to write a post boasting about my 2 week holiday in Cyprus instead. You lucky things! If you're just about to click away and find an actual boating blog then could I perhaps persuade you to stay by teasing you with the promise of some sexy boat images? Yeah? Ok, well let's dive in then! (Sea what I did there?)

You might be wondering why I've decided to write a post about my holiday, I'm not a travel blogger and neither am I trying/can afford to be. However, it's always fun to write about something other than boats for a change and well, I just hope you enjoy reading something a bit different.

I'll begin by saying that this was my second visit to Cyprus and to the Paphos area, my first visit was back in 2018 when I stayed at the Helios Bay hotel. This hotel is in a great location between Coral Bay and Paphos Harbour and has great sea views, a beach, and a bus stop just outside.

Where we stayed

This year, we stayed at the beautiful Sophias Luxury Villas, located in the area of Kissonerga. These villas are just off of the main coastal road, the E701, and are about a 40/45 minute drive from Paphos Airport. We hired a car for the 2 weeks we were there but if you didn't fancy doing that then there is a regular bus that goes along this road which stops at many of the main tourist destinations. I would highly recommend staying here if you can as these villas really are rather luxurious. Every bedroom has an en-suite (I snagged the one with the bath, I've never been so clean!), you have your own pool and some beautiful views of the sea. The beach isn't too far of a walk from here and there are plenty of shops and supermarkets located within walking distance.

Kissonerga - Kato

On the fourth day, we decided to take a trip to Kato Pyrgos which, to my knowledge, is the furthest we could go before getting to the Turkish border. The drive there was pretty spectacular up in the mountains. There are plenty of places to stop for photos along the way and we did just that, my mum decided not to leave the car but did provide us with the title of this particular post. Thank you, mum!

As well as taking you through the mountains, this particular trip took us along the beautiful coastline of Cyprus. I would say half the drive was through the mountains and half along the coast so it really had a good mix of scenery. When we arrived at our destination of Kato Pyrgos we were surprised to find that it's a bit of a ghost town and quickly turned around to find somewhere to eat. We found food at the beautiful Santa Barbara Resto & Beach Bar in Argaka. This place had a gorgeous view of the beach, plenty of parking space, friendly staff, and great food.

Shipwrecks baby!

The western side of Cyprus (where we stayed) is quite well known for its shipwrecks and you know I love myself a boat so we had to check some of these out. Now, I'm not a diver but apparently some of these wrecks make a for a great diving experience.

Edro III

Edro III is located off Pegeia and ran aground in October 2011. The ship was carrying plasterboard along with 9 crew members, all of which were rescued (was anyone else secretly hoping it was a pirate ship?) The wreck is very easy to find, has plenty of free parking, and a rather nice looking restaurant overlooking it. I would recommend coming down for sunset as the views are quite spectacular!

Vera K

On one of the last days, my dad, my brother, and I decided to take a boat trip from Paphos Harbour on a glass-bottom boat to see the Vera K shipwreck (Please note if you get a bit seasick that these trips may not be for you as when it's a bit breezy it can be very rocky) Vera K is a Lebanese freighter that ran aground in 1972 and was later used for target practice. The wreck was proving to be a hazard so was blown up in 1974 and now lies submerged in a crater at 11m.

Troodos Mountains and Millomeris Waterfall

We decided to make good use of the hire car and took a trip up into the Troodos Mountains. We followed this really handy blog to guide us on the best places to stop. Our first stop on the drive was Omodos. Omodos is a very quiet and tranquil village with some beautiful scenery. We had a wander around the village and took a quick look around the Timios Stavros Monastery. I'd recommend stopping off here for a quick food and drink break as well as a scenic walk.

From here, we decided to drive a bit further up towards Pano Platres. Like Omodos, Pano Platres is a small scenic area with stunning views. It also provided us with a trail to the Millomeris Waterfall. Me and my brother decided to walk this trail whilst my parents put their feet up in a local taverna. The trail down to the waterfall was fairly easy to follow albeit a little dicey in places, sensible footwear is a must and so is a bottle of water (we forgot the water but made up for it at the end by drinking all the beer and cider at a local restaurant) This trail provides you with some fantastic views and the best reward? A stunning secluded waterfall. We sat down by the waterfall for a bit, took some pictures and then started our trek back up the mountain to the sweet, sweet promise of water and an alcoholic beverage.

We had a spot of lunch in Pano Platres and then decided to head back down the mountain. You can go even further up into the Troodos Mountains until you reach its peak at Mount Olympos.

Paphos Harbour and the Old Town

One of the many things I was hoping to do during my stay in Cyprus was to have a wander around the old town, this proved to be rather difficult as we struggled to find it! After a trip to find it but with no luck we decided to head down to Paphos Harbour, more on the Old Town later (spoilers, we found it)

The Harbour is bustling with shops, restaurants, and cafes as well as Boat Trips, an Archeological site, and, once again, beautiful views. You'll find that many of the shops down there are very tourist-based, if you want a magnet of a women's breasts with Cyprus written on them then you'll enjoy looking around! It's not all boob magnets though, there are a few shops in-between that sell local products that make perfect holiday presents for family and friends. My favourite bit at the Harbour? You guessed it, the boats! I spent quite a bit of my time looking at some of the lovely boats down there and daydreaming of a life where my Bounty 37, a non-sea going boat, sets off on a voyage to the beautiful Cypriot island and resides there for the foreseeable with its owner making friends with all the local turtles. One can dream!

Back to the Old Town! We finally located the Old Town on one of the days and spent a few hours looking around some of the local shops. There's not much to the Old Town anymore, they seemed to be trying to revive it when we visited as a lot of construction was going on. What we did get to see was quite lovely though!

Well, I think that's it for this particular installment. Did you enjoy that waffle? I must admit, it was fun to write something different for a change. Rest assured that this won't be a regular thing but I might branch out to a few other things over time. Next time, I promise I'll be back to all things boats! I want to thank my parents (my mum did most of the organising) for arranging this holiday and inviting me and my bro along, the break was very much needed for all of us!

I will also mention, that although I didn't film anything this trip, I did the first time I visited. I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, so please enjoy.

My music recommendation is a classic and one that is rather fitting as we slowly head into warmer weather. This is Bob Marley & The Wailers - Sun is Shining