So we’ve visited every castle in Northern Cyprus. And only one in the South, where we live.  There are three castles within a half an hour drive from my house!  But my in-laws are visiting at the moment and that was a good excuse to spend a laid-back afternoon in Paphos –and to finally pop into Paphos Castle.

We go to Paphos a lot, particularly when we have visitors. It’s touristy, but in a chilled-out way, and there are some really interesting things to see (more on that another time). My favourite area is the harbour, which is lined with outdoor restaurants and has enough quirky-looking boats to keep Goobie interested while we eat and chat. I’ve lost track of which restaurants we’ve eaten in, but they are all pretty similar. Today we ate in the Hobo Café. It had a good menu and I ordered the zucchini rolls, which were really tasty.  My favourite ice-cream parlour is Cold Stone Creamery. Try the Ferrero Roche ice-cream – heavenly!

After lunch we didn’t fancy walking far, so we decided to visit Paphos Castle at the end of the harbour. The castle is small but has a solidness to it that reminds me of Kyrenia Castle – on a far tinier scale. I had hoped, though, that like Kyrenia Castle it might be hiding a labyrinth of tunnels inside it. I was to be disappointed on that count.

A little bridge leads across a stagnant, smelly moat and into an arched entrance way. The entrance opens out into the interior, which is one big space, stretching from one end of the castle to the other. This space clearly used to be made up of rooms, but the only rooms remaining were closed off with locked doors. The architecture is pretty, with tall arched ceilings and the sun pouring in from skylights at the top. Apparently this castle has seen many conquerors. It was built by the Byzantines to protect the harbour, then rebuilt by the Lusignans after an earthquake destroyed it in 1222. It was taken apart by the Venetians and built back up by the Ottomans. Apparently the British used it as a salt warehouse.

In the centre of Paphos Castle is a flight of narrow, steep steps that take you up onto the roof. From the roof you get a good view of the harbour on one side and the sea on the other. I bet sunsets look magnificent from up there. There’s a tiny amphitheatre next to the castle and the whole area is used as a venue for the Aphrodite Festival in September as well as various other cultural events. The castle only took half an hour to look around. But for €2,50 you can hardly complain – and its cool interior offers good respite from the heat. I’m pleased I finally went to one of Paphos’s main landmarks and perhaps next time we will go during a festival.