Paphos District
Polis Chrysochous
Where Cyprus's north-west road runs out, this quiet town makes a base for Akamas walks, the Baths of Aphrodite and Blue Lagoon boats from Latchi; a car helps.
Best length
Part of a 7-night Cyprus week, or 3-4 nights as a quiet base
Airport
Paphos (PFO), ~48km / 50 min drive south
Airport to base
Hire car ~50 min; bus 645 to Paphos then change (no direct service)
Best base
Polis town for tavernas, Latchi for the harbour, the hills for space
In short
Polis Chrysochous at a glance
Polis Chrysochous is the low-rise, end-of-the-road alternative to the Paphos resort strip: a working town with a tree-shaded square, the quiet fishing harbour of Latchi 4km west, and the Akamas peninsula starting where the tarmac stops at the Baths of Aphrodite. It suits travellers who want walks, boat trips and tavernas over high-rise hotels and clubs — but with no airport bus and a 50-minute drive from Paphos (PFO), it's a hire-car base, not a no-car one.
The short version
- This is the quiet half of Cyprus: low buildings, blue-flag beaches and the Akamas on your doorstep — not nightlife or big resorts.
- Base in Polis town for the square and tavernas, in Latchi for the harbour and boat trips, or in the hills up to Neo Chorio for views and space.
- The Blue Lagoon boat trip from Latchi is the signature day out — from about €15-€17 (£13-£15) for a 2.5-3 hour cruise.
- Walk one of the Akamas trails (Aphrodite or Adonis, each 7.5km) from the Baths of Aphrodite car park — both free, both with Cape Arnaoutis views.
- Hire a car: Polis is ~48km / 50 minutes from Paphos airport with no direct bus, and the best of the Akamas needs wheels.
- Come April-June or September-October; the sea stays swim-warm into November, well after the school-holiday crowds thin out.
Polis Chrysochous is what Cyprus looks like before the resorts arrived. The coast road from Paphos climbs over the hills and drops into a low-rise town built around a tree-shaded square, then runs west past the fishing harbour of Latchi and simply stops at the Baths of Aphrodite, where the Akamas peninsula begins and the tarmac gives out. There are no high-rise hotels, no club strip and no airport bus — and that’s precisely the point. People come to Polis for the walks, the boat trips and the fish, and they stay because it’s the calmest base on the island.
The day-out that defines the area is the Blue Lagoon boat trip out of Latchi: about 45 minutes along the protected Akamas coast to a bay of genuinely clear, swimmable water, from around €15-€17 a head. The other half of the trip is on foot — the Aphrodite and Adonis nature trails, each a 7.5km loop from the Baths of Aphrodite car park, climbing to a ruined tower with views over Cape Arnaoutis. Both are free; both are merciless at midday in summer, so carry far more water than feels sensible and start early.
The honest planning call is the car. Polis sits roughly 48km and 50 minutes from Paphos airport (PFO) with no direct bus, and the best of the Akamas — the trailheads, the quiet eastern beaches towards Argaka and Pomos, the hill villages — all need wheels. Cyprus drives on the left like the UK, so it’s an easy place to hire, and a small car books from about €20-€30 a day. Base yourself in the town for tavernas on foot, in Latchi for the harbour, or up towards Neo Chorio for a villa with a view. Below, the structured detail — where to stay, the boat trip, the trails and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here. The statutory entry, health and safety facts sit on the Cyprus country guide, which carries the GOV.UK review.
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Polis Chrysochous
Akamas nature trails (Aphrodite & Adonis)
Two waymarked loops, the Aphrodite and the Adonis, both around 7.5km, start at the Baths of Aphrodite car park on the edge of the Akamas peninsula. Each takes most walkers three to four hours, climbing to the ruined tower of Pyrgos tis Rigaenas with wide views over Cape Arnaoutis. There is no shade, shop or water once you leave the car park, so carry far more than you think.
Baths of Aphrodite
The Baths of Aphrodite is a small grotto and pool at the end of the coast road past Polis, free to visit with free parking and a botanical garden above it. The pool itself takes about two minutes to see — manage your expectations — but the real point is that it is the trailhead for the Akamas peninsula walks, where the surfaced road ends and the national park begins. Come for the walks and the coast, with the grotto as a brief curtain-raiser.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Polis town
£ valueThe tree-shaded central square ringed with tavernas and coffee shops is the most local base — a real Cypriot town rather than a resort, with the eucalyptus-grove campsite and municipal beach a short walk north. Best if you want shops, dinners on foot and to drive to the beaches.
Best for: Tavernas, walkability, a town feel
Latchi
££ mid-rangeThe fishing harbour 4km west of Polis, where the boat trips leave and the fish is freshest. Stay here for the closest beach base and harbour-front evenings, but it's smaller and quieter than Polis itself — bring a car for everything beyond the seafront.
Best for: Beach-first stays, boat trips, harbour dining
Neo Chorio and the hills
£££ premiumVillas in the hills above Latchi, climbing towards Neo Chorio, trade walkability for space, sea views and total quiet — the closest base to the Akamas trailheads. Pick this if you've a hire car and want a private pool over a town on your doorstep.
Best for: Villas, views, Akamas access
Argaka and Pomos
£ valueThe coast east of Polis thins out into quiet villages — Argaka, then Pomos further on — with long pebbly beaches and almost no crowds. For travellers who want nature and near-empty shores; everything, including a supermarket, is a drive away.
Best for: Peace, nature, long quiet drives
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire car from Paphos (PFO) | ~50 min | from about €20-€30 / £17-£26 per day booked ahead | The realistic default — pick it up at the airport |
| Taxi from Paphos airport | ~50 min | about €55-€70 / £47-£60 | Easiest with luggage if you're not driving |
| Pre-booked private transfer | ~50 min | about €50-€65 / £43-£56 one way | Worth it for a car-free week |
| Bus 645 (via Paphos) | 2h+ with a change at Karavella station | €1.50-€2.40 / £1.30-£2.05 per leg | Cheap but slow and indirect; no airport service |
When to go
Sweet spot: April to June and September to October are the sweet spot: 22-30°C, wildflowers on the Akamas in spring, a swim-warm sea and far fewer people than July-August. The water stays warm enough to swim into November, so a late half-term here is one of the last reliable beach weeks in the Med.
August is hot and humid and the Akamas trails are genuinely punishing at midday — walk at 8am or skip them. Winter is mild but quiet, with many tavernas and boat operators shut from roughly November to March; come then for the green countryside and waterfalls, not the beach. Spring is the standout if you want the walks at their best.
What it costs
UK return flights to Paphos (PFO) run from about £65-£90 off-peak on a budget carrier booked ahead, £150-£280 in the school holidays or at short notice. Paphos is usually the cheaper of the two Cyprus airports and the right one for Polis — Larnaca adds nearly two hours of driving.
Daily budget per person
Polis is noticeably cheaper than the Paphos and Ayia Napa resort strips: a full meze in a Latchi or town-square taverna runs about €15-€20 a head (£13-£17). The boat trip and the hire car are the two costs that matter; the walks, the beaches and the Baths of Aphrodite are all free.
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Polis Chrysochous FAQs
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