Polis Chrysochous

Two minutes uphill from the square on the Makariou side, this single-hall museum holds the finds from ancient Marion, the city-kingdom that stood here until 312 BC. Entry is a couple of euros, opening runs roughly 8am to 4pm on weekdays, and forty minutes is plenty. The painted Classical pottery is genuinely good.

Walk down through the eucalyptus grove past the campsite gate to the shoreline. Before nine the bay is glass, the water is cool from the Akamas currents, and you will share it with two swimmers and a fisherman. The kiosk opens around ten for coffee at €2.50.

The tavernas strung between the beach road and Latchi grill whatever came in that morning. Ask for the day's catch by weight rather than ordering from the laminated menu — sea bream or red mullet lands around €55 to €65 a kilo, which feeds two comfortably with a village salad and a plate of grilled halloumi.

Head northeast on the B7 from Polis: 20 minutes to the tiny fishing shelter at Pomos, where two harbourside tavernas serve octopus in red wine, then another 25 minutes of switchbacks to Kato Pyrgos. Empty pebble coves the whole way and no organised tourism whatsoever.

Start at the Baths of Aphrodite car park, 8 km west of Polis at the end of the E713. The Aphrodite loop is 7.5 km with a stiff climb to the ruins of Pyrgos tis Rigainas; the Adonis loop is shorter at 7 km. Both are waymarked, both are brutal after 10am in July, and both are free.

The greengrocers along the road in from Prodromi sell whatever the Chrysochou valley grew that week: avocados in winter, watermelon and figs in August, local oranges January to March. Half of these hotels come with a kitchen, and a bag of fruit and vegetables here costs about €10.

From Paphos Airport it is a 50-minute drive: the A6 west, then the B7 and the winding E709 through Stroumbi and Skoulli. A taxi is around €65 to €80 and worth splitting. By bus, take the airport shuttle into Paphos and change to route 645, which leaves Karavella station roughly hourly for Polis and takes about an hour; a single is €1.50, a day ticket €5. Within Polis you walk — the square to the beach is fifteen minutes downhill, less coming back if you hurry. The local 622 runs the short hop out to Latchi harbour and the Baths of Aphrodite several times a day in summer, thinning to almost nothing in winter, so a hire car makes everything easier.

Polis is the town: shops, bakeries, a square with actual residents, and cheaper rooms. Latchi is the harbour three kilometres away with the fish tavernas, the boat trips and the island's best-known five-star, the Anassa. Most people stay in Polis and eat in Latchi twice, which is the sensible split. If you want a sea-view suite and a spa, book Latchi directly.

Effectively yes. The 645 gets you to and from Paphos and the 622 covers Latchi and the Baths of Aphrodite in season, but the Akamas trailheads, Pomos, the Chrysochou wine villages and the gorge tracks all need wheels. Hire cars from Paphos Airport start around €25 a day off-season. Parking in Polis is free and unmetered everywhere except the square itself.

Mid-May through late October is comfortable, with September the best month — around 27C water and thinning crowds. Chrysochou Bay runs a touch cooler than the Paphos coast because of the currents rounding the Akamas. In winter locals swim on calm days but most visitors do not; several beach kiosks shut entirely from November to March.

Only in a proper 4x4 over the unsurfaced Akamas track from the Baths of Aphrodite, and standard hire-car insurance will not cover you on it. The realistic options are a boat from Latchi harbour, typically €25 to €45 for a half-day with a swim stop, or a booked jeep safari. Do not attempt the track in a hatchback; recovery bills here are painful.