Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology (Venus in Roman mythology). Cyprus is an island of Aphrodite, here in Petra tou Romiou she came out of the sea to the shore. Now there are huge rocks at this place, and the bay itself is the hallmark of Cyprus. The origin of the rocks is unknown, I think they were thrown to the shore by an underwater volcano. According to the "official" version, the rocks were thrown by mythical hero of the Byzantine, Digenes Akritas, to sink the ships of Arab conquerors. In any case, rocks of this size look quite unusual at this place.
Upon arrival to the parking lot, we didn't go to the beach near the rocks of Aphrodite, which is across the street, but went 600 meters in the direction of Limassol and came down near the viewpoint to the Saracens Rock. The sea is exactly the same here, but no other tourists. And if you go up a small hill, you can take fantastic pictures of the bay. By the way, the color of the sea is real, no Photoshop. Come here in the morning, and while the sun is on the left, you will see for yourself.
The only disappointment is the waves that make the water muddy near the shore, so snorkeling makes no sense.
Important: Do not confuse the Aphrodite's Rock with the Baths of Aphrodite.
Saracens Rock (foreground) and Aphrodite's Rock (background) ©Yuriy Buriak
Aphrodite's Rock ©Yuriy Buriak
Aphrodite's Rock ©Yuriy Buriak
Aphrodite's Rock ©Yuriy Buriak
Beach at the Bay of Aphrodite ©Yuriy Buriak
The birth of Aphrodite is shown on the famous painting by Botticelli.
The Birth of Venus (Botticelli, 1482-1486) ©wikimedia.org
Getting there: Petra tou Romiou is near the old highway Limassol - Paphos and 1 km from the new road. The only way to reach it by public transport is to take bus #631 from the Kato Paphos bus station (schedule and map).
