From Toumpallos to Saranta Kolones

Published 12th of March, 2020

Old Kitchen?

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We do hope you have enjoyed our blogs and tours of the Archaeological Park. Please, do go and visit yourself if you can. Going to Paphos and not seeing the park is like going to Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids.

Word of Caution

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One thing I should say, and this is especially true if you fancy going off the beaten track, is that in Cyprus there are snakes around, and at least one of them is poisonous. I saw this one as I was exploring the ruins of the fortress. As soon as it saw me it slithered off, as all Cyprus snakes do. However, if one of these is perched on top of a rock and you put your hand near it to climb up, you might get a nasty shock. I don't want to over-state the danger, because in about 10 visits during the course of making all these articles, I only saw one snake. But just be aware of them.

A Final Arch

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I think if I had to pick my top 3 attractions at the Archaeological Park, I would list Forty Columns Fortress first, Toumpallos second, and House of Dianysos third. I love the fact that you can basically go where you like on the fortress, and I love the remoteness of Toumpallos. The mosaics are spectacular, but (completely understandably) you don't get to touch them, and can only view them from afar.

You will doubtless have your own preferences. I do hope you get to see them all though, so that you can decide properly.

Earlier Rooms

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As well as the upper level, you can also wonder around the lower areas. There are a number of caves there which are fun to explore if you still have any energy left. If you have had enough by now though, then don't worry, you won't miss anything earth shattering by not going in.

The Last Word

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From here you can go back to the main entrance, or you can take the path through the trees to where there is a revolving gate. This will deposit you near the bus stop.

If you go back to the main entrance, and want to know more about Paphos Archaeology, do pop into the Information Centre on the way there, and buy a copy of the book we have been quoting. It is called "Paphos Archaeological Guide and Historical Review". It has a red cover with a picture of Aphrodite's Rocks on it, and was written by Demos Christou in 2008. It is well worth the asking price, and will tell you a lot about the history of the whole region of Paphos.

In a couple of days we will publish another film of the park, which shows you features at a more sedate pace than the hyperlapse film we showed a couple of weeks ago. After that, we will unleash our Archaeological Park page, which contains links to all the tours, films and blogs we have produced. It also introduces the virtual tour!

If you feel we have omitted anything, do please let us know. We are not experts, more enthusiastic amateurs, so welcome any feedback with open arms.

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