Paphos seems to be entirely devoted to leisure! It is a relaxed and friendly town, without the frenetic activities of commercial life, with innumerable restaurants, bars and tavernas.

There are also many sports facilities available, including tennis courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums and health clubs.  Outside the town, three PGA standard golf courses are within easy reach, whilst the winter ski slopes of the Troodos mountains are about an hour’s drive away

There are many famous archaeological sites within Paphos town itself and, in the villages surrounding the area there is wealth of beautiful, frescoed churches, chapels and mountain monasteries to visit.

And Paphos gives easy access to the wild Akamas region.  The coastline here is a specially protected area and includes the beautiful Lara Beach where Loggerhead Turtles lay their eggs.  The enthusiast can find a huge variety of wildflowers during the spring and autumn – great drifts of anemones and turban buttercups, cyclamen, tiny daffodils, romulea, squills, asphodel, an indigenous rare dwarf gladiolus and an extraordinary variety of orchids.

Walkers will be spoilt for choice as they follow the trails over the hillsides and down into the valleys, through almond orchards and across rolling downs.

Transport
Cyprus boasts a highly efficient local bus service, covering the whole of the island (which also acts as a courier service for packages to the smaller villages!)

Paphos itself has a network of comfortable buses that cover the whole town, working on a reliable timetable.

Taxis are easily found, but make sure that either the metre is turned on or agree a price in advance for a long journey.

If you want to journey from, say, Paphos to Limassol without having to take your car and find a parking space, it may be worth using the local Travel Express service, a minibus system with offices in towns all over the island.  Comfortable vehicles, speedy, safe journeys at a fraction of the cost of taxis because you share the vehicle with others going the same way.

Shopping
For permanent residents, Paphos and Kato Paphos offer the full range of shopping facilities, from clothes and shoe shops to well-stocked large supermarkets.  Big hardware shops mean that DIY enthusiasts can complete any type of project, whilst gardeners are well served by garden centres and plant shops.

For the holiday maker, traditional hand woven baskets, sea sponges, pottery and local embroidery are good buys.

However, do remember that Cyprus follows a more relaxed lifestyle than the UK and most of Europe – shops tend to close for long lunchtimes and many close completely on Wednesday and Saturday afternoon.

Car hire and purchase
Car hire and car purchasing is no problem in Paphos.  You’ll see companies and offers everywhere.  For car hire, you'll need your Passport and your UK driving Licence with you when you sign.

Medical
The quality of healthcare in Cyprus is excellent, with the majority of doctors having trained in the UK, America and Germany.  In general, they speak excellent English.  Clinics and hospitals offer every type of treatment and therapy.

Medical facilities are scattered throughout Paphos and the outlying villages.  There is no formal health system such as exists in the UK, so you can’t ‘register’ with a GP.  However, you’ll find both large clinics and individual practitioners with modern, well-equipped facilities wherever you settle. Their name boards will detail whether they are specialists or generalists – if you feel the need of a consultation, just go into any of these establishments and make an appointment (which you will probably get almost immediately).  You will probably be asked to pay at the end of the session.

Some doctors will dispense drugs themselves, others will give you a prescription to take to a local pharmacy.  The full range of drugs issued in the UK is available in Cyprus, although they may be dispensed under a different name than you are used to.  All drugs will need to be paid for.

Health Insurance is easily obtainable and, in general, at a much lower premium than in the UK.

Public holidays
Banks, shops and offices are closed in Cyprus on the following dates:

Fixed holidays:

1 January	New Year’s Day
6 January	Epiphany
25 March	Greek Independence Day
1 April	National Day
1 May	Labour Day
20 June	Cataclysmos
15 August	The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1 October	Cyprus Independence Day
28 October	Ochi Day
25 December	Christmas Day
26 December	Boxing Day

(Holidays falling on a weekend are not moved.)

Green Monday – 50 days before Greek Orthodox Easter Monday 19th February in 2007

Easter – note that Easter is celebrated according to the Greek Orthodox calendar and is usually over a different date than in the rest of Europe and that the Tuesday is taken as an extra day’s holiday. In 2007, Easter Sunday will fall on 8th April and the whole holiday is from Friday 6th April to Tuesday 10th April inclusive.

All bank holidays are strictly observed - in general, you will not find shops or tourist venues open and most restaurants will be closed as well, although bakeries may open for a short time in the morning. So if you're self-catering, please bear this in mind when shopping for food!