Polis or Polis Christochus (Greek Πoλις Χρυσοχοuς) is a small town in the northwestern part of the island of Cyprus, washed by the Christochus Bay. The entire northwestern coast of Cyprus is strikingly different from the noisy resort south: ancient ruins, untouched nature, a deserted coast with many secluded beaches. Polis, surrounded by almond groves and tobacco plantations, is far from the bustling tourist centers and is ideal for a family holiday: from the city center to the sea – just a few minutes of leisurely step.

It is no coincidence that Polis is located near the famous baths of Aphrodite in the Akamas reserve: the rest here is truly divine, calm and measured. Check liuxers for customs and traditions of Cyprus.

Since Polis cannot be called a major tourist center, the town lives its own life all year round: the locals are engaged in agriculture and fishing, there is also a port for fishermen from the surrounding villages. Polis is well known in Cyprus as a place of lavish fish fairs and colorful yachting competitions.

How to get there

You can get to Polis by plane Moscow – Paphos. Regular non-stop flights by Aeroflot and Cyprus Airways to Paphos International Airport are operated from Domodedovo Airport several times a week, charters are added at the height of the holiday season. From Paphos Airport to Polis can be reached by bus in 30 minutes.

Shopping and souvenirs

The city itself is good for leisurely walks: a picturesque little square with scattered taverns turns into a quiet pedestrian street with many handicraft shops. Ancient crafts are maintained here, many artless souvenirs are sold, and traditional Cypriot music is played on the terraces of numerous cafes in the evenings.

Polis and its nearest village, Latchi, is a Mecca for gourmets. The famous fish taverns serve unparalleled fresh fish meze and seafood dishes.

Beaches

However, Polis is famous primarily for its beaches – endless, clean and calm, they bear little resemblance to the noisy tourist coasts of southern Cyprus. The beaches of Latchi, just west of Polis, are several kilometers of sandy coast with many fish restaurants and a picturesque fishing harbor. At the height of the holiday season, not only visitors rest here, but also the Cypriots themselves, who specially come here to swim in the gentle Mediterranean Sea.

Weather in Polis

The climate of Polis is subtropical Mediterranean. Up to 330 sunny days a year are issued in Cyprus! At the same time, most of the precipitation here falls in winter, and clear dry weather prevails in summer. In summer, the average air temperature is +30…+32 °С, at night – +19…+21 °С. In winter, during the day, the air warms up to +15…+17 °С, at night it cools down to +8…+10 °С. Water in summer is heated to +25…+27 °С, and in winter it does not cool below +16…+18 °С.

Attractions and attractions of Polis

The Cypriot city-state of Marion in the vicinity of the policy was inhabited in the Neolithic era. The fierce struggle for dominion in Cyprus between the heirs of Alexander the Great, Antigonus and Ptolemy led Marion to destruction. The winner – Ptolemy – destroyed the city and resettled the remnants of its inhabitants in Paphos. Later, another city, Arsinoe, was founded on the ruins of Marion, which was mentioned in various sources until the late Middle Ages, when, finally, mentions of the town of Polis Christochus began. The glorious history of this area is told by the Marion-Arsinoe Museum, built in 1998 with the support of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as exhibits in the Archaeological Museum. Excavations continue on the territory of the ancient city.

Another historical landmark of the surrounding area is the recently discovered ruins of the medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery of Galia. Among the city’s attractions, it is worth highlighting the church of Agios Andronikos with magnificent frescoes.

Akamas reserve

Special mention deserves the Akamas nature reserve, located on the peninsula of the same name near Polis. Extraordinarily beautiful places of nature untouched by civilization of the reserve are protected by Greenpeace. This area is a unique para-Mediterranean ecosystem, where shrubs are replaced by freegana and machia, and they, in turn, are pine forests. In addition to lush vegetation, here you can find almost all the geological formations of Cyprus, which are a real mosaic.

On the territory of the reserve are the Baths of Aphrodite, where the Goddess of Love took baths with her beloved Adonis before her wedding with Akamas (whose name the peninsula is named after). The Fountain of Amorosa, the Fountain of Love, is still bubbling, attracting couples in love: it is believed that those who drink at least a sip from it will surely fall in love. Polis itself has been called the city of lovers for some time now: many newlyweds consider a visit to Cyprus, the Island of Aphrodite, and a trip to the Fountain of Amoroz to be a good harbinger of their future family life.

Leisure

Among the types of recreation in Polis, beach holidays, water sports and yachting, as well as leisurely walks around the area on horseback, prevail. Horse trails for walks in the protected corners of Cyprus run past the original Cypriot villages, in the picturesque foothills and valleys filled with the aroma of herbs.