Secondary keywords: Paphos harbour boat trips, yacht charter Paphos, Paphos Castle
Long-tail queries: What brokerage services do you offer in Paphos harbour, Where is the new Paphos marina, Can I charter a sunset cruise from Paphos
Paphos has the prettiest harbour on the island and, for the moment, no marina. Both halves of that sentence matter to anyone buying, selling or chartering on the west coast, so this page deals with both — the harbour as it is, and the marina as it has been talked about.
The harbour
A small stone harbour beside the medieval castle, ringed by cafés, with the archaeological park a few minutes' walk away. It is a working harbour for fishing boats and day-trip vessels, with a limited number of berths for leisure craft. Charters, sunset cruises and boat trips leave from here; large yachts do not live here.
For a visiting boat the harbour is picturesque and cramped. Space for a yacht overnight is not something to count on without asking ahead, and the alternative in settled weather is to anchor off. For anyone keeping a boat on the west coast long-term, the practical choices are a permanent berth here if one can be had, Latchi further north, or one of the eastern marinas with the boat brought round for the season.
Charters from Paphos
This is where the harbour earns its keep. From Paphos the coast runs north past Coral Bay towards the Akamas, and south-east towards Aphrodite's Rock. Both directions make a good day; the northern run is the more beautiful.
Sunset cruises. The classic Paphos charter: out in the late afternoon, the castle and the coast in the last light, back after dark. Works on a motor yacht or a catamaran; book early in summer.
Day charters to the Akamas. Longer than from Latchi, but you get the whole coast on the way. With a catamaran and a family aboard, this is one of the best days on the island.
Crewed weeks. Paphos is a fine starting point for a week under a captain and crew; that is covered in the crewed charter guide.
Brokerage on the west coast
Buying or selling a boat in Paphos works the same way as anywhere on the island, with one practical difference: the pool of vessels and buyers here is smaller than in Limassol, so a sale on the west coast is often a sale to the whole island, and sometimes abroad. A boat listed in Paphos gets shown to buyers from Limassol and Nicosia, and a buyer in Paphos is often looking at boats kept in Limassol.
I work across the island from Limassol Marina and handle viewings, surveys and sea trials in Paphos and Latchi as part of that. If you are selling here, the commission guide explains how the arrangement works; if buying, start with the buyer's guide.
The marina project — an honest note
A purpose-built marina for Paphos has been planned, announced and discussed for many years, with a site on the coast west of the town. I am not going to state here where it stands today, when it will open or what it will offer, because those answers have changed more than once and a web page that guesses does the reader no favours.
What I will say: if and when a marina opens, it changes the west coast — berthing capacity, the brokerage market and the kind of yachts that base here. Until then, plan around the harbour and Latchi, and ask me for the current position rather than trusting a date you read somewhere.
Frequently asked
What brokerage services do you offer in Paphos? Everything I offer anywhere — valuation, listing, viewings, surveys, negotiation, closing — with the boat shown to buyers island-wide.
Where is the new Paphos marina? Planned for the coast west of the town. For status and dates, ask; I will not guess in print.
Can I charter a sunset cruise from Paphos? Yes. It is the signature charter here. Book ahead in summer.
Can I berth a yacht in Paphos harbour? Space is limited. Ask well in advance, or consider Latchi or an eastern marina.
Ask me
Whether you are chartering for an evening, buying on the west coast or wondering whether to wait for the marina, tell me what you are trying to do and I will give you the current picture rather than the brochure.
