Happy Birthday: Aphrodite's Rock and Beach

-
On your birthday you expect to get spoiled and made to feel extremely special. Whether your loved ones take the time to do something big or small or you treat yourself to a well needed day of pampering, during your special day you can’t help but feel like a goddess.  What better beach to visit on my special day then but one of the places where the goddess Aphrodite emerged from the sea in all her glory.

Aphrodite’s Rock and Beach is listed as a must visit in Cyprus’ guidebooks and as soon as we arrived it was easy to see why. Large smooth pebbles cover the ground and the various colours of the pebbles shimmer through the light blue crystal clear water making it look more like a resort pool than the ocean. Huge rocks jut out of the sea adding drama to the landscape. The beach is also known as Petra Tou Romiou (Rock of the Roman) due to the legend of the Greek hero, Digenis Akritas who used to throw large rocks to destroy his enemies. People swim out to these large sea stacks and some how manage to climb up to the very top much to the fascination of onlookers.

Verse and I were like puppies that were now let off of their leashes when we arrived, as we couldn’t walk around fast enough to explore this amazing seascape. Verse, was of course the first to get into the water and even though it was cold he swam around for a while marveling at the clear dark blue water. This was exactly how I hoped to spend part of my birthday- at an exotic location, with warm sun beating down at me, and making wonderful memories with a loved one. 


This underground tunnel takes you safely from the car park to the beach across the street
The shore line bends offering alot of space to relax
Sea stacks are seen mostly on this side of the beach
The birthday girl!
Crystal clear water and the sea stacks dramatically emerging from the sea

Verse enjoying his visit

The crystal clear water 
Enjoying the water
Aphrodite's Beach 

Aphrodite's Beach and Rock

Thanks for the amazing memories!



Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 4, 2013 at 6:22 PM

    Wow what an amazing site - Have to add that to my list of to dos! - M

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ariann MiekaMarch 4, 2013 at 10:46 PM

    Yes it is wonderful! Ill go with you whenever you are ready to check it out! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. SholitaMarch 6, 2013 at 10:22 PM

    I think that the Cyprus tourism board needs to give you a check for being an awesome tour guide.... because of you Petra Tou Romiou is totally on my list of places to go before I die... would have never considered this prior to reading your blog... ill send you a pic of "Sholita and Noodles take Petra Tou Romiou by storm!"
    Thanks Ari! Where is your photography going to take me next!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ariann MiekaMarch 7, 2013 at 6:27 PM

    Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I hope when you and Treef go I will be along for the ride too!! :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Visit to an Orisha Yard

-
Image
The drumming, singing, and dancing were captivating. As I looked on I was totally engrossed in what I was witnessing and I felt like I was on a tour in another country when I was in fact only a stone’s throw away from Port of Spain! We were in Laventille to learn more about the Orisha religion for a project on East Port of Spain and the camera crew was dutifully filming three ladies who belong to the faith.   Several shrines of different colours were laid out in a row in one section within an open yard. They went to each shrine and told us about the deity they were built for, what offerings were usually given and a short sample of what songs might be sung in various ceremonies throughout the year. The singing was mesmerizing as their voices and the Yoruba derived lyrics they belted out pulsated a rhythmic vibration through the air. The ladies explain different aspects of the faith and answer questions The Yard with some of the shrines to the various Deities A tour of t
Read more

The massive cross on the hill

-
Image
The massive cross sits high on a hill and is visible from miles away. Verse and I were driving in the Troodos region , heading to the Kykkos monastery when we spotted the 25-metre cross looming above us. Intrigued, we had to veer off route and drive up the hill to find out more. Stavros Fithkias is a small modern chapel with amazing wall paintings. As is common in the majority of their churches these frescos were intricate, bright and tell the stories of the gospels. This chapel was built in the 80’s and is a common stop for pilgrims heading to the Kykkos monastery. Prior to our trip to Cyprus I had no idea what a huge role religion had in their culture and history. (I guess that’s because I knew very little about Cyprus at all, save for the fact that it was the hottest location in Europe at the time I wanted to travel). A whopping ten of their churches (found on the Greek side) are Unesco’s World Heritage sites making this island a must visit for all those interested
Read more

The Heineken Experience

-
Image
This was the first museum we visited, although the description says it’s technically not a museum but an ‘experience’. After a quick tram ride from our flat it was a lovely short stroll to the old Heineken brewery (which was easy to find, as there is no way you can miss the huge Heineken sign). The line to buy the tickets was pretty long but it moved swiftly. The cost to enter was €17 for adults but with a coupon found in a tourist attraction book we paid €15 for one ticket (yay for discounts). Along with your tickets you are given a green Heineken band that allows you to get two free drinks after the self-guided tour.  Slipping the band on our hands we had no idea what to expect and we were excited to get started on the experience! The Heineken brewery is well worth a visit even for non-drinking folks.  Being one of the most successful and internationally known beer brands, Heineken has such a deep-rooted history in Holland and the tour presents this and information about the
Read more