Filenews 10 November 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
A project that during these years of its existence managed to turn into a favourite destination for hundreds of Paphians and foreign visitors daily, will now be a real gem for Pafos.
The coastal pedestrian street that extends from the Medieval Castle to the harbour of Kato Pafos to the boundaries of Pafos Municipality and the community of Chlorakas, 4.2 km long, is completed in its upgraded version and is handed over for use to the public. At a cost of €7.5 million, the pedestrian street, apart from the unique natural beauty that surrounds it, will itself be a jewel for the city.
Already, the upgrading of the project and the stunning image it creates of the harbour and the western coastline of the city, is visible from the lighting of the project in recent evenings, which creates an amazing spectacle, especially at night.
The project covers a total area of 47,000 sq.m. Its main component is the 4-meter wide pedestrian street that starts from the square of the Castle and ends in Chloraka. With a continuous view of the sea, a network of points of interest for visitors is developed at various points of the route, such as squares, sitting areas and viewpoints to the antiquities of the area and the open sea.
The project passes through particularly sensitive areas from an environmental point of view, since a large part of the area is a protected landscape included in the Natura 2000 Network, but also from a historical point of view, since starting from the traditional port of Kato Pafos and the Medieval Castle, it crosses the archaeological site of Kato Pafos and the archaeological site of the Tombs of the Kings, sites of unique historical and archaeological value for Cyprus and for world culture.
The Mayor of Pafos, Phedon Phedonos, spoke of an amazing result that changes the level of Pafos and what it offers to its people and visitors. This pedestrian street will be the thread that will connect the glorious and illustrious in antiquity Nea Pafos, capital of Cyprus for 600 years, with the city of today that has changed and is changing without abandoning its history and identity, he pointed out.
The western coastal pedestrian street that is now revealed in its new, even more attractive form, is one of the two pedestrian streets that cover the entire coastline of low Paphos, from the area of Geroskipou to Kissonerga.
The eastern pedestrian street covers the area from the Municipal Bathrooms of Kato Pafos to the coast of Geroskipou, at the point where the now popular church of Agios Nikolaos has been erected.
Hundreds of people of all genders, ages and professional classes flood the two pedestrian streets since, apart from strolling in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes of Cyprus, exercise also seems to have become a way of life in many Pafians.
Speaking to "F", the deputy mayor of Pafos, Christos Makariou, stressed that the eastern coastal pedestrian street of two kilometers has also been converted into a place of daily gathering, as was already the case with the pedestrian street of Faros, the construction of which had preceded it. The pedestrian street has also been enriched with services and has been improved in a way that will be touted for recreation, exercise and walking," he stressed. In addition to being landscaped to be a place for exercise, rest and walking, the pedestrian street also now includes illumination and installation of urban equipment, he clarified.
According to the deputy mayor of Pafos, the project had a budget of €200,000 and is considered particularly important given that it is located along the tourist coastal area in which many people, locals and visitors, move daily.
In recent years, many people use the area for jogging and walking during the morning and afternoon hours, Makariou said. The issue of the lack of lighting, mainly, was a deterrent for those who wanted to enjoy the stunning natural landscape of the area and the beach in front of the luxury hotels and evenings.
Now, with the improvements made, these two projects have become an outlet for thousands of people, replacing social gathering spaces.
