Things To Do in Latchi

With its carpet of wildflowers and scent of wild thyme and rosemary, the Aphrodite Trail is a great introduction to Akamas National Park. You can start the 8-kilometre trail at Aphrodite’s Bath – the grotto where the goddess is said to have bathed. Then it’s a hike to the high point at Moutti tis Sotiras, for views of the blue lagoons below.

This contemporary, architect-designed bar is a place to chill out in style. You can sink back on cane sofas under the canopy of the main bar, or enjoy an iced coffee or cool beer down by the beach. There’s lots of sporting action on the big screens – and the place hots up on Friday and Saturday nights, when DJs take to the decks.

Keo beer and Aphrodite wine are local drinks that go down very well as you enjoy a laid-back evening at Latchi’s bars and tavernas. Some of the places have traditional music to entertain you, and for more up tempo sounds you might be able to track down a disco in the summer. Mostly, though, Latchi nights are low-key – which is just how everyone likes them.

With its sweeping seaside panoramas and carpeted fields of flowers, the 8-kilometre Aphrodite Trail lets you see the Akamas National Park at its best. It starts from Aphrodite’s Baths – where the goddess herself reputedly used to wash – so you can take a look at the little watery grotto before you get going. There’s quite a bit of uphill work – but the views make it worth the effort.

There aren’t many festivals you can go nuts about – but this happens to be one of them. It’s to celebrate the harvesting of peanuts from the local groves and comes with lots of food, drink and lively music and dancing. A ticket costs about 10 euros – which includes, of course, plenty of free peanuts.

Latchi is a low-key kind of place – and that holds for the nightlife. At weekends, it might let its hair down with traditional live music at some of the harbour-side tavernas. But mostly it’s about bagging a spot on a sea-view terrace and watching the sun go down while you relax over a glass of the local Laona Akamas white wine.

This friendly taverna is a favourite with locals as well as tourists. Regulars here tend to kick off with the fried calamari with a crisp Greek salad, then follow up with whatever’s come in off the boats. If you’re not a fish fan, the helpful staff will rustle you up a meat or veggie meze.

Latchi’s main road is the place to go to find supermarkets and souvenir shops. Along with olive oil and silverware, a popular memento is the delicately embroidered lace – it’s handmade on the island at Lefkara, where Leonardo da Vinci once stopped off to buy an altar cloth. For major retail therapy, Paphos has everything from handcrafts shops to Debenhams.

This café and bar combo deals up chic, modern décor with a laid-back Latchi attitude. You can take your drinks outside for a first-rate view of the marina or cosy up on the sofas inside. And if you’re feeling peckish, the place does a good line in club sandwiches and crêpes.

Not surprisingly for a fishing village, the tavernas at the harbour come with a top haul of seafood. The fish is so fresh it’s practically still flipping, so ask the waiter what’s been netted that day. Calamari, snapper and sea bream usually show up on the menu at some point.

The annual Festival of the Flood sees locals flocking down to the harbour for swimming competitions and games. There’s traditional folk dancing to keep the crowds entertained, and stalls selling Cypriot food when revellers need to refuel.

One of the most popular harbour-side restaurants, Faros serves up a tempting menu of fresh fish and Cypriot specialities at very reasonable prices. Grilled snapper with garlic mayo, the Cyprus plate with moussaka, stifado and domades, and the very generous prawn cocktails are just a few of the must-tries here. If you want a seat right by the harbour, go early – they can get pretty busy.

Pick a watersport – any watersport – and you can probably do it on Latchi Beach. Jet-skiing, parasailing and waterskiing are all covered, and diving is popular here, too. Beginners can get started at the watersports centre. Meanwhile, the beach bars and tavernas are handy for taking a break from the action.

Down at the harbour, the old stone warehouses once used for storing carob are now converted restaurants serving up mouth-wateringly fresh fish. The aroma of sizzling sea bass, calamari and snapper leads you inside, where waiters will happily take you through the catch of the day. Apparently, the octopus goes particularly well with a glass of chilled ouzo.

Latchi Beach is a crowd-free zone. It comes with sunloungers and umbrellas, and the waterfront restaurants are right on hand when you want to break for a leisurely lunch. You’ve got watersports on offer here as well – you can take your pick from banana boats, windsurfing, jet-skis and scuba diving.