Fossils Found in Paphos

Location

• Paphos is located right on the coast in the southwest of Cyprus. As a result, many ocean fossils can be found. Visitors often kayak or boat to visit sea caves located on the edge of the isle. Tours and rentals can be procured specifically for this purpose. Fossils can be seen embedded in the walls of rock throughout the coast. There are also fossils located in cliffs inland. Homes with stone cut from local mountains even have fossils.

Gastropods

• Archaeogastropods, commonly known as gastropods, are one type of fossil found in Paphos. These fossils are between two and five million years old, dating from the Pliocene Era. Gastropods are invertebrate snail creatures in the mollusk family. They generally have a coiled shell, though some have shells in the shape of a dome. Most gastropods are from the sea, but some have developed lung-like organs that enable them to live inland.

Museums

• Museums in Paphos showcase the natural history of the isle including a wide variety of fossils. The Larnaka Municipal Museum of Natural History holds a wide variety of natural history exhibits including examples of wildlife, rock formations and plenty of fossils. The Georgios Eliades collection, located on Exo Vrysis Street, contains examples of the ancient history of Cyprus including fossils. This institution in Paphos, named the Ethnographic Museum, is widely regarded as the richest museum in Cyprus.

Petra Tou Romiou

• An atoll just off the coast of Paphos named Petra Tou Romiou holds many stunning examples of fossils embedded in its rock. The surrounding beach is known as one of the most beautiful in all of Cyprus. Coral and seashells can be found on the atoll in addition to fossils. Smaller rocks surround the Petra Tou Romiou. Local legend has it that the goddess of love, Aphrodite, rose from the ocean at the place of this atoll.