Aphrodite...

The cult of Aphrodite arrived in Cyprus from the East; she was already worshipped in Syria and Palestine as Ishtar and Astarte. She was also worshipped by the Romans as Venus.

In Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility who rose from the sea foam off the shore of Cyprus. She was married to Hephaestus, but took many lovers, including Ares and Adonis. She was the mother of Eros, Hermaphrodite, Priap and Aeneas, among others. The main centres for her cult of worship were Pafos and Amathous. The myrtle plant is dedicated to her, as is the dove.

Petra tou Romiou is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite. Meaning 'Rock of Romios,' the name also commemorates the legendary Greek hero Digenis Akritas, also known as Romios. He lived during the Byzantine era, and during an Arab raid by Saracen corsairs on Cyprus, hurled huge boulders into the sea to destroy the Arab ships. According to legend, the rocks here are the stones thrown by Romios.

Sunsets here are spectacular, especially when, towards the end of summer, Saharan winds have whipped fine sand into the upper atmosphere and northwards towards Cyprus.

Sources: Eyewitness Travel: Cyprus; Globetrotter: The Best of Cyprus