Aphrodite's Rock (Petra tou Romiou)

The mythological birthplace of Aphrodite: a big pale sea stack rising off a pebble beach on the wild coast between Paphos and Limassol, where — the legend says — the goddess of love was born from the foam. It's the classic Cyprus pull-over: the road sweeps down, the rocks glow at sunset, and the whole bay turns to gold. The sea here is usually rough and the shore is smooth pebbles rather than sand, so it's more a place to stand and stare than to swim, and climbing the rock isn't allowed. But catch it at dusk with the surf pounding and you'll see why the ancients handed it to a goddess.