COVER GUIDE BOOK exofilo_F - ente nazionale per il turismo di cipro

POLIS
Polis, which in Greek means ‘town’, is situated on a beautiful sweep of bay,
with the rugged Akamas peninsula to the west and the pine clad Troodos
Mountains as its backdrop.
Known as Marion in antiquity, the town was probably founded by an Athenian
warrior called Akamas, the son of Theseus, who arrived here after the Trojan
War. Rich in gold and copper ore, it attracted considerable trade, especially
with Athens, which in turn exported many pots to the area. The town was
destroyed in the battle between the successors of Alexander the Great until a
new city was formed by Philadelphus, a member of the Ptolemy dynasty, who
gave it the name of his wife, Arsinoe. From medieval times onwards the town
was known as Polis and today it is the administrative centre of the region and
a small town of much character with an old town centre of stone buildings with
internal arches, decorated doorways and hanging balconies.
The fishing shelter of Polis, Latchi, with its waterfront promenade and long
sand and pebble beach offering all kinds of water sports, is now being
expanded into a 200 berth marina.
The Akamas peninsula, with its tabletop mountain, spectacular views between
pines to turquoise waters down below and the famous Baths of Aphrodite, is
an excellent place to admire nature on foot or by bike. The area is ideal for
hiking, cycling, diving and swimming in crystal clear waters.
Main places of interest:
Agios Andronikos church
Agia Kyriaki church
Polis Archaelogical Museum Marion/Arsinoe
Byzantine Museum of Arsinoe (Peristerona village)
Baths of Aphrodite
Latchi
Laona Region
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