Paphos Street Art: The Best Murals and Where to Find Them

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Many people visit Paphos for its beaches and natural wonders, often overlooking the city’s old town. Others focus on the archaeological sites but run out of time to explore more. The old town lies a little farther from the seashore and historical parks, which is why it often slips off many tourists’ radar—and the bucket list. Yet this birthplace of Aphrodite hides modern murals that tell stories as powerful as the ancient ruins or the crashing waves. Paphos street art is alive, with local urban artists using walls as their canvases to speak directly to the public.

Why Paphos Street Art Deserves Your Attention

Discovering Paphos street art is an entirely free activity
You will see how the mythology connects with modern expression
Murlas give forgotten corners new life to discover
You can discover more about past or upcoming art festivals in the town
Paphos street art will give you insight into the town’s evolving cultural identity
For photographers, the clash of both worlds may create interesting juxtapositions or backdrops
Paphos street art is in living conversation with the present, although some artworks may be faded or replaced

Cultural Evolution Behind Paphos Street Art

The most notable street art festival in Paphos is the Street Art Square Festival, which started in 2015. The first year of the festival lasted for two days in April, and besides the live street art action, it included live concerts and DJs. People see it as a significant milestone for public art in Paphos. This festival helped turn parking lots and neglected spaces into art sites and galleries.

Later in 2017, thanks to Paphos being the European Capital of Culture, it got a massive boost in investments, and some new art projects came to life. The program was set to take a “Make it New” approach. The aim was not only to innovate the urban landscape but also to make it more consistent and incorporate a number of multicultural activities and other actions.

Painted-Over Mural Controversy

One of the key murals was made by internationally acclaimed Italian artist Millo, who has a distinctive street art style. In addition to watching him work on the murals, the public witnessed how one of his works was painted over with white.

The whole problem with the festival was (and I’m not sure how it is or will be in the future) that the murals were made on walls belonging to private owners. Because artists used private buildings as their canvases, they and the city have no authority to preserve the artworks. The building owners argued on social media that the building needed construction and new paint to avoid any irreversible destruction. They also stated that they liked the art and were fans of the original artists.

There is still a chance to see some works from Millo. You need to go out of the city center towards Geroskipou. There is a quite tall water tower in Andreas Sylianides Park.

Best Street Art Locations in Paphos

The main area where the artworks are displayed is the historical center of Paphos, but also, as I mentioned when talking about Millo, another hotspot is in Geroskipou. But in general, we can speak of these places:

Paphos Old Town
Geroskipou
Chlorakas village
Mandria village
The abandoned village of Agios Fotios

Paphos Old Town

Many of the murals in the old town of Paphos are very close to each other, and you should have no problems finding them. However, it might become a little bit more challenging if you want to take pictures of some of them. Some streets are very narrow, with cars running through them, while the murals are on the upper rooftop parts that are visible from a distance, but once you get closer, the building becomes a sight.

Aphrodite’s Children Mural

The mural depicts a lady in water and a little child near her, decorated with some Art Nouveau elements in the corners. At least, these are the first impressions when spotting the artwork from a distance. The authors are BillyGee, Alex Martinez, and Lune82er.

The lady is supposed to be Aphrodite. According to historical sources, she should have been born in Paphos, at Aphrodite’s Rock. When you look closer at the mural, you will see that she holds a little heart while she rises from the sea. She has a companion by her side, that little guy who is Eros. He seems very busy and concentrated on making a selfie, like the other social media influencers enjoy doing. When you look even closer, you will see all the names of Aphrodite’s children around them, too.

Chernobyl Bar Mural

The bar has great reviews on Google Maps, and it might be a cool place to get some drinks and hang out with friends. But before you enter it, you will see the mural first. The artists behind it are Rafael Stavrinou and vaRna. The artwork depicts a girl wearing a mask while she stands in the middle of a wheel.

The mask presents the Chernobyl theme, but the sunset behind it should make you think about the potential of beautiful things to stop time and let us enjoy the moment. The wheel from the amusement park refers to the fact that life is full of adventures, and you should take part in them the same way people enjoy going to amusement parks.

The sunflower is the last element of the mural that your eyes should concentrate on. Rafael Stavrinou says the flower “can absorb the radioactivity and toxicity. This is why the girl holds it in her hand like hope to create a contrast and show us that every bad thing comes to an end.”

Calligraffiti in Chlorakas Village

The artwork is named ELEMENTS: Earth | Sea | Sun | Life, and its author is Anatolio Spyrlidis (aka Royal Venom). So far, the mural has attracted a lot of attention. It is basically a combination of street art, graffiti, abstract art, graphic elements, and calligraphy—hence the word calligraffiti. It is a circle with a couple of different circular levels, with the central circle featuring the word “art.” The rest features the words “know-dream-thrive, passion-inspiration-energy-truth-freedom, harmony-metamorphosis-unity.”

Anatolio Spyrlidis has been doing street art for over a decade, but he started playing with the calligrafity approach only in the last years. His portfolio includes collaborations with some Greek streetwear brands, such as KushComa or Vertigo Athens.

Entrance to Mandria Village

Not very far away from Paphos and still in the Paphos district is Mandria, a small village by the sea and Paphos International Airport. It has a small but lovely square filled with many English-speaking visitors.

The mural is on the walls of both sides of the tunnel leading to the village. The author is Rafael Stavrinou, who also did the Chernobyl Bar mural. His assistant was Markos Papa. The art reflects scenes from Greek mythology. We see Aphrodite and Zephyr blending with images of everyday farming life, chapels, folklore traditions, and many local birds.

Other Spots

The other two locations, Geroskipou and the abandoned village of Agios Fotios, also have something to offer. Geroskipou has not only the water tower mural by Millo but also a sculpture park. You will find murals there, too, but they mostly look playful, like more minor children made them.

The abandoned village of Agios Fotios has one documented mural so far. But the town is way too far away from Paphos. It is more suitable for people who enjoy doing urbex exploration since there are a couple of other abandoned villages nearby, such as the more well-known Foinikas, the Templar Knights village.

What Street Art Reveals About Modern Paphos

When considering delving deeper into the Paphos street art scene, you will discover and observe:

How the city balances heritage and change, and faces new challenges

see youthful creative pulse of the genius loci
be part of the community rebirth
become aware of the cultural openness
get social commentary and see what power public space holds
observe the emotional connection of locals to the Paphos
participate in an ongoing conversation

On my strolls through the old town of Paphos, I also came across several wall sculptures — including one on the historic caravanserai, Ibrahim’s Khan. Faded murals depicting sea life, ancient gods, saints, and mythological treasures decorate the stairways around the Turkish and Hammam Baths. Though many artworks are now weathered and sun-bleached, they still whisper stories of the city’s layered past, blending mythology, faith, and the Mediterranean spirit into the walls.