Sight: Petra tou Romiou - “the Rock of the Greek”

Petra tou Romiou - “the Rock of the Greek”

Petra tou Romiou is also known as Aphrodite's Rock, is a sea stack in Pafos, Cyprus.

This interesting geological formation of huge rocks off the southwest coast in the Pafos (Paphos) district forms one of the most impressive natural sites of Cyprus associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

According to legend, this strikingly beautiful spot is where Aphrodite rose from the waves and the foaming sea and was then escorted on a shell at the rocks known as ‘Rock ofAphrodite’ or ‘Petra tou Romiou’ in Greek. The Greek name, Petra tou Romiou, “the Rock of the Greek”, is associated with the legendary Byzantine hero, Digenis Akritas, who kept the marauding Saracens at bay with his amazing strength. It is said that he heaved a huge rock into the sea, destroying the enemy's ships.

It is said that in certain weather conditions, the waves rise, break and form a column of water that dissolves into a pillar of foam. With imagination, this looks for just a moment like an ephemeral, evanescent human shape. The site is on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Source: http://www.visitcyprus.com/