Polis Chrysochous and Latchi sit at the northern end of the Paphos district, on the sheltered Polis Bay between the Akamas Peninsula and the Tylliria mountains. Polis Chrysochous — usually shortened to Polis — is the small town at the head of the bay; Latchi is its harbour, a kilometre west on the coast. The pair function as a single destination, gentler in pace than Paphos and the natural gateway to the Akamas Peninsula. For boat trips along the Akamas coast, for the Baths of Aphrodite, for a quieter beach day, or simply for a long fish lunch on the harbour, Polis and Latchi are an hour's drive north of Annabelle and an entirely different rhythm.
Polis Chrysochous — A Smaller Town
Polis is a working coastal town of around 2,000 inhabitants, built around a town square with cafés, small shops, and the working everyday life of the northern Paphos district. The pace is slower than Paphos; the town centre is walkable; the rhythm is unhurried. A handful of small hotels and apartment buildings cater to a long-established mostly-British visitor community.
The town has its own beach (gentler and quieter than Coral Bay), several restaurants and cafés on the main square, and serves as the practical gateway to the eastern Akamas — the road to the Baths of Aphrodite trailhead passes directly through.
Latchi — The Working Harbour
Latchi is the harbour village a kilometre west of Polis. The harbour is small and active: fishing boats, day-trip boats running along the Akamas coast, leisure craft, the occasional yacht. The quay-side is lined with fish tavernas — the catch is genuinely local and the food is good — and the rhythm in the late afternoon and evening is the textbook Mediterranean harbour scene.
What to Do in the Polis Bay
A typical day in Polis and Latchi:
- Boat trip along the Akamas coast — half-day or full-day boats run from Latchi harbour up the western Akamas coast, often with swimming stops at the Blue Lagoon and viewing passes of Lara Bay. The most comfortable way to see the Akamas coastline if you're not driving.
- A swim at Polis Beach or one of the smaller coves — gentler water than the Paphos coast, often empty.
- Lunch at a Latchi harbour taverna — fresh fish, simple Cypriot cooking, harbour-side seating.
- The Baths of Aphrodite — 15 minutes' drive west of Latchi, the gateway to the Aphrodite Nature Trail.
From Annabelle
Reception will arrange a private car or transfer. The drive from Annabelle to Polis takes around 50 minutes north along the B7 coast road. Self-drive is feasible: the road is good and the route is straightforward.
Annabelle's sister property Anassa sits on the coast just west of Latchi, in the Polis Bay area, and is a natural option for lunch or dinner if you are spending a day in the region. Annabelle's guest services team is happy to arrange a reservation on your behalf.
A long Cypriot lunch on the harbour is the conventional way to close a day in Latchi.
Find your way to Polis Chrysochous on
Google Maps.