The Story Behind the Paphos Shipwrecks
There’s something tantalising about shipwrecks and the story they silently hold to themselves. And there are a number of them that lay on the shores of the island.
As you drive along the coastal road, from the heart of Kato Paphos all the way to Saint George Peyia just past Coral Bay, you will come across two shipwrecks which adorn the shores.
The first one you’ll notice, from the height of Kissonerga Village, is the wreck of M/V Demetrios II which ran aground in March 1998 after enduring heavy seas during one of its voyages from Greece to Syria, loaded with a cargo of timber.
Although quite far out at sea, this makes an enchanting backdrop to the area.
Some years later, in 2011, a second wreck happened, right near the sea caves, a couple of kilometres further down from M/V Demetrios, and very close to the Akamas Peninsula.
EDRO III was travelling from Limassol to Rhodes in Greece when it ran aground. Built in the 1960s, registered in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the EDRO III is owned by an Albanian shipping company. Local authorities are hesitant to remove the ship from the rocks because the coastline is a protected natural park where turtles nest and endemic plant and animal species thrive.
Today, many visitors make their way to the sea caves to admire the wreck which makes a wonderful opportunity for sunset photos. For the past couple of years, the location is also being frequently used for wedding ceremonies.
