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TRAVELLER
Petra tou Ro
also kno
Aphrodite’s
makes a ro
wedding bac
“SEE THAT LARGE SEA STACK OVER THERE?”
tour guide Mirka Merkouri points out a large rock off
the craggy coastline. “It’s called Petra tou Romiou,
which means ‘rock of the Greek’. The legend says if
you swim around it three times, you will be beautiful
forever and find eternal love.”
It’s a bold claim (and one that doesn’t stand up to
too much scrutiny), but that hasn’t stopped couples
flocking to this bay in south-western Cyprus in search
of the perfect romantic spot for their wedding.
Rumoured to be the birthplace of Aphrodite
(or Venus to the Romans), who rose from the sea
to become the goddess of romantic love, the bay’s
beauty far outstrips even the nubile loveliness of the
divinity, as depicted in Botticelli’s iconic
The Birth of
Venus
. Craggy cliffs provide a backdrop to a sandy
cove, where turquoise waters roll in by day and where
dramatic sunsets appear to set the world alight.
It might just be the perfect spot for romantics,
especially those willing to trust the local view that
this place is the key to a long-lasting, happy marriage.
And yet, I can’t quite believe Mirka’s assertions that
the popularity of the beach as a wedding venue is due
purely to the persuasive powers of ancient legend.
Yes, loving couples are by definition romantics,
but this is post-credit-crunch Europe. In the
age of austerity, the reality is that weddings are
extraordinarily expensive. The estimated average
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