Where do British expats live in Paphos?

Mainly in Peyia, Chloraka, Tala, Kissonerga and around Kato Paphos and Universal. Peyia has about 7,000 permanent residents with a large British share.

How do I meet people when I first move to Paphos?

Join your area's Facebook group before you arrive, then sign up for one weekly activity, such as a walking group, a sport or volunteering, within your first month.

Do I need to speak Greek to make friends?

No, English is widely spoken. Basic Greek helps you connect with Cypriot neighbours and shows respect, and low-cost adult courses are available.

When is the best time of year to move for a social life?

Autumn. The resident community is most active from October to April, so September or October arrivals settle in during the busiest season.

Where do most British expats live in Cyprus?

Paphos district has the largest British community, especially Peyia, Chloraka, Tala and Kissonerga. Limassol and Larnaca have British residents too, in smaller and more international communities.

Is Cyprus a good place to live for expats?

For most British movers, yes: English is widely spoken, the climate is mild for eight months of the year and Paphos has a large, active community. The hard parts are bureaucracy, summer heat and the first-year dip in your social life.

Making Friends in Paphos: A Newcomer's Guide (2026)

Making Friends in Paphos: How to Build a Social Life After You Move

Making friends in Paphos is easier than in most places abroad, because Paphos district has the biggest British community in Cyprus and English works almost everywhere. It still takes effort: most people say it takes six months to a year to feel properly settled, and the ones who join things early get there fastest.

JJason 9 min read Last verified 27 September 2026

Get my relocation plan See events in Paphos

The short version

Where you live shapes your social life. Peyia, Chloraka and Tala have the biggest British communities and the most clubs.

Join something weekly, not just events. Walking groups, sport, volunteering and classes build friendships; one-off parties don't.

Winter is the social season. The resident community is busiest from October to April, when summer visitors have gone.

Meeting Cypriots takes more effort: learn some Greek, use local cafés and shops, and say yes to invitations.

Expect a dip around months 3–6. It's normal, and it passes.

The first few weeks after a move are busy: flats, bank accounts, school runs, the yellow slip or residence permit queue. Then one Saturday night the admin runs out and you realise you don't know anyone here.

I'm Jason, and I moved my family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. The good news is that Paphos is one of the easiest places in Europe for a British person to build a social life. The less good news is that it doesn't happen by itself. Here's what works.

1. Choose an area with a community, not just a view

Where you live decides how easy this is. The British community in Paphos district is concentrated in a handful of places:

Peyia (also spelled Pegeia): about 7,000 permanent residents and a large British population, with pubs, cafés, clubs and English-run businesses.
Chloraka: 3 km north of Paphos, popular with British retirees and families.
Tala: a hill village with a well-established British community and its own amphitheatre and village events.
Kato Paphos and Universal: walkable, mixed, good for younger movers and remote workers.

Peyia village square in the evening with people at café tables — Peyia's square on a weekday evening.

An isolated villa in a small inland village is lovely until you want company. If you're moving alone or as a couple without children, a walkable area or a village with a busy square makes the first year much easier. Our best areas for retirees guide compares the main areas.

2. Join something that meets every week

Friendships grow from seeing the same people again and again. One-off events get you introductions; weekly groups turn them into friends. Pick one or two and commit for three months.

Walking and hiking groups. The Akamas peninsula, coastal paths and Troodos foothills give Paphos some of the best walking in Cyprus. Groups usually meet early on weekend mornings, especially from October to May.
Golf. Paphos district has several courses, including Aphrodite Hills, Minthis and Secret Valley, each with its own members' social life.
Sport and fitness. Tennis and padel clubs, sea-swimming groups, running clubs, yoga and gym classes.
Quiz nights, book clubs and bridge. Run by pubs, clubs and community groups, especially in Peyia and Chloraka.
Faith groups. English-language church services are held in Paphos, and congregations often run coffee mornings and social events.
Children's activities. If you have children, their school in Paphos, sports clubs and birthday parties will introduce you to other parents faster than anything else.

Local Facebook groups for each area are where most of these are advertised. Join them before you arrive and ask what's on. International platforms such as InterNations and Meetup also list Cyprus groups, though most Paphos activity still runs through Facebook.

Beach volleyball players in silhouette at sunset on a Kato Paphos beach — Weekly games are an easy way in.

Tick these off in your first month. Each one puts you in front of the same people more than once.

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1 Before you arrive

Join the Facebook group for your area and one for Paphos as a wholeAsk what's on in your first fortnight.
Pick two weekly activities to tryOne active (walking, padel, swimming), one social (quiz, book club, choir).

2 Weeks 1–2

Introduce yourself to your neighboursA box of pastries from the local bakery works.
Choose your regular café and bakery and go at the same time each day
Go to one public event on your ownSee our events calendar for what's on.

3 Weeks 3–4

Go back to the same weekly group a second and third timeThe third visit is when people start remembering your name.
Ask about volunteeringAnimal shelters and charity shops always need help.
Book a Greek class or tutor for the autumn term
Invite someone for coffeeDon't wait to be asked.

Myth

Myth: "The expat bubble is the easy option, so avoid it"

Reality

There's nothing wrong with British friends. Shared humour and shared experience of moving are exactly what you need in your first year. The mistake is only having one circle. Build a second one through a sport, a class or your neighbours.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering puts you alongside people who have lived here for years, Cypriot and foreign, and gives your week a purpose if you're retired or working remotely.

Paphos has animal rescue shelters that always need dog walkers and fosterers, charity shops that need staff, and community groups that run beach clean-ups and fundraising events. Ask in your area's Facebook group which charities need help and when.

Volunteers picking up litter on a beach near Paphos in the morning — A morning beach clean near Paphos.

4. Meet Cypriots on their terms

Most British people in Paphos socialise mainly with other expats. That's natural, but you'll feel more at home if you have Cypriot friends and neighbours too.

Learn some Greek. Even basic greetings open doors, and people notice the effort. The Ministry of Education's Adult Education Centres run evening language courses in towns and villages across Cyprus, so ask your local centre in September whether a Greek class for foreigners is running. Private tutors and language schools in Paphos teach year-round.
Be a regular. Use the same bakery, café and kiosk. Cypriot hospitality builds on familiarity.
Go to local events. Village fairs, Easter, Kataklysmos and name days are where Cypriot social life happens. See our events calendar.
Say yes. If a neighbour invites you for coffee or a family lunch, go. It is usually meant.

English is widely spoken, with about 75% of people in Cyprus speaking it fluently according to Invest Cyprus, so you won't be stuck. But a few words of Greek change the tone of every conversation.

Still choosing where to live?

Get an area shortlist that fits your social life

Walkable town, busy village or quiet hills? Tell us how you want to live and we'll suggest areas in Paphos to look at.

Get my relocation plan Compare Paphos areas

5. Know what the first year feels like

Everyone's timeline is different, but this pattern comes up again and again when people describe their first year here:

Stage	What it often feels like
Months 0–3	Busy with admin, excited, lots of first meetings
Months 3–6	The admin ends, novelty fades, UK friends feel far away; the loneliest stretch
Months 6–12	Regular groups turn into real friends; routines settle
Year 2	You're the one welcoming newcomers

If you arrive in spring, your months 3–6 fall in the quiet, hot summer, when many residents travel and clubs pause. Arriving in September or October means your first months line up with the busiest social season. That's one reason we suggest autumn moves; the move timeline planner works back from your arrival date. See winter in Paphos for what the season is like.

Woman sitting alone on a bench overlooking the sea in Kato Paphos at dusk — The first winter can feel quiet.

Watch out

When loneliness is more than a dip

If low mood lasts for weeks, talk to a GP. Under GeSY, Cyprus's national health system, you can register with a personal doctor once you're a beneficiary; see our GeSY guide or the quick GeSY explainer. Keeping regular video calls with UK friends and family helps too.

6. What doesn't work

Waiting to be invited. Everyone else is busy with their own life. Suggest the coffee, organise the walk.
Only going to one-off events. You'll meet 30 people and remember none of them.
Comparing it with home. You built your UK social life over decades. Give Paphos a year.
Staying in because it's too hot or too wet. Adjust the timing instead: early walks in summer, indoor clubs in the winter rain.
Moving somewhere isolated in your first year. Rent first in a lively area, then decide. Our renting guide explains how.

For more guides to your first year, see our relocation resources hub.

From experience

From Jason

A tip that works for most newcomers: pick one weekly commitment in your first month and don't miss it for three months. The friendships follow the routine.

— Jason

Two couples watching the sunset at Petra tou Romiou from the pebble beach — Sunset at Petra tou Romiou.

Making friends in Paphos: quick answers

Easier than in most places abroad, because of the large British community and widespread English. It still takes regular effort; most people feel settled after six months to a year.

Settle in faster

Get the admin done so you can get out and meet people

Bank, utilities and GeSY registration take up your first weeks. Our local settling-in partners can take some of it off your hands; the introduction is free.

Get settling-in help Get my relocation plan

The Paphos Brief: once a week, no hard sell

Events, new rules and real stories from people who moved from the UK to Paphos.

Still have a question?

Ask Jason about this

If this post didn’t answer your question, ask it here. I read every one myself and reply by email, usually within a working day.

Sources checked for this page

1.Wikipedia: Pegeia (location)Professional
2.DOM: Peyia district in Paphos (population and community)Professional
3.Wikipedia: ChlorakasProfessional
4.Tala Community Council: official websiteGovernment
5.Invest Cyprus: Living in Cyprus (English speakers)Professional
6.Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth: Adult Education CentresGovernment

Written by

Jason

Founder, Paphos Advisor

British founder who moved his family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. I write down what I learned doing it properly — the tax, the residency and the living-here detail — and introduce people to the specialists I’d use myself.

How I research and fact-check

Making Friends in Paphos: How to Build a Social Life After You Move

1. Choose an area with a community, not just a view

2. Join something that meets every week

Your first 30 days: a social plan

3. Volunteer

4. Meet Cypriots on their terms

5. Know what the first year feels like

6. What doesn't work

Making friends in Paphos: quick answers

Is it easy to make friends in Paphos?

Where do British expats live in Paphos?

How do I meet people when I first move to Paphos?

Do I need to speak Greek to make friends?

When is the best time of year to move for a social life?

Where do most British expats live in Cyprus?

Is Cyprus a good place to live for expats?

Ask Jason about this

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

1. Choose an area with a community, not just a view

2. Join something that meets every week

Your first 30 days: a social plan

3. Volunteer

4. Meet Cypriots on their terms

5. Know what the first year feels like

6. What doesn't work

Making friends in Paphos: quick answers

Is it easy to make friends in Paphos?

Where do British expats live in Paphos?

How do I meet people when I first move to Paphos?

Do I need to speak Greek to make friends?

When is the best time of year to move for a social life?

Where do most British expats live in Cyprus?

Is Cyprus a good place to live for expats?