It’s a number of years since I last visited Cyprus, so when I was invited by Classic Collection to attend their brochure launch in Cyprus, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a very short trip with only 48 hours on the ground but we managed to pack a lot in!
Flights to Cyprus are very frequent from all the major U.K. airports during the spring, summer and Autumn seasons flying into either Larnaca or Paphos, with a flying time of just over 4 hours. The winter schedules are much more challenging which is a real shame as the winter climate is perfect, sunny days with average daily temperatures over 20 degrees and would be a real alternative to the Canaries.
We had limited spare time but we managed to squeeze in a tour of the picturesque Paphos harbour, and the archaeological sites and visit a traditional village house enroute to the Trudos mountains, where we sampled the homemade bread, cheeses and halloumi.
Our hosts for the launch were the Constantinou Bros group which has a number of 5-star luxury hotels along the coast to suit all markets, we stayed in the Athena Royal Beach which is an adult-only hotel with direct access onto the Kato Paphos beach. Large modern rooms with full facilities including coffee & tea making facilities and even an iron and ironing board! I would highly recommend upgrading to the sea view rooms as the view over the main road on the other side isn’t great.
Next door along the coast is the Constantinou Bros family friendly hotel, The Athena Beach. It still offers the seaside luxury but has more facilities suited to the family market such as family suites, inter-connecting rooms and the new ‘swim-up’ rooms with direct access from your terrace to a shared pool. For those who have older families, there is a dedicated area for adults (over 16) comprising of a separate pool, swim-up pool-bar and sunbathing area.
The jewel in the crown for the Constantinou Bros is the Asimina Suites Hotel which is a luxurious 5-star, adult-only, all-suites hotel situated towards the end of Kato Paphos Beach. A variety of suites, from simple lead-in one-bedroom suites, junior suites, superior one-bedroom, and executive suites with private pools and Jacuzzi. A definite choice for those looking for a quieter relaxed holiday experience.
We did manage to squeeze in very quick visits to a number of other hotels along the coast leading to the harbour. These included the very well-known Annabelle which still maintains its reputation as one of the best hotels in Paphos and has a very loyal client following. However, the Amavi Hotel is a real contender, an adult, couples-only property, minimalistic in design, with an air of calm and tranquillity with 140 elegantly designed rooms and suites.
In total contrast, we visited the Olympic Lagoon Resort, again a 5-star property but offering a leisure paradise for families of all ages. It has its’ own water park, a weekly animation programme with over 150 fun-packed activities for kids and teenagers. Kids and Teens clubs and even has its’ own football academy!
Our 48 hours in Cyprus came quickly to an end but I left with so much more knowledge of the destination and what it has to offer to our clients.
