Overview
Enjoy a luxury holiday to Cyprus with Elegant Resorts and you can play golf , year-round, on fairways perched high above the sea; rock-climb, mountain-bike, pony-trek or parasail; visit vineyards and monasteries, take a jeep safari deep into the green heart of Cyprus or simply unwind on one of the beautiful beaches. You can enjoy sailing around secluded bays – in fact, you can learn to sail if you’re staying at the Anassa, or simply hire a sailing boat with or without a skipper for private use.
The third largest island in the Mediterranean, so close to Europe, Asia and Africa that it can claim to be a stepping stone to three continents, Cyprus is still relatively small in size but it’s bulging with personality and a host of world-class hotels offering everything from stunning beaches (the sandy beach on Chrysochou Bay, which Anassa leads down to, is one of the best on the island) to wedding ceremonies and of course, it’s the perfect honeymoon destination.
Over 10,000 years of colourful history has seen civilizations come and go and a list of whose who that includes Alexander the Great and Cleopatra have invaded and claimed it for their own. Each visitor and invader has left behind an element of their own culture and helped shape the country’s character. The mythical gods and goddesses of ancient Greece came here to indulge themselves and legend has it, Aphrodite emerged from the Paphos foam to make her home here. Where better than to celebrate the wedding of your dreams than on the island blessed by the goddess of love and beauty; say ‘I do’ at the Anassa surrounded by lavender bordered paths and scarlet bougainvillaea, or at the Four Seasons Hotel Beach Resort which has its own private chapel for exclusive wedding ceremonies.
Stunning landscapes are everywhere you turn; the pine forested Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of the island, where churches precariously perch on mountain peaks and picturesque hamlets cling to terraced hill slopes. The narrow chain of the Kyrenia mountain range runs majestically along the North coast and to the northwest, the Arkamas peninsula is dotted with villages where the traditional 'kafenion' remains the focal point, serving up the distinctive thick Greek coffee.
Cypriots love their food and there’s a veritable smorgasbord of culinary treats to try such as the popular meze which offers the widest variety of local food in one sitting including halloumi cheese, produced by thyme-fed goats, only obtainable on the island. Many of the restaurants in our featured hotels and resorts offer a sophisticated dining experience on authentic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine in their restaurants; Mavrommatis at the Four Seasons Hotel Beach Resort ; Asteras at the Annabelle and the Enalia Seafood Restaurant at Le Meridien Limassol Spa & Resort are just a few of our favourites.
Since joining the EU in 2004 the island has a new-found confidence, with a subtle shift towards a more sophisticated, international outlook. The town of Paphos is the embodiment of this self-assurance with its palm tree-lined boulevards, chic restaurants, gorgeous beaches and stunning archaeological gems. Alymra (sister property to the Anassa) is set within eight acres of gardens offering breathtaking views of Paphos' medieval castle and the Mediterranean Sea while just a thirty-minute coastal walk away from Paphos town is the Constantiinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel a bright and modern complex with superb facilities for its adult-only clientele. Families will find themselves well catered for at resorts like le Meridien Limassol Spa and Resort with its unrivalled children’s facilities at the Penguin Village and Leisure Land or The Smiling Dolphin Club (4 to 11 years of age) at the Anassa or The Hercules Teens Club, located at the Anabelle open during July and August, for 12 to 17-year-olds.