Located on the south-west tip of the island of Cyprus, Paphos is by far the most popular resort on the island with UK holidaymakers. Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, this purpose built resort of Kato Pafos stretches east from the small port and Ktima Pafos is the ‘old town’ where you will find neoclassical buildings and lively markets. Holidays in Paphos are ideal for people of all ages and all interests. Paphos offers a variety of accommodation to suit all budgets but it is worth noting that most of the accommodation along the Kato Pafos resort strip closes down from January right through to the end of March. The beachfront hotels are separated from the sea by a pedestrian and cycling way.

Paphos

Most of the resort coastline is rocky with a number of sand and gravel coves. For better beaches you will need to travel further afield (about 2 miles) to Yeroskipou beach which although it has a shingle shore, it does have a sandy base under the water. You will find a couple of beach bars and cafes here but beware of the night-time nude bathers (mainly gay bathers) in the summer, especially when there is a full moon! There is a pedestrian and cycling way that runs from Kato Pafos harbour to the edge of Yeroskipou which gives easy access to the whole of the shoreline. Read more »

Latchi is a quaint peaceful fishing village surrounded by vibrant green countryside and farmland. Located on the border of the Akamas Peninsula on the north west coast of Cyprus, this traditional Cypriot resort is just a couple of miles from Polis and around 15 miles from Paphos. Perfect

Latchi

evenings can be spent enjoying Cypriot cuisine at the traditional waterside tavernas where the fresh fish and seafood is excellent.

This quiet resort is the ideal base for nature lovers, walkers and bird watchers as it is perfectly located to the Akamas Peninsula which is a protected region and National Park of Cyprus. This vast area has all kinds of flora and fauna, nature trails, rugged gorges such as Avakas Gorge, isolated coves and tranquil beaches. It is here that you will find Lara Bay where the green turtles breed and Fontana Amorosa Bay. A boat trip from the harbour will give you excellent views of the Park from the sea. A great way to explore the surrounding countryside and places that can’t be reached by road is on

Akamas Peninsula

 horseback. Hiring a car is also a great way to explore the traditional villages in the Troodos Mountains that are only accessible by the winding mountain roads.

Latchi beach is blessed with beautiful clear blue waters along with the beaches in the bays around the resort. Watersports are on offer here and offer something more than just lazing on the beach. An excellent spot for scuba diving, all ages and abilities will love diving here among the caves and sunken wrecks which are home to a fascinating variety of marine life.

Unwind at the Tsada Golf Club which is located close to Latchi. Featuring fairways lined with grape vines and fruit trees, driving range, practise areas, swimming pool, tennis court and a pro golf shop, the course is ideal for a round of golf even in the summer when it enjoys pleasant cooling breezes.

By using Latchi as your base you can enjoy the beaches at Coral Bay and Paphos, visit the mountain monasteries of Chrysoroyiatissa and Ayios Neophtos, take a trip to the Baths of Aphrodite, visit the fascinating Byzantine museum at Peristerona and much much more, the list of things to do and places to visit is endless.

Whatever you are looking for, be it relaxation, sightseeing or adventure, Latchi is an excellent choice for your family holidays.

Grab a bargain and book one of the last minute holidays to the wonderful island of Cyprus for a trip to be remembered.

Peyia is a quiet sleepy village in Southern Cyprus,  located inland from Coral Bay, about 20 minutes north from Paphos.

Peyia

Ideal for visitors looking for a traditional holiday, Peyia is a quaint hillside village with narrow streets lined with traditional whitewashed houses. The ancient hillside church here forms the heart of the village.
Evenings here are mainly spent in the village square where you will find tavernas which serve a variety of great fish, seafood and traditional meze.

Because of it’s hillside location there are magnificent views of the Cyprus

Peyia

 coastline and the Akamas Peninsular. There are great opportunities for walking and exploring the surrounding countryside which has banana plantations, vineyards and fruit orchards.

The wonderful European Blue Flag beach at Coral Bay is located under two miles from the village and the beaches of Paphos are just a bit further afield.
Coral Bay not only offers a beautiful beach but also great diving, swimming and watersports, and seafront dining.
Paphos on the other hand is much livelier with lots of nightlife along with sandy beaches, an attractive harbour and ancient ruins.

Coral Bay

Both Coral Bay and the beaches at Paphos offer watersports including scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, paragliding, jet-skiing, water-skiing and sailing.

The Troodos Mountains, coastal villages of Polis and Latchi, seaside resorts of Nicosia and Limassol, the Baths of Aphrodite and the ever charming Ayia Georgios harbour all offer a great day out.

Peyia enjoys hot dry summers and mild winters with around 12 hours of sunshine a day from May through till September. June till September enjoys temperatures up to 30C with lovely warm evenings, ideal for strolling around the village.

The sleepy village of Peyia is the perfect choice for package holidays where you can combine traditional Cypriot village life with a beach holiday.

If you are looking for a location perfectly situated for exploring scenic Cyprus and the Akamas Peninsula or even a winter skiing holiday there are lots of cheap holidays to Peyia available throughout the internet.

The following review was written for us by our reader Mrs Anne Shanner

“Me and my husband recently treated ourselves and spent our 25th wedding anniversary at the Anassa Hotel. We had our own terrace and plunge pool and a seaview. Even after 25 years we found ourselves engulfed in the romance! The staff here were exceptional, giving us 1st class service and were totally attentive. The resort itself is quiet with a nice beach and is within driving distance of lots of ‘things to do’. Food and restaurants were great and i particularly enjoyed the spa.
This wasn’t one of the cheapest holidays we have been on but it was worth that bit extra to have 1st class service and surroundings. We would definitely recommend the Anassa and hope to return again very soon.”

ANASSA HOTEL OVERVIEW

Location

Perched on rolling hills that drop down to Anassa beach, the Anassa edges Cyprus’ unspoilt Akamas Peninsula.
The town of Polis and the fishing village of Latchi are just 5 and 2 kilometres away respectively.
Arranged in whitewashed Mediterranean villas, the hotels tiered terraces offer spectacular views before spilling down to sunbathing lawns and the sea.
The beach is dotted with wooden sunloungers and canvas parasols.

Accommodation

All 177 guest rooms have 2 or 3 beds, air conditioning/heating, satellite TV, hairdryer, minibar, safety deposit box.

 
Sport and Relaxation

3 outdoor pools, one heated in winter (mosaic pool), 2 indoor pools (1 lap pool, 1 saltwater exercise pool, both heated in winter), gym, 2 flood-lit tennis courts, squash court, watersports, sailing & scuba-diving (weather permitting; under separate management), Roman-style health spa, thalassotherapy, acupuncture, sauna, steam bath, massage, beauty treatments.  

Food

4 restaurants (3 in winter season, serving international & local cuisine, including homegrown organic fruit & vegetables and seafood), Open show kitchen with live cooking in Pelagos restaurant, special dietary requirements on request.

Entertainment

Live music most nights, folklore shows in summer, BBQ’s, theme nights.

The beautiful Akamas Peninsula covers about 230 sq kms and is located on the north west coast of Cyprus, near Paphos.

The peninsula is home to untouched landscapes, cliffs, sandy bays, sand dunes, deep gorges, pine and juniper forests,maquis forests and 530 species of plant, 126 of which are endemic to Cyprus.

An abundance of wildlife is found here, including 168 varieties of birds, 20 types of reptiles, 12 types of mammals and 16 different species of butterfly.

Lara Bay, where the endangered green turtles and hawks-bill turtles breed and are protected by UNESCO, is located in the Akamas Peninsula.

There are lots of bargain holidays to Cyprus available which enable you to visit this fascinating area. Here are a few of the places on the Akamas peninsula that i have visited while holidaying on this wonderful island.

Lara Bay

This is my favourite beach. Here you can see the turtles who come here to build their nests and lay their eggs year after year.

Coral Bay

This is a lovely sandy beach where you can just relax or partake in one of the many watersports available here.

Lempa Neolithic Village

The earliest settlers to Cyprus made Lempa their home more than 5500 years ago. Archaeologists have rebuilt homes here which date back to the Chalkolithic era.

Agios Georgios and Cape Drepano

On the headland of Cape Drepano is the once Byzantine Cathedral with its fascinating floors which are made up of mosaics of sea creatures.

Cape Arnaoutis

Forming the western tip of Cyprus, although very barren, this is a beautiful headland of limestone cliffs.

Latsi

A small harbour with clean pebble beaches and excellent fish restaurants.

Polis

Here you will find a small museum and the church og Agios Andronikos which has some very nice frescoes.

Pano Panagia

Near to this quaint hillside village is the monastery of Chrysorrogiatissa with its collection of icons.

Drouseia

This small village stands on a wooded ridge high in the Akamas penisula and offers the best views of the beaches and surrounding area.

Cyprus is a haven for trekkers all year round. It has everything from hillside paths to coastal paths and easy walks to more strenuous walks.

Troodos Mountains

The most popular trekking areas are Troodos, Akamas Peinsular, Cape Grecco and Paphos.

The best time to go trekking in Cyprus is in the spring when the natural habitat is in full bloom.

If you are looking for bargain holidays to Cyprus, there are always plenty of great offers throughout the internet.

The Troodos Mountains offer dirt tracks which weave through beautiful pine forests. On a trek through this area you will see old quaint villages, old mines, waterfalls and wonderful views over Cyprus.
There are four main trails in the Troodos area, Atalante which goes around

Caledonian Waterfalls

 Mount Olympus, Persephone which takes you to a point with magnificent views, Kalidonia which leads to the Caledonian Waterfalls and Artemis which goes around the Chionistra peak. One of the harder treks of the Troodos is the trek to Phini (famous for it’s pottery) which takes in the historic Trooditissa Monastery.

Akamas Coastline

Not quite as high as the Troodos Mountains are the the hills of the Akamas Peninsula in the southwest of Cyprus. Treks in this area  take you along the rocky shoreline near Paphos and through forests and coves and to the Baths of Aphrodite.

Cyprus has an abundance of natural parks so when on one of the cheap holidays to Cyprus, why not visit these National Parks where there is plenty to do but doesn’t cost a lot!

Troodos National Forest Park

Troodos National Forest Park

The Troodos National Forest Park has four nature reserves within the 93 sq kms that it covers. The park, situated in the centre of the island, is part of the Natura 2000, the European network of protected areas.
Mainly covered by natural black pine and brutia pine, there are about 800 plant species here. Of these 800 species, 72 of them are endemic to Cyprus, 12 of which are exclusive to the park.
The park offers camping sites, nature trails, picnic sites and facilities for winter sports.

Tripilos-Mavrol Gremmoi Nature Reserve

The reserve covers an area of 34 sq kms and is situated in the middle of Pafos Forest. This reserve is of great ecological value as it is home to the endemic Cyprus Cedar and the endemic Golden Oak. This area is also part of the Natura 2000 network and is a designated Special Protection Area under the Birds Directive as it is home to the Cyprus Moufflon and rare birds of prey.

Akamas

Akamas, Pegeia and Meleti Forests

These forests cover a total of over 70 sq kms.
The Akamas Peninsula is home to 600 plant species, 35 of which are endemic to Cyprus, 168 bird species, 12 mammal species, 20 reptile species and many different butterflies.
The Lara-Toxeftra area is a protected Marine Reserve. The beaches here are nesting areas for the Green Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle.

Petra tou Romiou National Forest Park

Situated on the south-western costal area, 10 kms from Paphos, this park covers an area of about 3.5 sq kms. Part of the Natura 2000 network, the park offers excellent scenery, nature and spot trails, look out points and picnic areas.

Polemidia National Forest Park

Covering about 1.25 sq kms, the park is found just outside of Limassol. Here you will find nature trails, sports grounds, childrens playground, cafe and picnic areas.

Macheras National Forest Park

The 45 sq km Macheras National Forest Park is situated in the middle of the island on the eastern end of the Troodos. Part of the Natura 2000 network, the park is of great historical and ecological value, with more than 600 species of plants of which 27 are endemic to Cyprus. The park has 5 nature trails, one of which has been designed for disabled visitors, and several picnic areas.

Athalassa National Forest Park

Athalassa National Forest Park

With man made vegetation, covering 8 sq kms, the park is situated near Lefkosia town and offers nature trails, botanical gardens, bird watching sites, picnic sites, volleyball and basketball pitches.

Paedagogical Academy National Forest Park

This small man made 0.5 sq km park is also situated near Lefkosia town, offering nature trails and picnic areas.

Rizoelia National Forest Park

Covering about 1 sq km this Natura 2000 network park is situated near Larnaca, offering nature trails and picnic areas.

Cavo Gkreko

Cavo Gkreko

This 4 sq km park, and the surrounding marine area, is also part of the Natura 2000 network and is situated in the south east of the island between Ayia Napa and Paralimni. Here you will find 300 species of plants, 11 of which are endemic to Cyprus, partridge, wood pigeon, crows, owls, foxes,hares and also migratory birds which use the island as a ‘resting point’. Facilities on offer here include hiking, cycling, horse riding, climbing, swimming, diving and picnicking.

Agios Nikandros National Forest Park

This new 0.25 sq km park is situated on the coastal area west of Ayia Napa. Although very new the park has a nature trails and a picnic area.

Liopetri National Forest Park

Situated on the coastal area west of Ayia Napa, this new 1 sq km park is being restored to preserve its unique scenery and natural features.