So, it’s April. Which means many things – Easter, baby animals, spring showers (uhg)… and also that it’s time to start thinking holiday plans. And I want to pitch my latest destination to you: Cyprus.
FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS
Flights in and out of Paphos start cheap and go up steeply closer to the date. We flew Easyjet, which in heinsight I wouldn’t really recommend – London to Cyprus is a long-ass flight (about 4 and a half hours) and the odd creature comfort would have been nice… BA also fly there. When we landed, we already had a driver waiting for us, which had been organised by the resort we were staying at. Which brings me to my next point…
ACCOMODATION
We were staying in the Almyra Hotel, about a half hour drive from Paphos airport. Almyra is super luxe, so everything is designed to be seamless from the moment you arrive. Exhibit a) I never actually saw our luggage after we’d been liberated of it at arrivals but somehow it made its way to my suite before I even did. They basically take out all the usual frustrations with travel, so there’s also none of the usual hanging around at a check-in desk while they scan our passport etc – we were invited to sit and admire the swiping sea view with a plate of sweet walnuts (dangerously good local snack) and icy water.
We were shown to our individual suites, which were breath-taking. We were staying in the Kyma suites, which are individual ground-floor mini-villas, each with its own roof terrace, rear terrace, and route down to the waterfront. The room was pristine and airy – lots of white, and the most insane amount of natural light flooding in from the patio doors. Immediately to the right as I entered the suite was a small hallway lined with fitted wardrobes, leading to the MASSIVE bathroom. I had a bath, a shower, two sinks and a loo. And everything was in beaut marble, decorated by splashes of yellow which was the entire Aqua di Palma toiletries collection.
There was a welcome gift of feta, parma ham and olives on the desk, which I lazily picked as I unpacked (what a lie. I pretty much lived out my suitcase, which housekeeping routinely re-ordered each morning. I miss housekeeping..) and trialed my sun loungers. Which is a very important stage of any arrivals, I think. They were mega comfy, obv.
I vividly remember at this point feeling a bit thirsty. There was a large plastic 2litre bottle of water on one table, and a small glass bottle next to the aforementioned snack. Making the casual assumption that the smaller was sparkling water (the lable was in Greek), I poured the whole lot into a waiting glass of ice. And took a giant gup. It wasn’t water, it was Uzo, a local delicacy that I can best describe as a more syrupy zambuka.
FACILITIES
We arrogantly turned down the opportunity to take a tour of the resort, deciding we would figure it out by ourselves. Which we did. Eventually. But it’s worth doing, if only to take full use of the three outdoor pools from day one. The closest to us was the infinity pool outside the spa.
Then the Olympic-size lengths pool, which we never actually did any lengths in but made us feel fit af each morning (we passed it on the way to breakfast).
And finally the adult-only pool, which had a real ancient Greek goddess feel to it. BTW my cool as hell crop is by Almasanta and you can buy it here.
The thing that really attracted me to Almyra in the first place was the emphasis they place on healthy living and staying fit. Fitness is a huge part of my life, and whilst I relax my routine on holiday, I find it almost impossible to relax if I don’t have access to some sort of gym or running route – of which Almyra has both. On the second day we booked a two hour PT session with Simon, who is the resident head of fitness and also a professional triathlete. He and his team of PTs are available to book throughout your stay, and you have the choice of working out in the icyly air conditioned (yay) gym, on the terrace with amazing views, or in the boxing area.
I also discovered (should have done the tour, oops) a 4km running track accessible directly from the path leading down to the seafront from my suite. It stretched roughly 2km in each direction, and an early morning jog became a crucial part of my pre-breakfast routine. The best part was getting to peek at the other resorts along the front and concluding that ours was 100% the best.
We didn’t have time to try out the water sports available at Almyra, but we did potter down the beaut white pier to have a look at the boats. You can try sailing, diving, wind-surfing, parasailing and water-skiing.
FOOD & DRINKS
We were on a half-board package at Almyra, which included a breakfast buffet and evening meal buffet. On this package, you can also dine at the two a la carte restaurants for a €12 supplement. Which is exactly what we did. On the first night, we sampled Aeras, which is known for it’s tasting menus and sharing dishes.
Night two was Ouzeri, with its beaut ocean views and mega cocktails. We also tried out the Notios restaurant for lunch. You dine al fresco, and the food is Japanese-Mediteranean fusion. Lots of sushi and fresh plates.
Depending on the weather, suite guests can also request a roof-top BBQ or drinks reception. We went for the drinks, and enjoyed the most beaut sunset whilst sipping on signature Almyra Mohitos (the secret ingredient is rose petals but don’t tell).
Almyra rooms can be booked here.
Olivia x
