It was about midnight by the time we collected our rental car and drove the 52 kilometres or so from Larnaka airport to our hotel at Agia Napa in the East. We could tell immediately that Cyprus would be a relaxing two weeks; they drive on the left and road signs are in Greek and English. Even the plugs are the UK three pins, so no need for adapters.
Agia Napa is a holiday town primarily focused on English visitors, so there is Premier League football on TV everywhere, bitters on tap in local pubs and we could have eaten English breakfasts to our hearts' content had we been that way inclined.
We had hoped to do a day trip across into the Turkish side to see Salamis, a ruined Roman city, but we were all exhausted after a day at Athens airport and late arrival, so instead we had a slow start then headed for nearby Makronissos Beach.
It is one of the most gorgeous beaches we have ever seen. Perfect golden sand and beautiful clear, warm water. The only thing I would have changed it the number of loungers, which were spread all over the beach. I think it must be school holidays in parts of the UK and Europe as there were lots of families around no doubt enjoying an escape from the autumn chill. That afternoon we stayed at the hotel enjoying the on-site pools (which included a shallow children's pool) and play ground. Two very happy children and parents!
After a swim in the pool the following morning we left for Lemesos, which is a much bigger city. We stayed across the road from the beach, so had a lovely view from our 5th floor room; although Adrian took Eleanor and Leo for a swim and reported that the beach wasn't the cleanest.
From there we visited the Crusader castle at Kalossi on our way to see the ruins of Ancient Kurion. At the castle Eleanor took Adrian and I on separate tours (we took it in turns as Leo was asleep in the car). the tour included visiting a dragon landing pad at the top of the tour, the room where princesses have their tea parties (sometimes accompanied by dragons and knights) and the place Eleanor had seen a large lizard scuttle away at great speed.
Ancient Kurion is a cliff-top Roman city with amazing views out to sea. It is an great spot for a wander around the ruins on a sunny afternoon. We enjoyed watching paragliders above the ruins, who must have had a fantastic perspective on it all. We followed it with a swim at Kurion Beach at the bottom of the hill. The sand is fine and grey, and the sea is beautifully warm. We finished off watch the stunning sun set from a restaurant on the beach with an ice cream for Eleanor and Leo and a frappe and cheese cake for the adults.
The next day we drove to Peyia near Paphos, where our lovely friends Tracey and Roy have let us stay in their apartment (nine nights = proper unpacking! Davy, I always remember you mentioning this particular luxury in your South American blog and now know exactly what you meant!). Before leaving Lemesos we visited the compact castle filled with little rooms, and another tower complete with another dragon landing pad.
On our way to Peyia we visited a donkey sanctuary in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains; Eleanor and Leo loved it, especially because they got to touch a donkey's nose. We attempted to stop in at a vineyard not far up the road from the sanctuary to pick up some local wine, only to discover the three we saw were all closed.
There is a lot to see around Paphos, so we won't be spending all day beside the pool with a Keo, but we definitely intend to relax and recharge our batteries. Thank you very much Tracey and Roy for giving us this opportunity, it is greatly appreciated!
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