With regular flights from the UK and daily February temperatures of 18 degrees (C), there is something for everyone to enjoy an extended break this Valentine’s Day – from a luxurious stay in a 5-star resort, exploring the ancient history and rural customs of the island off the beaten track, simply enjoying a weekend of pampering at one of the island’s many spa resorts, to being ensconced in a restored mountain village boutique hotel before heading to the fabled birthplace of Aphrodite herself.
For couples wanting to experience the real Cyprus, Casale Panayiotis is an ideal choice. Nestled in the Troodos Mountains, this boutique hotel sits within the spa village of Kalopanayiotis overlooking the St John Lampadistis monastery. All 29 guest rooms have been individually restored retaining original features, and furnished with antiques and Cypriot-crafted materials. Evening candle-lit meals can be enjoyed by the roaring open fire at its Byzantino restaurant, with a range of mouth-watering dishes using locally sourced produced.
For those wanting to soak-up the Cyprus coastline, for which it is so famed, the Thanos Hotel Annabelle is an ideal option. A family-run oasis set within the six acres of lush green gardens on the Paphos seafront, Annabelle offers understated design along with four sumptuous restaurants and a spa featuring a range of organic and marine-based therapies.
Die-hard romantics can even follow in the trail of the goddess of love herself, taking time to gaze into the crystal clear waters surrounding ‘Aphrodite’s Rock’ on the Paphos coast – the fabled birthplace of Aphrodite (swimming around the rock at midnight is said to make the swimmer younger by a year for every lap!) – before driving to Polis to the Baths of Aphrodite, a secluded pool where legend holds that the goddess is said to have seduced Apollo.
