Almyra ★★★★★

It’s lovely to arrive at the Almyra landscaped gardens – eight acres of them – laid out and dotted with shady palms and olives with the spreading buildings right on the Mediterranean Sea. Everywhere you look there are places to relax and that was what we both needed! There are pools, including a spectacular infinity pool, a children’s pool, lots of different restaurants and bars and a total of 189 rooms and suites. Some of them at the back have a garden view which is nice, but I had set my heart on a sea view and we had booked a veranda sea view.

The rooms have a very Greek feel, with pure white minimalist décor and shades of charcoal, grey and black with just the odd splash of colour. The idea is not to compete with the brilliant colours of the sea and sky, and this concept really appealed to me. It was almost like going back to the old days of a simple studio in a Greek or Cypriot village, but this time with luxury: TV, Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service. Some things do change for the better! There are cool marble floors, translucent blinds and a feeling of freshness, light and air. Sliding glass doors lead on to the veranda. I sat down, my husband too, and we just gazed at the sea and the old fort across the harbour, feeling all the stresses and greyness of the past few months just floating away. I could have sat there all evening, but we had restaurants to explore!

There is a great choice of eateries. There is Japanese food in the Notios restaurant or Mosaics, which is the Almyra’s main restaurant, has a Mediterranean and international menu, with themed nights like Traditional Cyprus, Seafood Market or Asian-Pacific. On our first night we had a simple swordfish kebab and it was perfect. The next night in the Notios restaurant we sampled the Omakase (trust the chef) menu – this turned out to be a surprise tasting menu where you discover each Japanese-Mediterranean course as you dine. My husband braved the seven-course menu and I tried the five courses; they were all absolutely delightful. We had yet to explore, and sample, the beachfront ouzerie. The hotel even arranges private barbecues where you can pick any spot you like – on the hotel’s little private beach or anywhere on the grounds or terraces and they provide a chef and waiter to cook and serve. We didn’t feel the need to go that far, but it was a nice idea.

The aim of our stay was to relax and, tough as it was, we managed to do exactly that. We made use of the room service menu a few times so that we could stay on the veranda and gaze at that fabulous view while dining privately. I lazed in the spa and had a lovely massage; my husband visited the gym a few times (he insists this is relaxing). My greatest exertion was to join in with Pilates and Aqua Tone sessions.  We both strolled along some of the coastal footpaths, visited some local sights and the pretty little town of Paphos which has some lovely atmospheric little tavernas and bars.

By the time we left we were warmed, soothed, relaxed, and felt totally looked after. Even though we were not looking forward to the grey skies of home too much, we were certainly looking forward to our return to the Almyra.