So it’s hardly surprising that some of its greatest assets lie in the archaeological park of Paphos, ancient capital of the island. The Tombs of the Kings are impressive for their openness and visitors can climb right down into the underground tombs of the area’s noblemen – they were high- ranking officials rather than actual kings, although there is speculation that one might have been the burial place of Cleopatra’s younger brother – to see the now-empty structures (entry €2.50). Even more exciting are the mosaics in the House of Dionysus and House of Aion, depicting well-known tales from Greek mythology (entry €4.50). The former boasts 500sq m of 2nd-century mosaics, including a morality tale from the god of winemaking himself on the perils of overdoing it, while the latter has one of the best artworks from the later Roman world, an unbelievably
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Thomson offers a seven-night stay at Sensatori Aphrodite Hills on an all-inclusive basis from £933, based on two sharing, with flights from Gatwick on June 7.
thomson.co.uk 0871 230 2555
Cyplon offers a week at the Almyra from £941 between March and April or £976 from May to June including British Airways flights from Gatwick to Paphos. Book by April 30 to receive a 20% discount and free half-board.
cyplon.co.uk 0800 074 8888
A seven-night stay at the Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos leads in at £835 with Olympic Holidays, based on a June 1 departure from Stansted, staying all-inclusive in a Deluxe Room with side sea view.
olympicholidays.com 0844 499 4422
skilful 4th-century mosaic which blends traditional Greek mythology with the era’s growing trend towards Christianity. Those interested in tracing the rise of the faith – Paphos was the first place to boast a Christian ruler and had a key role in the spread of the religion – should also make time to visit the ruins of the early Byzantine basilica and Saint Paul’s Pillar where the apostle was said to have been flogged for professing his faith before converting the Roman governor.
l NEW LOOK Paphos hasn’t undergone the kind of transformation seen elsewhere in Cyprus – namely in Limassol’s €500 million new marina and seafront redevelopment – but that doesn’t mean things are standing still. The former Amathus Beach Hotel has been rebranded as the Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos and is undergoing an eight-month rebuild to bring it closer to the style of its sister resort in Ayia Napa. The five-star premium all-inclusive property will open on June 1 but already boasts a full quota of weddings for the
Tombs of the Kings
House of Dionysus
Paphos Castle
year and is 65% full in July and August. General manager
Theodoros Frangos says: “The Amathus
was a very successful combination of city hotel
and resort, but it looked a lot like a city hotel. Now it’s really going to be a resort with light colours and modern, simple rooms. “All the restaurants were inside
so now we’re moving them to the exterior to overlook the water. “We are going back to the original idea of all-inclusive – it
doesn’t necessarily mean cheap holidays. It offers the facility of having everything there, but the biggest advantage is that people know what they will spend so there are no surprises.” Owner Kanika Hotels also has plans to open another five-star property next door, due to start construction in autumn 2016, as well as eyeing further expansion in Crete and Rhodes. Also new on the hotel scene is the 250-room King Evelthon Beach Hotel & Resort, which opened earlier this year in a stunning
Aphrodite Hills is becoming a Thomson Sensatori property
50 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 11 December 2014
TOP TIP Coral Bay is a
20-minute drive from Paphos and
boasts some of the west coast’s best beaches
PICTURES: CYPRUS TOURISMORGANISATION/F CAPPELLARI; DESIGN HOTELS
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