Hiking highs


The balmy island of Cyprus offers a walk down memory lane for Samantha Mayling


DESTINATIONS CYPRUS | ESCORTED TOURS


h travelweekly.co.uk


aving been lucky enough to spend my early years in Cyprus, where my parents served in the British Army, I have fond


memories of my dad skiing in the Troodos Mountains in the morning then enjoying an afternoon dip in the Med. So when walking specialist Involved Holidays invited me to join 11 agents on its inaugural fam trip in October, I leapt at the chance to explore the island. It was a 20-minute transfer from Paphos Airport to the Athena Beach Hotel, where Aristos Diomedous, general manager at parent company Constantinou Bros Hotels, proudly introduced his home region. “Our island has 11,000 years of history,” he said, adding that Cyprus’s 326 days of sunshine a year mean walking and trekking on the island between October and May is “paradise”.


WANDERING FREE Our first walk helped us orient ourselves in Paphos. We caught a bus to Paphos Archaeological Park with our Involved Holidays guides – Panicos Neofytou and Leanne Williams – to explore Greco-Roman villas and beautifully preserved mosaic floors. Panicos recounted Greek myths and the early


history of Christianity, before we broke off into groups to explore the harbour and enjoy the 20-minute coastal stroll back to the hotel. ²


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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Michalakis Ppalis


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