Seeking out Cypriot style at Anassa

I’d always thought of Cyprus as too hot, a little featureless in the landscape stakes and sometimes hit and miss on the beach side of things – yet still with great food and people and lashings of luxury hotels. I can now update that list to include ‘great green scenery on the Akamas peninsula’ and ‘fabulous spa experience and excellent beach’ – all discovered on an idyllic island escape to Anassa.

On a weekend visit to the island, I also took in the Almyra in Paphos, a sister property under the Thanos umbrella (The Annabelle in Paphos completes their trio); if you have been to all three, people will always ask which is your favourite in some kind of Marmite-esque love-it/hate-it type of test. I have to say, I now fall into the Anassa camp.

At first glance into the hotel’s reception, Anassa’s design theme seemed almost boring, but after a visit to the ultra-modern Almyra, I felt infinitely more relaxed when arriving back at our lush retreat. Anassa’s quiet calm design tones are clearly indicative of its desire to wrap you in a much more elegant and calming environment than the funky-focused Almyra.

And that goes for the spa too of course. The Thalassa Spa is a fairly extensive facility including a sizeable indoor pool and has adopted the old-school approach of flickering candles, dim corridors and soothing sounds (unlike the Almyra which takes a starker modern white and granite approach). Where both spas correspond however, is in their laudable use of organic therapies and Anassa offers the very latest chemical-free Organic Pharmacy products – highly recommended by a beauty writer also on my trip. The treatment list is truly exhaustive so it depends what you really want to get out of the spa visit and there are full programmes such as a six-day detox you can bolt onto your hotel stay, or a Mothers To Be series of sensitive treatments for expectant mums.

The hotel is set on what’s said to be one of the best beaches on the island and the view at sunset looking out over the Med is stunning – equally rewarding was a morning yoga session organised by the hotel, although it was hard to find enough shade. Luckily the hotel’s main infinity pool (and the Med of course) are on hand so you can cool off.

Other relaxing diversions over the weekend included lounging around in a shady poolside spot with the sounds of fountains gurgling next to me, excellent evening meals on the terrace of Amphora, a great range of daytime smoothies, fresh fish and Mediterrean food at poolside Pelagos or boat trips around the Akamas peninsula to really see a different side to Cyprus. A wine tasting session at the hotel was equally enlightening.

www.anassa.com.cy

Location: Cyprus