Web Resources

Page 1 | 2 | 3

THE BATHS OF APHRODITE
A 45-minute drive to Polis will take you to the Baths of Aphrodite. This is where the goddess of beauty supposedly bathed with her lovers (not her husband). The baths are nothing grand – just a little shallow, unattractive pond surrounded by low hanging tree branches and a trickle of a waterfall. You can't bathe here nor would you want to. However, I did splash the water on my face since legend has it that anyone who does will remain forever young and fall in love. Besides risking Hepatitis B, why not take the chance? What makes a visit to the baths worthwhile is the nearby hiking trail: Aphrodite's Nature Trail. A short hike (about half a mile) will relax you and reward you with wonderful views of the coastline in this peaceful setting.

ANASSA HOTEL
Five minutes from Aphrodite's Bath (and 40 minutes from Pafos airport or 2.5 hours from the Larnaca airport) is the much-touted Anassa Hotel. This five-star escape was built in 1998 and is regarded as the nicest hotel in Cyprus. Most movie stars who come to the island have stayed here and the last known celebrity guest was Leonardo DiCaprio. Fortunately, no matter who you are, all guests are greeted on arrival with freshly squeezed lemonade in champagne flutes and cold, refreshing towels. There are 177 rooms and the keys are not plastic cards but rather traditional metal keys with a blue, beaded bracelet attached to it. My room was comfortable with a gorgeous view of the beach and coastline. If only I had been visiting in-season, the water and sand would've been very inviting. My marble bathroom was a good size with both a tub and shower and no shortage of designer Bulgari toiletries. Like most Cyprus hotels, it's kid-friendly and has three swimming pools ... and that's not including the rooms that have their own private pools. To work off some of the calories from the Cypriot meze feasts you're likely to enjoy if you visit, there's a small, state-of-the-art fitness center. To have a therapist massage your belly (I mean, back) then head to the spa. I ate at two of the hotel's four restaurants. Lunch was salmon, salad, and a chocolate mousse dessert, which was quite nice. The breakfast buffet was sophisticated, offering a wide variety of choices. Everything was delicious and wonderfully presented. What I didn't like about the hotel was that I could hear hallway traffic from my room and there was no high speed Internet access. All that was offered was dial up (I don't even know how to log on to dial-up anymore) and a single, community-shared computer near the lobby that was free of charge. To be honest, Anassa's service wasn't what one might expect from the finest hotel. The staff wasn't overly friendly and when I visited the indoor pool/hot tub area before dinner, there were dirty towels from previous bathers that had not yet been picked up. Room rates begin at CYŁ230 ($534). If you have the money, then go for it. Anassa, Latsi, Cyprus; tel.: +357-26-88-80-00.

ARCHONDARIKI RESTAURANT
If you stay at the Anassa and are looking to change it up a bit or save some money on food, then head to Archontariki. It's a cozy restaurant just five minutes away and they serve a 20-dish meze. Trust me: you will not leave this place hungry or broke. The meze costs CYŁ8 ($18 USD). Archontariki Restaurant, Polis, Cyprus; Tel: +357 26321328 (here's a scan of their business card).

1 | 2 | LAST PAGE >>





Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.