Holiday with my best friend in Cyprus

Jenny Igoe on 11 June 2019
Last November I won a holiday to Cyprus at our annual conference, courtesy of Constantinou Brothers. It was a week's stay at Athena Royal Beach resort in Paphos, which is an adults only 4 star hotel.

I asked my friend Phoebe if she would like to join me, and off we went for 5 nights of fun in the sun last month, which was the month of May.

We flew with Jet2 who were great! Our transfer was waiting for us, and a short 15-minute drive later we pulled up at our hotel. The check in was welcoming, we were taken to a private area and given sparkling wine while the reception guy checked us in. When we were taken to our room, which was an Elite Class Sea View, we absolutely loved the balcony and the view of the pools and gardens with the sea beyond.

That evening we ate dinner in the buffet restaurant and shared a bottle of wine, before having another drink in a local bar up the road.

The Athena Royal Beach is seafront and has three pools. There are lots of green grassy areas and plenty of sunbeds and parasols, there was always a choice of places to sunbathe and relax. Certain room types have use of Cabanas which are day beds covered by a canopy down beside the sea.

Breakfast is stunning. You can enjoy freshly cooked eggs, omelettes, pancakes as well as all the usual things like sausage and bacon, pastries and so much fresh fruit. You can have champagne if you want too and the views are amazing.

If you fancy a wander you can take the coastal path to Paphos Marina, and on the way, you pass lots of wild flowers, rocks, and other hotels where you can stop for a drink and people watch. You are even likely to catch a wedding some evenings! Eventually you reach the marina where there are some beautiful yachts and traditional fishing boats. We really liked a bar down there called Sail at Castle, which makes great Mojitos and you can sit and play cards or order fresh seafood.

On one of the days we went on a yacht trip. This was a highlight! We were picked up from the hotel and boarded the yacht. Loved the sea breeze, drinks were included and there was a singer on board. Our fellow shipmates were game for a party and were up dancing early on. We stopped at 2 swimming spots. One at Coral Bay where you could swim, kayak or snorkel, the water was so clear and blue. The second stop was at the Smugglers Caves where we could actually swim into the caves which was exciting. This was one of the best days I had in ages!

Mostly we spent our time sunbathing, reading and having naps, which is something I don't get to do on holidays with my young family, so that was a treat. One night our hotel manager Lambros, hosted some drinks in the lobby where you could meet him along with other folks on holiday. This was a lovely evening and we had some lovely chats with people - all spoke highly of their experience with the hotel.

They also had a Cypriot night with a BBQ around the pool plus live music and dancing, which was a fun night.

Next door to our hotel, there was a family hotel called Athena Beach which is also run by Constantinou Brothers. Both are really pretty, and we even saw a wedding taking place. If you felt like doing some activities you could try lawn bowls, table tennis, yoga and aqua aerobics. Under the shade you could learn to cook Moussaka or make cocktails with Ouzo!

Athena Royal Beach was really relaxed, calm and quiet. I only heard happy feedback during the whole holiday from anyone we chatted to. There is space, great food, and a brilliant poolside waiter service.

We really loved our girls only holiday to Paphos. Thank you, Constantinou Brothers, for letting us experience your hospitality.