Cyprus is an island in the southern mediterean, just off the Egyptian coast, being divided into touristy Greek Cyprus and Turkish Cyprus (which is mostly a military base). I went to Cyprus on a cycling holiday and it was an absolute nightmare to get the bikes, we waited 45 minutes after everyone else had left the new (but very barren and not very comfortable) arrival lounge. The bikes eventually appeared to fell off the plane, as we found later in the holiday that they arrived with various damage. Larnaca is the location of the main airport in Cyprus, located close to the party town of Ayia Napa but 90 minute slow bus ride away from the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort, Paphos.

The country appears to be very dusty, sparse in population except for the large hotel resorts and the ubiquitous half built villa's that seem to be found every few hundred yards. As we approached the hotel, we went down a small road with a pub with a truly English name - Only Fools and Horses bar, with English football on the massive screen.

First impressions of the Coral Beach Hotel resort was impressive, the entrance was plush and made the checking in process (after a long journey) comfortable. We quickly got to our room and despite being one of the cheapest at the hotel, it was still ample in size and comfortably decorated with desk, sofa, a good bathroom, lots of wardrobe space and a TV with the usual channels for hotels (CNN, eurosport and lots of local trash). The rooms were immaculately cleaned every day and the communal area's were very well looked after and attractively decorated with flowers, pictures and (less attractive) artificial features.

The hotel/resort is a lot larger than I originally realized, containing multiple different buildings and a maze of grounds and masses of facilities, all of a very high standard which offers traditional hospitable service, combined with the peaceful atmosphere and an ideal location. I would highly recommend this hotel for a relaxing holiday. Not that I had one, I was in the hills cycling but more of that later.

The rooms were more than adequate with plush carpet, wardrobe to the right and bathroom to the left. The beds were huge and very comfy, especially after a long ride. A small table stood by the balcony door (the view from the balcony was less than impressive being a car park) and two comfy chairs in front of the sliding patio doors. Double lined curtains kept the room dark. The bathroom was very clean, with marble floors and sink surround.

The Food

I went to Cyprus to have a combination exercise and a relaxing holiday. Turning left out of the hotel was a small (rutted) road that went parallel to the coast, with a left road dropping down to another secluded bay. Turning right took us up a small hill to the main road in the area, not a hard climb but a bit of a lung opener. We spent a bit of time going along this main road, the surface was good and it was pretty flat for a 30-minute ride before we ended up into town. There was a left turn from the main road, which led up into the hills, with a HARD 30 minute cycle up to the top of the col. This climb is not for the faint hearted, I have been cycling for a number of years and although the ascent was ok, I wouldn't recommend going straight up there on day one. There are a glorious set of undulating roads up there in the hills, which are great fun to ride on, although beware of the construction trucks which don't seem to care if they take you out. I was riding on a compact double bianchi chain-set, although unless a serious cyclist I would recommend a triple.

In summary, I would highly recommend the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort; it offered the very best (without being ridiculous) in comfort, food and had the best variety of pools I have ever seen.