Discover Cyprus With Natalia

If the very idea of the dark unpredictable UK weather is making you want to hop on an airplane and enjoy warm rays of sunshine, then why not consider Cyprus? This small island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean is a year-round beach holiday destination that’s ideal for families and couples alike. 

Sovereign Luxury Brand Ambassador Natalia Wolski travelled to Cyprus last year in the October half term and shares her experience with us…  

Rich in antiquity, diverse in landscape, and home to the most gracious of hosts, we visited Cyprus for the first time. Benefitting from a sub-tropical climate, Cyprus enjoys a very long season as well as an extremely mild winter making it ideal all-year-round.  

Our trip began at the fully refurbished ParkLane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Limassol. The modern interiors reflect both local and international influences, to stunning effect. Located on a 300 metre stretch of ‘Blue Flag’ beach set amid spacious, beautifully-manicured gardens and featuring extensive leisure and dining facilities, a purpose-built kids club for under twelves, watersports and even a PADI scuba diving centre, a myriad of room and private villa options await and cater to a diverse and discerning audience.  

The outstanding Kalloni Spa is nothing short of a wellness destination, offering an extensive spa menu, a huge hydrotherapy pool and its very own hair salon and barber shop. There is a state-of-the-art Parkfit health club, a heated indoor pool, and a range of classes available as well as a boutique that stocks an array of luxury labels.  

We sampled every aspect of the faultless hospitality, from the extensive buffet breakfasts, to the Vithos butler service delivering divine cocktail creations and snacks to our private cabana, to the local delicacies in Dafne and international cuisine in the Grill Restaurant. 

We swam, we kayaked, we dived, we SUP’ed (some better than others!), we slept like logs in our ‘Heavenly’ beds, we smiled, we laughed, we walked and we talked and we reconnected as a family. ParkLane gave us our joy back while silently but reassuringly keeping us safe.

Next stop on our trip was a stay in the agrotourism resort Casale Panayiotis, set in the beautiful, tranquil Troodos Mountains. Located within a once-thriving spa village, Kalapanayiotis was long-famed for the healing properties of its sulphur springs and its ancient monastery, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

When local man John Papadouris returned after decades away to find his village neglected, he was inspired to begin a huge restoration project, raising funds and investing his own money to preserve the village’s fragile mountain culture and way of life.  

Now a 41-room resort across seven restored mountain houses, with two restaurants and a spa, Casale Panayiotis is a charming yet luxurious taste of traditional Cypriot mountain life. With the unmistakable feeling that we were stepping back in time, this was a really immersive and memorable experience.  

There’s plenty to occupy even the most demanding of travellers here and, with jaw-dropping vistas, we fell in love with this place and the warmth of its authentic hospitality. 

Whether we were on a beekeeping excursion with ‘Mr Bumbles’, taking a trip to the hydrotherapy spa, joining a traditional halloumi-making workshop, or working up an appetite on one of the many nature trails of the village, we were sustained by the array of local food in the Byzantino Restaurant.  

The majority of ingredients are grown and sourced locally in the estate orchards or from the neighbouring village butcher and baker. 

This is a truly extraordinary place where we got a real sense of the philanthropy of its founder, John Papadouris and his family.  

Kalopanayiotis, once a dying way of life has been reborn thanks to the vision and generosity of their modern day hero.  

Little by little, villagers are moving back to open small businesses and cafés, sharing their culture, traditions and hospitality of old Cyprus with the select few who are lucky enough to stay here.