Embrace the lap of luxury in this Cypriot bay of plenty
Set in front of Pissouri Bay – a calm, Blue Flag beach flanked by the Mediterranean – the award-winning Columbia Beach Resort is tucked between a sweep of white cliffs, with a design that pays tribute to a traditional Cypriot village.
A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and its Considerate Collection of sustainable hotels, this is the only five-star resort in Pissouri. At its heart is a huge, 80-metre lagoon-style infinity pool, which sits between the resort's villa-style architecture and overlooks the Mediterranean, surrounded by palm trees.
Accommodation spans Junior Suites, larger Executive Suites, Cape Suites with a separate living area and the luxurious Eagle's Nest Suites, as well as one- and two-bedroom Family Suites. They all have their own private balconies to admire the views from, plus glossy marble bathrooms and atmospheric design features – think beamed ceilings, whitewashed walls and sleek wooden furnishings, brightened up with pops of colour.
When you aren't flopping on the beach or by one of the two pools, there's plenty to do, from windsurfing, kayaking and sailing to yoga, tennis and squash. Cycling is also big here; there's a dedicated bike centre run by former Swiss cycling champion Thomas Wegmüller, with tours available to take you out into the surrounding hills, vineyards and olive groves. Families are also well catered for, with a kids' club for those aged four to 12, offering everything from bracelet-making to beach walks, and a crèche is on hand for quiet time.
Wellness is taken seriously, too. Head to the award-winning Hébe Spa for an indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a menu of treatments – from Elemis facials, salt scrubs and wraps to Thai and Swedish massages using local ingredients such as frangipani. Or swing by the fitness studio to take expert-led classes, which range from yoga and Pilates to circuit training and body balance.
Having worked up an appetite, head to one of the three restaurants. Bacchus serves standout Italian cuisine beneath atmospheric high ceilings, with dishes created by Michelin star-trained chef Polis Papageorgiou – think silky-soft burrata, slow-cooked beef ravioli and amaretto-drenched tiramisu. Apollo Tavern offers classic Cypriot cuisine with views over the sea and gardens – from honey-drizzled feta to fresh seafood, souvlaki and mezze – while Cape Aspro specialises in Mediterranean and Asian fusion, with bao buns, gyoza and kung pao noodles among the stars.
There's a generous handful of bars too – head to Seven C's Bar for Cypriot coffee, cocktails and sushi served on a terrace overlooking a sweep of aqua-blue; swim up to the Poseidon Pool Bar to cool down with a fresh juice; or try Ouzeri for Greek ouzo and local wines.
For a pre or post-dinner tipple, sink into one of the armchairs at Eros Cocktail Bar and order one of the resort's signature creations – think bubbly margarita with rosé sparkling wine or an Aperol twist with Greek vermouth – as you take in views of Pissouri Bay sparkling away on the horizon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Three-hour flight to Brit holiday hotspot turns into nightmare 32-HOUR saga as ‘passengers left vomiting & no food'
Trouble began when the plane's landing was hindered by powerful winds FLIGHT FROM HELL Three-hour flight to Brit holiday hotspot turns into nightmare 32-HOUR saga as 'passengers left vomiting & no food' A THREE-HOUR flight to a Brit holiday hotspot turned into a nightmare 32-hour saga, with passengers left vomiting with no food. The Condor flight DE1234 was embarking on what was supposed to just be a simple flight from Zurich to Heraklion in Crete, Greece - but lasted over a day. Advertisement 4 A three-hour flight to a Brit holiday hotspot turned into a nightmare Credit: Splash 4 The Condor flight DE1234 was embarking on what was supposed to just be a simple flight from Zurich to Heraklion in Crete, Greece (stock image) Credit: AFP or licensors 4 Trouble started when the plane's landing was hampered by powerful winds Credit: AFP Despite taking off half an hour late, the flight seemed to be on course to reach its destination. And after two hours, the plane began its initial descent to the holiday hotspot Greek isle. But trouble began when the plane's landing was hindered by powerful winds, forcing it to spend hours circling round before the pilot decided to divert to Athens and refuel. The plane landed at the Greek capital at 11:24am - a whopping three hours after it originally departed Zurich. Advertisement Around two-and-a-half hours later, the crew made another attempt to get the 137 people onboard to Heraklion - but this wasn't achieved, again. During the flight, many passengers were reportedly vomiting due to the terrifyingly powerful winds. And to add fuel to the fire, flyers were only given a glass of water during the whole flight. With weather conditions remaining severe, the plane circled around again before getting diverted to Kos to refuel. Advertisement On the nearby Greek island, they landed at 3:28pm after a tiring, hour-and-a-half long flight. And with the aircraft again running low on fuel, another divert was made to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. Dramatic moment boozed up passenger is hauled off busy plane after VOMITING on another flier Here it was finally decided that passengers and flight attendants should spend the night. The plane touched down at 6:04pm - an unbelievable 11 hours after initially leaving Zurich. Advertisement Passengers were reportedly forced to pay for their own hotel rooms but are entitled to reimbursement under European aviation guidelines. After a nights sleep, the next day at 9am, one last attempt was made to get to Crete - but wind continued to hinder their journey. Another diversion was made to Athens where it was agreed to give up and fly back to Zurich - 32 hours after their initial departure. Condor reps said: 'Due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, takeoffs and landings at Heraklion Airport were only possible to a limited extent.' Advertisement
The National
11 hours ago
- The National
Filming begins for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey at Findlater Castle in Moray
On Monday, the film crew were spotted constructing a fake building for Nolam's newest movie, The Odyssey, which will star his star his long-term friend Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. The film follows the journey of the ancient Greek king of Ithaca back home to his wife following the Trojan War. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla speaks out as Israel 'illegally seizes' Madleen and imprisons MEP Tom Holland and Charlize Theron are also linked to the movie, which is Nolan's most expensive of his career, according to reports.. (Image: Peter Jolly) The villages of Buckie and Cullen, where Findlater Castle is found, will also feature. Filming for the movie – which is due to be released in cinemas on July 16 next year – started in February in Morocco. It has also taken place in Greece and Sicily. (Image: Peter Jolly) Visit Aberdeenshire has also warned visitors to avoid Findlater Castle, writing on their website: 'Please note that Findlater Castle is inaccessible between May 27 and July 25 as a result of a private commercial activity ongoing in the immediate vicinity of the site during this time. 'This also includes the closure of the Barnyards of Findlater car park during this period, which is regularly used for visiting the castle.' A hotel in Cullen has also shared they had been booked for accommodation for between 50 and 60 film staff.
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How I saved £1000 on a package holiday by booking everything myself – it was so cheap I got 2 breaks for the price of 1
The big bonuses and potential pitfalls of going DIY... HOLIDAY DIY How I saved £1000 on a package holiday by booking everything myself – it was so cheap I got 2 breaks for the price of 1 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SOME people enjoy netball or cross-stitch, but my hobby is booking holidays - and I'm really good at it. I know a lot of people hate searching for a family holiday, working out what resort is best and whether it's good value for money, but I enjoy it. 5 Helen says holidays are her favourite hobby. Credit: Helen Wright I treat it like a sport. There is no better feeling than getting a really great deal for a week in the sun. I go through the flights, hotels and dates with a fine tooth comb, working out little ways to save. I have been doing this since my early 20s, after picking up the habit from my dad - back then, the best bargains were on last minute deals. We used to pack our suitcases and my dad would be on the phone to Teletext Holidays, nabbing a same day bargain. His greatest achievement was booking a flight that had already started boarding. Although, we'd never be able to do that now. However, it's still a thrill when you lock in a trip for a bargain price. It makes the holiday instantly better. Sometimes it's a small saving, like finding a cheaper airport transfer and saving £20, but sometimes my research pays off, saving hundreds. It all adds up. Getting a package deal Last year, I got my biggest saving yet on a family holiday to Greece. By booking everything individually, instead of going for a package deal, I saved over £1000 - which was a third of the price. I couldn't believe it! Having just moved house, we hadn't booked anything for summer, hoping to utilise the garden. But, the end of term was approaching and after months of grey skies and drizzle, I decided we needed a proper holiday. The Peloponnese penninsula - an underrated Greek holiday destination 5 Dad, Simon, on pool duty with the kids Credit: Helen Wright 5 The best deals were in Greece. Credit: Louis Apostolata Island Resort Heading first to a popular holidays provider, I browsed the best deals across all six weeks of the kids' school break. I didn't have a set departure airport or destination in mind and I kept the dates and length of time we'd be away flexible, which meant I had a wide range to choose from. At the time, Greece was coming up the cheapest, and I narrowed it down to the Louis Apostolata Island Resort in Kefalonia The deal was pretty good. Flights from London, a week half-board in a four-star resort, a suitcase each and transfers to and from the airport in Greece for £3400. But, since we hadn't planned on a summer holiday, it was still over budget. That's when I started looking into each aspect separately. I discovered that instead of flying with the designated airline, we could fly with Ryanair for half the cost. Flights were £140 return on the budget airline. Since we didn't need four suitcases, we just booked one between us for the week, immediately saving another £150 on the Ryanair flights. Going onto the hotel's own website, I noticed that I could book directly with them and the price was coming up a lot less. They also had an offer on a room upgrade if you signed up to the mailing list. We actually ended up with a nicer room, while paying less. 5 Louis Apostolata had a great deal. Credit: Louis Apostolata Island Resort 5 Helen's family ended up getting two trips for almost the same amount! Credit: Helen Wright The only thing that wasn't covered was transfers. On the package deal, a coach transfer was included but it also stopped at a number of other hotels. When I looked it up, a taxi to the resort was only £80 return. However, even with this on top, we still saved a whopping £1001 on the whole trip. We used the money we saved to book a weekend in Disneyland Paris in October. Again, I booked everything separately, using the Eurotunnel to drive to France and booking a hotel close to the theme park with 2-day tickets for just £440 for all of us. Our trip only cost £1300. After saving money on our Greece trip, I told people that Disneyland only cost us £300! Book carefully My advice would be to always book with reputable suppliers, because you could end up forking out more if they are not legitimate. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. I do like DIY holidays but I am not against booking a package deal and sometimes they are so good, I can't beat them. I think that's great. Our favourite places to shop for a package holiday are Jet2holidays and TUI. Booking a package means you get extra protection for your holiday through regulators like ABTA, ATOL and ABTOT. This means you'll get your money back on all aspects of the package in the event of any holiday disasters, like flight cancellations or issues at the hotel - which I wouldn't have had with my DIY version. For peace of mind, some people prefer to pay extra and not have to think about that, but massive holiday disasters are rare so I am happy to take the risk.
