Welcome in Paradise

Our trip around the island of Cyprus is continuing after a couple of days i Ayia Napa. We are heading in direction of the other side of the coast where the village Pissouri and the bay which lies behind, is located. The newly rennovated Columbia Beach Ressort is our new place to stay! A spacious and beautifully planted ressort with loads of colourful flowers everywhere. When entering the hotel you get picked up by the friendly staff and get welcomed with a drink during the check-in which makes you feel welcome instantly. We are surprised positively by the 80 meter long swimming pool – which is by far not the only highlight of the ressort: there is another pool and a children swimming area, five different restaurants and seven bars. There is a favourite place for everyone – Matteo’s definitely is the children swimming ares while mine is the Taverna Apollo. They offer cyprian food – rustic and innovative. The traditional restaurant is located between the pool and the beach and is one of the highlights of the ressort. The kitchen crew serves modern and mediterranean food from midday until the evening in an open kitchen where we can have a look at the crew cooking: Meze, fish and classics such as steak can be ordered as well as salads, soups, pasta and risotto. The highlight are – again – barbecue meals. We like the food instantly and have to spend two dinners and one lunch at the taverna.

Dinner at the Taverna Apollo

One of the delicious dinners at the taverna starts after visiting the traditional manufacturing of halloumi and anari cheese at the village Avgorou. I am ordering Caprese as a started: fresh tomatoes with grilled halloumi, simple but yet so delicious! As main course I enjoy salmon with fresh salad. Carletto is falling in love with his calamari and the steak with fries – he doesn”t even let me try the fries. A medium-dry white wine i erved to dinner, as a dessert we order fruit sorbets in big glasses. We are really happy with our choices – fresh and mediterranean and more than delicious food and a internationalloval-kitchen.

Another insider tipp is the italinan restaurant „Bacchus“ which offers noble italien cuisine paired with local influences. Unfortunately – due to reasons of time and Matteo – we have to postpone a visit to this restaurant to our next trip to Cyprus. Matteo wants to have his á la carte children menu at the Taverna Apollo – we cannot pass his wish and so we spend another dinner at the lovely taverna. I am ordering prawns with vegetables and a fine lobster sauce before a local fish speciality{gilthead seabream fillet} with lots of grilled veggies and grilled lemon. Carletto decides for a freshly baked and warm olive bread with lots of olive oil, a typical octopus salad with herbs and spicy chicken skewers with fries {again!} and grilled veggies. Matteo goes for fish fingers which he loved as much as choclate ice cream – is what he told us. The evening gets the perfect ending with authentical cyprian singers and traditionall guitar music -very beautiful and emotional.

Junior Suite with a view

Our generous junior suite which is located at the pool is equitted traditionally. The huge room comes with stone floor, natural wooden furniture and a balcony where we enjoy one {or two…} bottles of wine after dinner. The hotel manager tells us more about the nice furniture which we won’t forget so soon! Modern design elements, implemented high end, will stay in memory.

Breakfast „poolside“

The day starts early for us. We want to explore Cyprus and enjoy the beautiful swimming pool as well. The modern and international breakfast is served at the pool – lots of fresh fruit and healthy ingredients can be taken at the buffet. Egg dishes, salmon and halloumi as well as granola and chia pudding. Matteo discoveres donuts and lots of swet stuff.

Freshly squeezes juices, nice coffee or a glass of champagne can be enjoyed in this lovely athmosphere. The pool invites us to jump in after breakfast. Mattoe’s favorite day for sure is our second-last day which we use for relaxing at the pool. He doesn’t want to leave the pool ever again!

Cooking sesssion – behind the scenes

We are invited to take a look behind the scenes of a hotel kitchen while having a nice talk with the chef of the kitchen. The born Greek loves to creat classics in a new and modern way – just like I do! They serve typical greek salad with feta and lots of herbs as well as chili oil. The chef tells us about his favorite ingredients: „Carob plant“ {algarroba} which he substitutes the flour in his recipes with. With this plant and with oats he coats halloumi, bakes it and serves it with walnuts and carob syrup. In the end he shows us the cyprian ktchen with „prawns and orzo“ – his own creation. He flambés and roasts the prawns and serves them like risotto with boiled rice.

We enjoy this experience a lot – especially after trying the dishes! Delicious! We stop by at the pool shortly before saying goodbye and heading to Larnaca for our flight back home. I love trabeling but saying goodbye is alwas hard – and especially now since the Columbia Beach Ressort was beyong amazing. A place to relax, enjoy the view, for families or couples and with a high end service. A family-friendly place with playgorunds for the kids and an own kids club. Another nice project is the Cat Healthy Care Project where you can can take a godparenthood for one of the many cats running around the ressort.