Experience Cyprus Like a Local

Hey guys!

Sorry it’s been ages since I wrote. I had a baby 3 months ago and life has been upside down ever since. Vivienne was born on April 20, and she’s a doll! Check out my Instagram site for pics of our little 4/20 baby 🙂

We are in the middle of a blaring hot summer in Cyprus, and the cool winter months seem like eons ago. But they will be back soon enough (so enjoy your lemonade and short shorts, friends). Jump ahead a few months and join me for a tour of the Island of Aphrodite. I have several trips planned over the Fall of 2018. Dates and itinerary are below.

2018 Tour Dates

September 15 – September 23

October 12 – October 20

November 1 – 10

 

I have picked the Best of the Best for this tour. My goal is to introduce the Western market to the Cypriot lifestyle. To tour the island as a local (with some must-see destinations thrown in). The island is gorgeous, magical and the culture warm and welcoming. I hope you will join me on this unforgettable tour!

Want a little sample of what the tour is all about? Check out this clip on the Live Like a Goddess YouTube Channel

 

Itinerary below

Accommodations: Acapulco Beach Club & Resort Hotel is a 5-star, all-inclusive beachfront hotel that spans a fabulous sandy beach, multiple outdoor and indoor pools, and the most gorgeous spa I have ever seen. Resort includes:

• Expansive breakfast and dinner buffet overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
• Beach and poolside service at the multiple indoor/outdoor and poolside bars
• Beach and pool umbrellas, lounging chairs, towels and waterslides
• 24-hour cappuccino, espresso and coffee bars
• 24-hour On-site Casino
• Unlimited use of the spa center, including sauna, steam room and fitness center
• Beach and watersports such as snorkeling, scuba, jetpacks, jet ski, and more (at an additional cost)

http://www.acapulco-cyprus.com/

Itinerary

Famagusta and Ancient Roman City of Salamis

• After breakfast, pick up at 9:00 AM
• Visit Saint Barnabus Monastery and final resting spot http://stbarnabasny.org/who-was-st-barnabas.html
• Visit ancient Roman city of Salamis (http://www.bibleplaces.com/salamis-cyprus/)
• Lunch at the famous beachside restaurant St Barnabus’ with calamari, fresh fish, salad and Cypriot French fries. Wine with lunch included.
• If weather permits, a dip through the tranquil waters on the eastern side of the island
• Walled City of Famagusta (Saint Nicholas’s Cathedral, The Othello tower, Djanboulat’s Bastion & Museum, Porta del Mare, Martinengo Bastion, the old Royal Palace, Namik Kemal Dungeon & Museum)
• Return to hotel in time for dinner (approximately 8:00 PM)

Kyrenia Day, Belly dancing on the Beach, and a Sunset Cruise on the Mediterranean

• After breakfast, join us for a private belly dancing class on the beach. Whittle away your waist with an introduction to the seductive, traditional dance
• Visit the 11th century Bellapais Monastery built by the Lusignans with a professional tour guide. Visit the home of Laurence Durrell, the author of the famed book “Bitter Lemons” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellapais_Abbey
• Tour the Kyrenia Castle – the walled castle built in the early 9^th century and protected the city of Kyrenia from Arabs, Moors and Ottomans for over 1000 years.
• Then, we will stroll over to catch an evening sunset cruise across the Mediterranean with dinner and cocktails from 5 – 7 PM. Bring a light sweater! It can get chilly on the water in the evenings.
• Transfer back to the hotel about 8:00 PM

Farmer’s Market, Vineyards and Shopping

• After breakfast, pick up at 9:00 AM for a tour of the weekly farmers’ market. Buy fresh fruit, vegetables, artisan bread, assortment of nuts and desserts to take home
• Shopping tour of downtown Kyrenia for souvenirs
• Lunch at the Kyrenia Harbor of fresh fish and local Cypriot mezzes. Wine with lunch included.
• Evening visit with the owners of Etel Vineyards for an in-depth understanding of winemaking http://gillhamvineyard.com/
• Return to hotel after lunch for swim, relaxation, dinner, and needed downtime
• Feel free to try your luck at the hotel casino
• Optional: scuba diving excursion may be organized by the Hotel Concierge for an afternoon pick-up. Additional fees will be paid directly to scuba company for pickup and service. Snorkeling is free and plentiful by the shore! Pack your own snorkels, or the hotel can provide for a fee.

Aphrodite’s Temple, Petro Tou Rumiou, National Mosaics Museum, tour of Paphos

• Early morning departure of 8:00 AM to
• If weather and beach conditions permit, swim at the shores of Aphrodite’s birthplace: (Petro tou Romiou), or Aphrodite’s Rock, the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty http://www.visitpafos.org.cy/petra_romiou.aspx
• Aphrodite’s Temple, the museum and shrine where the Goddess was adored and revered http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cyprus/paphos-sanctuary-of-aphrodite
• Lunch in the charming, Southwestern village of Paphos – home of delicious, traditional halloumi cheese, yogurt and wine

Yoga on the beach

• After a long day trekking through the fields where both Aphrodite and Cleopatra stepped, a relaxing beach day is in order.
• After breakfast, enjoy a private yoga session on the beach.
• Enjoy poolside/beachside service as you lounge on your private beach cove or explore undersea caves for octopi lurking beneath rocks. Scuba diving professionals can teach you the basics of scuba for a daily “trial” dive

The Kozan Experience

• Today tour-goers will have the opportunity of living like a local. We will visit the organic farm of Kozan – perched on the mountainside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea from the north. Kozan is a charming village located in the forests of the Five Finger Mountain Range (Pentadyklos). We will get our hands dirty and learn how to make homemade yogurt, traditional Cypriot halloumi cheese, and authentic olive & cheese bread.
• Lunch will be served with traditional Cypriot mezzes and kleftiko (Cypriot lamb in the oven with roasted potatoes. To die for).
• Hotel transfer back to hotel to relax, unwind by 5:00 PM
• http://kozanexperience.weebly.com/

Karpaz Peninsula, Olive Picking & Olive tasting

• Cyprus is home to some of the oldest olive trees in the world. Today we will explore the olive groves of a private estate, learn the process of how and when to collect the ripened fruit. Perhaps we will get our hands dirty and help harvest one of the world’s healthiest fruits
• If olives are ripe (in the late Fall months), we will then tour the olive oil factory to understand the age old process of pressing olives into what Homer called “Liquid Gold.”
• If we are lucky, catch a glimpse of the wild horses and donkeys of the peninsula – they have been carefree and roaming the island for centuries
• Transfer back to the hotel by in time for dinner

Gentle exfoliation in a Turkish Hammam / Spa Day

• Get beach-skin gorgeous and pampered on your final day
• Pamper yourself with a Spa day. Enjoy a private Turkish hammam (originally known as a public bathhouse during the Ottoman Empire days). Gently exfoliate dead skin with this age old technique. With a private room and personal assistant, the Turkish hammam is a relaxing, unforgettable experience. Hammam services included in tour price (gratuity/tips to attendant are not).
• Get your “fal” on! Enjoy a cup of Greek coffee (size of an espresso cup)
• Evening off to relax, eat, drink and be merry. Check out the in-house casino or take a cab to downtown for nightclubs/bars

 

Total Price for hotel, full board, transportation on the island, and all of the activities listed above (excluding airfare and insurance based on double occupancy): $2100 per person. Please have Euros on hand for incidentals. Credit cards are widely accepted all over the island. Cyprus is the easternmost part of the European Union. It is also a former British Colony. As such, English is widely spoken all over the island.

For further questions and to book, email me at claudia@livelikeagoddess.com

 

PLEASE COME BACK AND VISIT CYPRUS AGAIN SOON!!