Paradisos Hills Hotel

High in the hills above Polis, in glorious isolation, this friendly 15-room hotel is owned and managed by a South African-Cypriot family. It’s a world away from the fleshpots of Paphos, in one of Cyprus’s surprising little pockets of unspoilt countryside. To the east are the thickly wooded hills and valleys of Tillyria; to the north, the uncrowded (but sometimes windswept) pebbly beaches and fish tavernas of Polis and Lakki; and the restaurants and sights of Paphos are less than an hour’s drive away. In summer, you may be perfectly happy to lounge beside the pool, where cooling hill breezes take the sting out of the sun, but if you feel more energetic, Paradisos can arrange activities ranging from horse-riding in the hills to walking and scuba diving. Rooms have balconies or (on the ground floor) private patio-terraces, as well as mini-bars and internet access. The restaurant is eclectic: you can eat Cypriot-style (and take cooking lessons), but Friday night is curry night.