Amarakos Farmhouse

Hotel review

Amarakos is the perfect antidote to the big, bland ‘bed factory’ hotels which sadly dominate so much of Cyprus. This family-owned collection of stone buildings comprises seven big rooms, traditionally furnished, around a flag-stoned courtyard which doubles as a café-restaurant in summer. The home-cooked, traditional food is freshly prepared, mainly based on locally-sourced organic products, and vegetarian dishes are a speciality of owner-cook Mrs Angela Economidou. Breakfast features freshly squeezed orange juice (the oranges grow in the courtyard), Cyprus ham, sausages, jam and halloumi cheese – or, if you prefer, a full English. There’s excellent walking all around, the beach is not far off, and there’s a good-sized pool. In the autumn shooting season, the hotel is favoured by hunters from Nicosia, Larnaka and Limassol – hence the number of camouflage-clad guests taking an early breakfast before setting off for a day slaughtering the local birdlife.

Robin Gauldie Review published: 23/10/2018