Relax or get wet in Cyprus

Cyprus is perfect for the active or passive holidaymaker, providing opportunities to lounge or get stuck in by the sandy bucket-load.

The thrill-seeking among you will be pleased to hear that the water-sports season is now officially open at the newly refurbished Columbia Beachotel in Cyprus's Pissouri Bay.

Pissouri Bay is pleasingly unpopulated yet more than adequately catered for tourism-wise. Two hotels, including the Columbia, sit on the two kilometre beach at Pissouri Bay, providing a plush backdrop to an adrenaline-filled day out on the waves.

Among the water-sports on offer at Pissouri Bay is the rapidly-growing discipline of kite surfing, which advanced adrenalin junkies can throw themselves into, or there are Surf Cyprus instructors on hand to show beginners the ropes to the sport.

Kite surfing is a fusion of windsurfing, wake boarding, surf boarding and kite flying, and sees surfers on small boards skim across the waves as they are pulled along by large yet manoeuvrable kites.

Other sports on offer in the bay, for all of which training is available, include kayaking, water-skiing, Hobie-Cat sailing and windsurfing.

Once you have had your fill of crashing through the waves and soaking up the sun on Pissouri's beach, it is time to head back to the hotel.

At the Columbia, guests can look forward to being pampered, with a diverse range of massages and treatments on offer, including an 'orange peeling' scrub, an aromatherapy or shiatsu massage.

Afterwards you can retire to your room, complete with a panoramic view of the bay.

If however you want a holiday where you are entertained and relaxed from start to finish, then perhaps the Londa in Cyprus's Limassol is for you.

The contemporary boutique hotel is laden with haute designs and trendy rooms, and the concierge service here will guarantee that your stay is a breeze.

While you relax by the pool or explore the local Cypriot delights, the hotel PA can book you restaurants, theatre tickets, and give you ideas about where to shop.

If you are travelling with a family and need a little adult time together, perhaps to visit the recommended shops, the PA will book you a nanny to take care of your children so you can stroll round Limassol in peace.

In the evening, the hotel's trendy bar-cum-restaurant serves cocktails to the latest sounds from a DJ.

For more information about the Hotel Columbia and Londa, visit www.columbia-hotels.com and www.londahotel.com XXX