Why these Cypriot resorts offer a new gateway to an ancient island

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They say travel broadens the mind – and nothing proves the point more joyously than watching the Eurovision Song Contest on a giant outdoor screen with a hundred or so strangers drawn from more than a dozen different nations. The resounding chorus of cheers for the competing countries gave me a distinctly warm feeling – as warm as the balmy Cypriot evening we were enjoying together.

Cocktail in hand, I watched the song-filled show from the wonderfully relaxing Ammos Pool Bar at Mare Ayia Napa (pictured main). Formerly Atlantica Village Ayia Napa, the hotel reopened in spring along with a sister property in Paphos under the new ‘elevated’ brand Mare Resorts – and I was among the first to discover what these updated escapes have to offer.

Ayia Napa attractions