Follow in the Footsteps of Team GB on Your Next Holiday: Sporting and Active Breaks in Cyprus

With year-round sunshine, top sporting facilities and a famously British-friendly infrastructure, Cyprus has long been a popular training ground for our Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth teams – a relationship underpinned during the 2004 Olympics when the whole of Team GB was based on the island for the Athens Games.

Today the island offers a range of facilities for professionals, but it is also an ideal destination for those just looking for an active break in the sun. Hotels with sporting connections include the Coral Beach Hotel, home to both Team GB and the BBC Olympic news crews in 2004 and still a popular destination for teams looking for winter training. Boasting top-level facilities including an Olympic pool and gym, which can be used by guests when not in use by professionals, the hotel also has an in-house trainer who can put together tailored fitness programmes.

Tennis is a big part of island life. Fans can follow in the tennis shoes of both Marcos Baghdatis, born and raised in Limassol, and the UK’s own Annabel Croft, who opened a new tennis academy at the Aphrodite Hills resort at the beginning of 2012. Golfing enthusiasts also have the chance to follow in the footsteps of a sporting great – the island now boasts four golf courses, of which the most recent was designed by British golfer Nick Faldo.

With its varied geography, Cyprus also offers a wealth of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, from rock climbing on the unspoilt Akamas peninsula and diving in the island’s crystal-clear waters to hiking in the Troodos and making the most of the watersports on offer around Agia Napa. It’s even possible to ski in the early months of the year!

Cyprus’ excellent road network has long been popular with cyclists and the island is the location of a number of prestigious international competitions, including the challenging Sunshine Cup and the Volkswagen Cycling Tour. Runners, too, can get in on the action – beautiful beaches and mountain trails make good places to get away from it all while keeping in shape while you’re away. More serious runners can attempt the Cyprus International 4-day challenge.

If all this activity sounds a bit strenuous there are still pleny of oppertunities to rejunenate at the end of a hard day. The island is home to a range fo acclaimed spas - many of which cater to sports needs - as well as specialist institutions such that at Ayii Anargyri, a recently-opened hotel in beautiful surrounds, which offers treatments derived from the healing waters of sulphur springs.

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Notes to Editors
For high resolution images and more information on Cyprus and forthcoming press trips contact the Kallaway Travel team:
Email: visitcyprus@kallaway.com Tel: 020 7313 6274
Media centre: http://mediacentre.kallaway.co.uk/cyprus-tourism.htm

About Cyprus
www.visitcyprus.com
Cyprus – the third largest island in the Mediterranean – attracts over 2m tourists annually, lured by its legendary hospitality, glorious coastline and stunning mountain villages. There is something to suit every traveller: family resorts, world class spas, golf courses, marinas, a booming agrotourism scene, unique food and new wine trails celebrating the 40 new wineries which have developed on the island in recent years. For the active; the warm waters of Cyprus are perfect for diving and waterskiing. Adventure seekers can explore the beauty of Cyprus with trekking or birdwatching tours, while golfing enthusiasts play on award-winning courses designed by golfing legends.

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