pissouri bay Archives - Ampeli Villa, Pissouri Bay, Cyprus

Answering Your Dining Dilemmas

Nikki Salter Dining, Food and Drink, Pissouri May 7, 2019May 7, 2019cafe bar, il vesuvio, kentroikon, mandria, pissouri bay, pizza venetto, saffron 0 Comment

Ever had the situation when you have a yearning for one type of cuisine while your loved ones want something different?

Usually dinner menus have enough options to satisfy everyone, but occasionally you find an establishment that goes even further.

Typical family-run restaurants tend to offer the traditional fare that Cypriots most enjoy. And surely it’s one of the pleasures of travel to sample the local cuisine during your stay.

Cypriot Specialities

Cypriot dishes to make your mouth water include the freshest of locally caught fish, Stifado – an intensely tomatoey beef stew, Kleftiko – super-tender slow-cooked lamb, Moussaka, charcoal barbecued kebab skewers or halloumi.

As an appetiser, what beats dipping slices of pittas in tahini, tzatziki and olive tapenade, and a tasty village salad topped with salty feta?

We also recommend seeking out a traditional restaurant away from the tourist traps to sample an authentic Cypriot meze during your stay. As these can consist of more than 20 small dishes, remember to skip breakfast – or ask for a doggy bag if you can’t manage it all!

Other Cuisines Found in Pissouri Bay

For a small resort, there’s an amazing array of restaurants within walking distance…

Our fav haunt is Pissouri Bay Cafe Bar whose fresh Mediterranean menu includes imaginative salads, tasty pasta dishes and risottos, along with curries and a variety of burgers.

Also well worth a visit is Pizza Venetto serving home-made cheesy pizzas and great value family favourites.

When you fancy something a little more spicy, book a table at Saffron whose menu offers contemporary Indian cuisine, including authentic dishes, traditional curries and tandoor specialities.

West to Mandria

Close to Paphos airport, the compact centre of Mandria village has some interesting restaurants. We recommend booking at any of these options to ensure you have a table reserved…

Il Vesuvio is a good quality Italian trattoria and pizzeria where you will find plenty of choice on the menu and indulgent desserts.

Kentroikon has a unique offering with an extensive menu including Cypriot, Mediterranean and – surprise, surprise – Chinese dishes, meaning this restaurant could be the perfect answer to your dining dilemmas. And it’s not a case of jack of all trades, master of none… as you can see from their online reviews, satisfied customers confirm that all the cuisine options are good, making this restaurant well worth a visit.

No visit to the area is complete without dinner at Mandria Fish and Chips. Great service, generous portions, quality ingredients and always perfectly cooked. We love it!

Kalí órexi !

New Cyprus Beaches App

Nikki Salter Activities, Family, Nature, Places June 15, 2018April 3, 2019beaches, pissouri bay 0 Comment

Thought you knew the Cyprus coastline? Surely no-one knows it like Andreas Papadopoulos. The detail in this meticulously researched app is fantastic – search for disabled access, public transport, picnic sites, watersports, sunbeds, WiFi. Plus maps, route planner, photographs, tips and a whole lot more.

Free demo version includes Pissouri Bay
Full version €2.29 or £1.99 | For iOS and Android

Alix Norman | Cyprus Mail

“If you’ve lived in Cyprus for more than a year, you know exactly which beaches you prefer. Looking for a pebbly shore, and a quiet day by the sea in Larnaca? Then Oroklini Beach is the place to be. Eastward bound, and in search of sand, snorkeling, and facilities on a Blue-flagged beach? Fig Tree Bay’s a good choice. Or if you’re after total peace and quiet near Limassol, and in possession of a 4×4, then it’s down to Ayios Yiorgos. But here’s the thing: even if you’ve known the island your whole life, there are hundreds of coastal spots still to be discovered. Or, if you’re a tourist, you probably have little notion of just which beach suits your needs. And that’s where the new app, Cyprus Beaches, comes in extremely handy…”

Click to read Alix’s full article …

Preview

Hoping to See Turtles?

Nikki Salter Activities, Family, Nature, Pissouri September 6, 2017April 3, 2019akamas, atlantis, lara, pissouri bay, turtles 0 Comment

Turtle viewing through the portholes on Atlantis

George’s Turtle-Watching Cruise on Atlantis

Leaving in late afternoon from the second jetty at Paphos harbour, this delightful excursion is one of our all-time favs. Since learning about the trip from guests (thanks Natalie!) and having enjoyed it ourselves, we think it the most magical experience…

Atlantis has an underwater viewing platform with stools and portholes. Running these daily trips, George has a fantastic insider’s knowledge of the flora and fauna of the coral reefs off Paphos. He takes you out a short distance off-shore to an area of sea grass favoured by turtles. The surprise for me was the size of the larger ones… fully grown they approach a metre in length, although the younger ones are considerably smaller.

There are no guarantees, of course, but if you follow George’s Atlantis Facebook page, you will discover that you would be extremely unlucky not to see any. And there are plenty of other sights to savour – enormous stingrays, an amazing variety of colourful fish, beautiful coral reefs and encrusted shipwrecks.

On the way home, George drops anchor to allow you to enjoy a refreshing sunset swim off the boat. (Book on +357 9666 1737 or via Facebook message).

Lara Bay Turtles

Off the beaten track in the protected Akamas Nature Reserve, Lara Bay has the island’s main turtle beach; home to both loggerhead and green turtle nests. If you visit this unspoilt long stretch of golden sandy beach in summer, you will see hundreds of cages protecting nests from predators. Sun loungers and parasols are not allowed on the beach, lest they damage hidden nests.

There is a Turtle Rescue Centre, but be aware this is primarily for conservation, rather than visitors. The two huts on the beach contain interesting information boards about the turtles, and rescue tanks… Sometimes there are baby hatchlings being nurtured to strength in the tanks, but equally there are also times when they are empty. While this is a positive thing – meaning there are currently no baby turtles in need of support, it can be disappointing for visitors, especially children.

Protective cages over nests on Lara turtle beach

The easiest way to get there is to book a jeep safari or hire a 4×4 or quad bike to reach the beach, as it’s approached via a rutted and rocky unmade road. If you’re visiting in a normal hire car, you can park in the car park 200 metres beyond the end of the tarmac road, and continue on foot. The Turtle Rescue Centre is a mile further north, so make sure you’re prepared with good footwear, hat, water and sunscreen. To find it, continue beyond Lara Café, and when you see a sign pointing right to Ineia, take the track opposite onto the beach.

Pissouri Beach

Every summer mature female turtles that hatched here many years previously return to Pissouri beach to nest. Members of Pissouri Turtlewatch patrol the beach in the early mornings looking for tell-tale tracks, so that they can place protective cages over the nests to keep them safe. Once a nest has been established, the countdown to the exciting hatching begins.

The next task for the dedicated volunteers is an overnight vigil (as nests can hatch out any time from dusk till dawn). If mother nature has arranged everything right, this will be on the night of a full moon to help them navigate towards the moonlit water.

Failing that Pissouri Turtlewatch use special red-filtered torches which provide a safe soft light to guide the hatchlings seawards. At this stage every effort is made to avoid picking up or even touching the tiny babies, as this can interfere with the development of their strength and navigational imprinting.

How You Can Help

Turtles are endangered and protected by law, with the odds of surviving to adulthood staggeringly low.

Occasionally things go wrong, leaving the mother turtle or the hatchlings stranded on the beach in daylight when they are obviously at their most vulnerable. In that event, or if you find an injured, distressed or dead turtle, support is available from: Pissouri Turtlewatch (Jimmy +357 9946 2308), or Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre& (+357 2582 6562), or The Oceanic Institute of the University of Cyprus (24/7 helpline +357 9695 2929).

In the meantime, the expert advice is to keep well back, stay quiet, and try to leave them alone, only interfering as a last resort. Removing large pebbles and creating an obstacle-free path directly to the sea can be helpful for the tiny hatchlings. During daylight there is no problem with taking photos and videos, as long as you ensure the flash is turned off.

Tiny Loggerhead Turtle Hatchlings On Pissouri Beach

Many thanks to Chris Price and Claudine Snell of Pissouri Turtlewatch for permission to use their lovely photos.

A previous version of this article was originally posted on our old website blog by Nikki 13/7/2017

Turtle Nesting Tales From Pissouri Beach

Nikki Salter Nature, Pissouri August 10, 2017April 3, 2019pissouri bay, turtles 3 Comments

There’s something magical about lying in bed listening to the sea

And don’t we all love the simple pleasures of spending time at the beach – watching the waves breaking, skimming stones, paddling at the water’s edge, studying pebbles and touching wave-smoothed glass.

If you’re lucky enough to visit at different times of the year, you can witness the changes of the seasons. Summer visitors watching the benign waves lapping would never imagine the drama and terrifying power of the crashing winter storms where the water can come right up to the path. In recent winters enormous chunks of concrete have been taken by huge breakers undermining the Columbia footpath and disintegrating the slipway.

Then suddenly last spring tonnes of sand arrived courtesy of that season’s more moderate waves, covering the pebbles and clothing the beach in another guise.

For me the most exciting thing about Pissouri beach, though, is the fact that it’s a turtle beach

Every year it plays host to endangered nesting Loggerhead sea turtles… with mature females returning via some amazing navigational sense to dig their nests on the same beach where they themselves hatched.

Until this season I had no idea how much of a labour this is. One of a dedicated band of volunteers from Pissouri Turtlewatch, Cindy Murrin-Garcia has been documenting events via social media. Her dawn beach patrols have followed and filmed quite a few turtle tracks up from the shoreline, showing that females habitually make repeated forays throughout the night before selecting a nesting site.

After establishing a successful lay, Pissouri Turtlewatch protect the site from predators with a cage and cordon. At this point the clock starts ticking. 45-51 days later the hatchlings will emerge – normally at night and in groups over a period of a few days.

Drawn to the sea by the reflections of the moon on the water, it is important not to confuse them with any other lights. Red torches are used by the trained volunteers on their overnight vigils, because turtles cannot see red light. Efforts are made to avoiding touching the tiny creatures during shepherding, as the purpose of this vulnerable trek across the beach is twofold; it has a part to play in the imprinting that enables females to return to this site at maturity, and it is nature’s way of building strength for survival in the water.

On rare occasions turtle events happen during daylight hours. Yesterday Cindy found a female turtle on the beach during her early morning patrol, allowing her to take these wonderful photos. And later in the day Pissouri Turtlewatch excavated a hatched nest to help the last few stragglers on their way.

Ungainly on land, once in their element, the tiny hatchlings make rapid progress away from the shore. A study involving gluing tiny satellite transmitters to baby Loggerheads found that in their first few hours they ‘sprint and ride’ the waves at an impressive 60 metres a minute in their efforts to escape coastal predators.

Surviving to adulthood is precarious: it is estimated that as few as one in a thousand make it. Those that do have a life expectancy of between 45 and 65 years.

Although turtles can regularly be seen swimming in the bay, our favourite way of turtle spotting is to take a two-hour sunset cruise from Paphos harbour with George on his vessel Atlantis. Equipped with a series of underwater portholes, this is a great way of getting up close to turtles, stingrays and the most amazing fish.

More details: Our Top 10 List

Mother turtle photos by Cindy Murrin-Garcia of Pissouri Turtlewatch

This article was originally posted on our old website blog by Nikki 25/7/2016

Fun at Chris Watersports, Pissouri Bay

Nikki Salter Activities, Family, Pissouri August 1, 2017April 3, 2019chris watersports, jet ski, pissouri bay 0 Comment

Airhead - Chris Watersports new inflatable tow ride

Chris, Mo and Jeff at Chris Watersports Pissouri Bay

For anyone visiting our local beach at Pissouri Bay, we thoroughly recommend you pay a visit to our friends Jeff and Mo at Chris Watersports. You’re sure of a warm welcome and professional service.

Chilling And Relaxing

There’s sunbed and parasol hire. And now you can have free WiFi – if you can tear yourself away from watching the world go by. With showers and changing rooms immediately behind their ‘hut’, you’re in the perfect beach location. Plus Philippos’ ice cream van is handily right next door!

Pootling Around The Bay

Rent a kayak and check out the crystal clear waters for sightings of turtles.

High Octane Thrills On The Water

This video showcases Chris Watersports brilliantly.

You can hire unrestricted 250 and 155 bhp jet skis, or should I say jet bikes – as they have seats? If you’d like to try a new skill or practise an old one, you can book waterskiing, kneeboard or wakeboard lessons. But our fav is a ride on one of their towed inflatables which range from sofas to bananas – brilliant fun! And now they have another new one – Airhead – can’t wait to try it.

Flyboard

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, and confident that you have a good sense of balance, you can even book a flyboard lesson. This is an amazing piece of kit rather like a water-based hover board. It works by sending a powerful water jet through a large hose – sending you soaring 30 feet above the azure waters.

More details: Chris Watersports on Facebook

Blue Flag Beaches: Cyprus Remains the Best in Europe

Nikki Salter Activities, Nature, Pissouri, Places July 28, 2017April 3, 2019blue flag, cyprus, pissouri bay 0 Comment

With Europe’s highest proportion of Blue Flag awards for the 12th year running, Cyprus is celebrating its best ever year. This year’s total of 63 beaches and 1 marina (Limassol) also beats last year’s 57.

And we are proud to report that Pissouri is enjoying its 21st consecutive award.

🏆 Congratulations to all! 🍻 Yia mas!

Full list: cyprusbeat.com/64-blue-flag-beaches-cyprus/

Mr & Mrs N Recommend: All in Pissouri Bay

Nikki Salter Activities, Ampeli Villa, Dining, Pissouri July 28, 2017April 3, 2019bay jewellery, diving, pissouri bay 0 Comment

We love it when guests share tips about their favourites. Since their first visit in 2015, these guests have returned twice a year, and are planning for 2018 – to enjoy more diving, rest and relaxation.

Extracts from their review:

“G did a diving course with Pissouri Bay Divers – they were fab – very friendly and incredibly professional. So much so we are returning in October for him to continue to the next level.

For me the holiday was a crash and chill so I only ventured out to wander along the beach eat and visit the local shops in the Bay for supplies. I did however happen upon Bay Jewellery, Gemma is very talented and her jewellery is lovely, she is also very keen to make any pieces bespoke.

Kastros and Artemis remained our favourites from last year. With Yialos being added this year – the fish was amazing.”

More guest feedback