Property Description
WELCOME TO VILLA HELIOS
Villa Helios as the name suggests has beautiful panoramic views out to sea and sunsets to the west. We took over the villa in Jan 2007 and have equipped it with everything you would need for a nice relaxing stay. It has been fitted out with modern comfortable furniture including a terrace dinning table and chairs to make the most of the scenic surroundings of the villa. It has been furnished to a high standard both inside the villa and outside patio furniture. The villa is south west facing benefiting from the sun from morning until sunset. It has professionally designed landscaped gardens with a beautiful mosaic patterned private swimming pool 8m by 4m with clear views out across the sea and bay. There is an outside shower at the corner of the swimming pool and a large barbeque next to terrace and swimming pool.
Villa Helios has been furnished and equipped to a high luxurious standard with comfortable and practical living accommodation. All three bedrooms have high ceilings and air conditioning. The villa sleeps a maximum of 6 persons.
The villa is set in large, landscaped gardens which are irrigated automatically, with a beautiful 8m x 4m private swimming pool with south west facing unobstructed sea views to the Mediterranean Sea.
The entrance hallway opens onto a spacious and sunny open-plan living and dining room with stunning views from the two large patio windows.
The living area has comfortable Grade A leather sofas and large, width patio doors leading onto the front terrace. The living room has a CD player, satellite TV and DVD player for your entertainment.
The dining area has a large wooden dining table with six chairs and side board. The Dinning Room patio doors leads onto the front terrace. The terrace has a large patio table with a parasol and six comfortable chairs for outside dining. You can enjoy the spectacle of breathtaking sunsets over the sea as you sip a large cool drink.
There is a guest cloakroom on the ground floor.
The fully fitted kitchen has ample storage cupboards, oven, hob, extractor, fridge/freezer, microwave, washing machine and dish washer. A door leads onto the rear terrace and the kitchen table and chairs can be moved outside for a outdoor breakfast on the back terrace with views out to the mountains and Aphrodite Hills Golf course. There is a outside shed for storage of deckchairs and patio furniture.
A stairway leads to the upper floor. The master bedroom suite (sea view) with a Queen Size double bed has an en-suite bathroom and patio doors leading onto a private terrace from where you can enjoy spectacular 180 degrees sea views.
Bedroom 2 (sea view) has twin beds, ample wardrobe space and a balcony benefiting from similar sea views.
Bedroom 3 (mountain view) has two twin beds, ample wardrobe space and a balcony which enjoys mountain views across to Aphrodite Hills Gof Club.
All bedrooms and living areas benefit from air-conditioning units, and high quality Egyptian cotton bed linen and towels.
Surrounding Area
The villa is situated on a quiet and unspoilt coastline near to Aphrodites Rock and Birthplace. It is 10 mins drive from Paphos International Airport and around one and a half hours from Larnaca International airport.
It is only about a 5 min drive from the nearest beach and about the same distance from Secret Valley Golf Club, 5 mins from Aphrodite Hills Golf and Leisure complex. The villa is about 20 mins drive from the historic town of Paphos and about 30 mins from Tsada Golf Club.
The Secret Valley Golf Course, is a highly prestigious golf course located by the renowned area of "Petra tou Romiou", the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love. It is a challenging 18 holes, 6,120m par 72 course set in a scenic valley surrounded by mature trees and beautiful natural rock formations. Consistently appearing as the preferred course amongst the islands visiting players in terms of sheer playability and enjoyment.
Rates are around CYP29 to CYP38 per round depending on season . Club hire will cost around CYP6 and buggy hire around CYP14. Lessons are available from the resident PGA professional. Aphrodite Hills Village Square (5 mins drive from villa)
Several restaurants and bars at Aphrodite Hills are located around the Village Square, including Greek and Cypriot Taverna, sports pub and bar, Italian pizza and pasta, coffee shop and ice cream gelateria.
Restaurants and café of the Village Square offer a true taste of the Mediterranean in a delightful setting that recreates the ambience of a traditional Cypriot village. There are five contrasting venues to choose from:
• Pithari Tavern serves traditional tavern-type food in either the meze or the a la carte variation.
• Anoi Pub & Bar serves a large variety of beers, wines and international food.
• Zimi Pizza & Pasta offers traditional freshly made pizzas and calzones, oven-baked pasta dishes and pasta classics.
• Platia Coffee Shop-Ouzerie is a traditional Cypriot Coffee Shop serving coffee made in the utzaki and also serves traditional Middle Eastern and preserved sweets, a variety of olive and cheese pies (Cyprus and Greek style), and other local puff pastry specialties.
• Gefsis Gelateria & Creperie serves top quality Hagen Daz ice cream, pancakes, belgian crepes and waffles, complete with a variety of tantalising toppings.
About The Retreat Spa at Aphrodite Hills
A visit to The Retreat at Aphrodite Hills is the ultimate in top-to-toe pampering for body and mind. From the moment you enter the cool serenity of The Retreat?s monastic interior you are immersed in tranquil surroundings, where superb facilities and an expert team of therapists tend to your every need.
The Greco-Roman bathing rituals of cleansing and relaxation inspired the creation and design of The Retreat which features galleried hallways leading to elevated pools overlooking the Mediterranean. A step further and you encounter the thermae and fragrance garden with its massage temples and fountains.
The Retreat is working exclusively with Pevonia and is their first Flagship European Spa. The 18 treatment rooms offer a choice variety of environments from couple rooms and private balconies to specialist hydrotherapy rooms and outdoor massage pavilions. Treatments range from rejuvenating skincare including facial and body treatments, to massage and aromatherapy. Pevonia Botanica skincare products contain the most effective natural source ingredients, delivering remarkable, highly visible results to keep skin looking radiant.
At the heart of The Retreat is the thermae. The word thermae derives from the ancient Greek word for heat and by 315 AD, Roman life revolved around this daily bathing ritual which involved a series of rooms and pools progressively increasing in temperature, tempered by cooling plunge pools and showers.
Whether it becomes an essential part of a daily routine, a place of rest and contemplation, or simply a relaxing spot to sit on the terrace and enjoy the sunshine, The Retreat at Aphrodite Hills is a haven for spa lovers.
Day passes, special group rates, pre-booked single treatments and half/full day packages are all available at The Retreat. Guests can also partake in bathing rituals, sport and spa combinations and long stay packages of between five and seven days.
The Retreats operating hours in the summer are 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, with treatments taking place only between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm. Operating hours in the winter are 8:00 am - 7:00 pm.
Places to Visit
Cyprus is one of Europe’s favorite holiday destinations. With friendly, English-speaking locals, excellent food and wine and over 5,000 years of history it’s hardly surprising! Add to that the near-zero crime rate, the fact you can drive on the left, drink most tap-water and plug in your UK electrical appliances with no adaptors, you’ll understand why Cyprus promises to give you one of the most trouble-free, friendly, enjoyable and memorable holidays you will ever have!
You can explore Aphrodite’s Rock, the Tomb of the Kings, beaches, water-sports, the water-park and enjoy the lively atmosphere of Paphos, 20 minutes drive away, with its harbour, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Alternatively, savour the excellent food and wines in the taverns in nearby Pissouri and Kouklia villages with their gentle and friendly character.
Nearby Attractions
Situated on the south-west coast of Cyprus, Paphos and the surrounding area including Palai-Paphos (modern Kouklia), are rich in history dating back to the days of the Trojan Wars.
Once the Roman capital of Cyprus and now regional capital, Paphos was famous throughout antiquity both for its association with the cult of Aphrodite and the spread of Christianity. Its historic importance and ancient remains have secured the sites of Palai-Paphos and Nea Paphos a place on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list.
These attractions are within a short drive of Secret Valley Resort:
Paphos Castle
Paphos Castle, originally a Byzantine fortress erected to protect the harbour, was rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 13th century, dismantled by the Venetians in 1570 during the Ottoman invasion and rebuilt by the Ottomans after they captured the island in the 16th century. During its long history, it has seen use a fortress, a prison and even a warehouse for salt under British colonial rule. A landmark symbol of the Paphos region, it was declared a ancient monument in 1935.
The castle acts as a dramatic backdrop for cultural events staged in the square in front. These include the Paphos Aphrodite Festival, which, each September, presents international opera with world famous artistes.
Paphos Mosaics & Odeon
The mosaics of Paphos, dating from the 2nd to the 5th century AD, are considered to be among the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Their depictions of scenes from Greek mythology make them a must-see attraction.
Paphos Odeon, a small 2nd century Odeon built entirely of well-hewn limestone blocks lies at Kato Paphos, the heart of the Paphos tourist area and is used for summer musical and theatrical performances. Nearby are the remains of the ancient city walls, the Roman Agora and a building dedicated to Asklipeios, the Greek God of medicine.
Geroskipou Museum of Folk Art
The name of Geroskipou village comes from the Greek word "Ieros Kipos", the Sacred Garden of Aphrodite. A fascinating collection of Cyprus folk arts and crafts gathered together in the house known as Hadjismith. This fascinating museum occupies the House of Hadjismith, a traditional nineteenth century home of great architectural and historical importance. Built of stone with two paved courtyards and a covered terrace, it is one of the first vernacular buildings to be declared an ancient monument.
The museum has folk art from Paphos district and other regions of Cyprus, dating from the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth, much of it displayed in settings reflecting a peasant house of the period.
Because of its architectural and historical importance, the ?House of Hadjismith? is one of the first buildings of folk architecture to have been declared an ancient monument. The Department of Antiquities acquired half of the house in 1947-1948 and the other half in 1974. After systematic restoration, the building was converted into a folk art museum, which has been open to the public since 1978. In order to extend the museum by including the ruined buildings, which in the past had formed an integral part of the same mansion, a major project of restoration work and reorganization has been undertaken.
The ethnographic material exhibited in the museum of Geroskipou is dated to the nineteenth and the first decades of the twentieth centuries and comes from several areas of Cyprus but mainly from the Paphos district. Many items are exhibited in rooms specially arranged to represent typical rooms of a traditional peasant house.
Kouklia Village (3 mins drive from villa)
Kouklia is a village of the district of Pafos and lies at a distance of about 16 kilometres from the city of Pafos. It is built at an average altitude of 85 meters in the coastal plain of Pafos, north of the central highway of Limassol - Pafos, where -according to mythology -the goddess of Beauty and Love, Aphrodite, emerged.
The village is built in the venue were "Palaipafos" (Old Pafos) -the seat of the kingdom of Pafos -stood, which was one of the most important ancient kingdoms of Cyprus.
The entire area of the community, including also the place where -today -the houses of the village are built, is an important archaeological region. Excavations have been conducted at times, bringing to surface the famous temple of "Aphrodite of Pafos" (Pafia Aphrodite), the remains of the fortification of Palaipafos, and various other movable findings that are found in the archaeological Museum situated in the village, housed in the medieval villa south of the village.