Blog

For football fans and groupies, Paphos is the place to be this summer. The trendsetters, Manchester United and England football star Rio Ferdinand and Swansea City player Ashley Williams, stayed at the town's five-star Elysium Hotel in June 2011. They were spotted at sandy beach, the hotel swimming pool bar, the trendy Lime Cocktail Bar and The World Famous Linekers Bar, both near the seafront in Kato Paphos. Book your flights to Paphos now and check out the venues of Rio's choice!

The Elysium Hotel, Queen Verenikis Street, +357 26844444
The most famous snapshots of Rio's 2011 trip to Cyprus were taken at the Elysium Hotel. The 32-year old father-of-three is cooling down with a lager in the pool while three bikini-clad fans admire his deep tan. All 250 suites of the hotel where Rio was staying have air-conditioning, neutral beige colour schemes with elegant dark-wood and marble furnishings, 42-inch LCD televisions, furnished balconies, minibars, wireless internet access, designer toiletries and bathrobes. This luxurious hotel features a high-tech gym with cardio and resistance equipment, tennis courts, a games room, billiards, scuba diving facilities, a health spa, an expansive outdoor swimming pool, walkways with fountains, an indoor hot tub and of course the famous swim-up pool bar with wet and dry seating where Rio and Ashley were spotted. The seafront resort overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is located next to the historical Tombs of the Kings.

Lime Cocktail Bar, Diagorou 1, +357 99866243/99098901
This stylish cocktail bar is decorated in colours that reflect its name and glorious cocktails: lime green, fuchsia and white. There are bar stools and sofas available, but if you want to follow Rio's example and sit at a table, it's recommended to book your place in advance as this summer hotspot is very popular. They offer a wide range of fresh, reasonably priced cocktails. Especially the strawberry daiquiris and the mojitos are scrumptious and beautifully presented.

The World Famous Linekers Bar, Bar Street, +357 97854505
Of course the world famous footballers had a drink at the best sports bar and no. 1 party venue in Cyprus. Soon after Rio's visit, pictures of the footballer with the bar staff appeared on the VIP Visitors page of the World Famous Linkers Bar website. You can watch all sporting events from around the world on 16 plasma screens and a 2.3m cinema screen, or dance with sports and TV celebrities from all over the world. Other celebrities who chilled at this bar at the heart of Paphos include cricket player Graham Onions, singer-songwriter Paolo Nuttini and Hollyoaks star Ricky Whittle.