An eco retreat with a heart in Cyprus

A hillside eco-retreat makes a great base for connecting with nature and exploring the coast and mountains around Paphos

‘This whole project started as an experiment,” says Pawel Sidorski, who swapped his life in the European hotel industry to pursue his vision of sustainable luxury, opening Yurts in Cyprus, near Paphos in west Cyprus, in 2013. “I wanted to pioneer an off-grid lifestyle and create a place for people to connect with nature without sacrificing comfort,” he says.

Pawel’s three handmade Mongolian yurts and log cabin, tucked away in 2.5 acres on a hill overlooking the Stavros tis Psokas valley, offer just that. We stayed in the spacious Qadan (meaning “cliff” in Mongolian), which sits on the edge of the property – hammock, table and chairs ready for sundowners or stargazing. Inside, there’s a super-comfy wrought iron double bed, rugs, stove, coffee-making kit, Bluetooth speaker and wifi – you name your creature comfort and the attentive Pawel has thought of it.