Modus Vivendi

Rooms

There are 6 suites or apartments, each with a separate sitting/dining room, bedroom and bathroom - apart from Terra Verte, which is a single-space studio for 2. All have a small kitchen (see Eating) and their own entrance. The original 4 are clustered around the pool courtyard; 2 newer suites are in a separate cottage across the lane, which can also be rented in its entirety for a larger family.

Inside ancient walls you'll find stone-flagged floors, pale-plastered walls, patches of exposed masonry, and a pleasing mishmash of furniture old and new. There's white-draped Habitat sofas and hand-painted taverna chairs, Victorian wrought-iron bedsteads and retro glass chandeliers, timeworn marble basins and Art Deco wardrobes salvaged from junk yards. The overall feel is artful but totally unpretentious, like a Parisian vintage-furniture market transplanted to sunny Cyprus.

Our favourite room for couples is actually the smallest and cheapest: first-floor Terra Verte, which looks over the pool, with pale pine floors and pink bougainvillea cascading over a side balcony. If you want more space, or a more rustic look, go for poolside Ochre, with its spacious sitting room, snug bedroom and unfaced stone walls tickled by jasmine fronds and ripening lemons. Grab either room if it is free.

For a couple with 1 child, Red and Lefko come with an extra bed in the sitting room; the former has an unexpected downstairs bathroom with sunken tub in cobbled floors (though we found the vermillion bedroom a little too vivid), the latter has vast living quarters and a cosy downstairs bedroom (slightly gloomy in winter, though).

Ten steps across the lane in a separate cottage, the 2 Loullaki apartments (1 up, 1 down) feel more contemporary, with pastel walls and huge artworks. Each sleeps 2, with an extra bed available upstairs; or take them both (they communicate) as a family house on 2 levels, with a small patio garden to boot.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Cots available
• Toiletries
• WiFi

Eating

Each apartment has its own kitchenette, with enough to make lunch or a simple dinner: electric 2-ring hob, oven, toaster, kettle, fridge and plenty of pots, pans and assorted implements. There's a dining table with 3 or 4 chairs (or you could take your breakfast outside), and a supermarket in the nearby village of Zygi for supplies - or if you're arriving late, ask Eleni for a breakfast hamper (at extra cost). She might leave you one of her fresh-baked orange cakes if you're lucky, as well as a jar of homemade jam as a thankyou for booking through i-escape.

If you fancy eating out, it's a 5-minute drive down to Zygi, whose seafront is famously lined with fish restaurants. Koumbaris is a safe bet, though we preferred Xefotos, a block inland, for its superb catch-of-the-day platter (assuming Louis has been out that day), served with local wines and juicy salads at knockdown prices.

Your hostess Eleni will also share some of her favourite finds: Koursaros, tucked away in the hamlet of Parekklisia, was without doubt our best meal in Cyprus, though you'll need their help finding it.

Features include:

• Fridge
• Hob or stove
• Kitchenette
• Oven
• Toaster
• Breakfast hamper on request

Activities

Modus Vivendi is a magical spot for doing very little (do enquire if they're running one of their culinary or artisanal workshops while you're staying), and Psematismenos is one of the island's loveliest villages. But if you want to explore...

• The coast is only a couple of miles away; it isn't the prettiest stretch on the island, but there are some interesting wind-sculpted coves at Governor's Beach (5km; if you can mentally blot out Vasilikos power station on the horizon); or a sandy, shallow sickle near Alaminos (turn right after Hotel Aldiana, signed "Secret Paradise")
  
• Inland, the handsome town of Lefkara is famous for its lace and its silverwork (on sale everywhere); but even if you don't fancy a new tablecloth, it's fun to wander along narrow lanes between balconied stone houses, then stop for a coffee looking out to pine-specked hills
  
• Both Limassol and Larnaca are 20 mins' drive along the motorway; the former boasting a medieval castle, modern marina and Miami-esque tourist strip, the latter a palm-shaded sea promenade and a remarkable 9th-century Byzantine cathedral
  
• Beyond that are the white beaches and crazy nightlife of Ayia Napa, and the border to northern (Turkish) Cyprus
  
• Heading the other way, it's less than an hour to the Troodos Mountains, for scenic hikes or mountain-bike rides through pine and fir forests to waterfalls and monasteries

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Camel rides
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Mountain biking
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures

Kids

This is a great option for more adventurous families - except perhaps toddlers, given the many steps, uneven cobbles and unfenced pool. One highchair is available (book it early); other than that you'll have to bring your own toys and baby equipment.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

All the apartments bar Terra Verte can take a cot (supplied, but without bedding) or an extra bed. Red and Lefko have a proper iron single bed in the sitting room, and Lefko has space for a 4th bed if required. Or you can book both Loullaki apartments to sleep 4-5 (2 double rooms, and one extra bed upstairs).

Cots Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Modus Vivendi is in the small village of Psematismenos, midway between Larnaca (Larnaka) and Limassol (Lemessos) near the south coast of Cyprus.

By Air:
Larnaca and Paphos (Pafos) have scheduled and charter flights from UK and Europe. Larnaca is nearer and has a slightly wider range of flights. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport:
You can take a taxi, book a transfer, or hire a car - see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Cyprus and getting around