CYPRU STREAT; travel Rob Sinclair tries out one of Britain's favourite year-round destinations.

AS FAR as beach holidays go, I am with Goldilocks.

It mustn't be too hot and it mustn't be too cold. To find somewhere that could deliver on that promise all year round would be fantastic.

And it would even better if it was just a few hours of flying time away.

So a friend suggested having a look at Cyprus - more specifically the more serene western end of the holiday island that has always been such a hit with Brits.

We flew from Manchester to Paphos on a Thomson charter.

The resort we had chosen was a short taxi drive away at Coral Bay.

The Coral Beach Hotel & Resort is wonderfully positioned on the golden beaches and clear water of Coral Bay. We took a winter break, and how wonderful was it to escape the dark skies of North Wales and to be able to lie in the sun and splash about in the Med!

The aim was to use the Coral Beach for a week's exploration of Cyprus. As it happened we never hired the car, we forgot to book the tours, we just chilled out.

The Coral Bay is a big place.

It's not impersonal nor is it "in your face" grand. But it's a fully fledged resort where you really can fill a week or more without venturing out of the front door.

Let's start with the sunbathing.

There's a couple of lovely little private beaches.

They don't get too busy and there are loads of sunbeds and umbrellas. The sea is warm and the water is really clear.

There are pools a-plenty with paddling pools and again, loads of sunbeds so there is no need for the dawn assault with your towel to grab a good spot for the day. Well I thought that was me sorted out for the week. A pile of books to wade through between cooling dips and cooling drinks.

But you can't be that lazy can you? Well, if you are energetic there is plenty on offer at this resort, which has been used for training by the British Olympic swimming squad (there's a 50- metre pool!). Actually we limited our exertions to table tennis but you can play squash, tennis, do aqua-aerobics in the indoor pool or head off horse-riding. The gym is well equipped.

After a hard 20 minutes of ping pong we booked into the hotel's excellent spa for a sports massage that can best be described as vigorous.

Now for the really important bit. Food and drink.

A luxury resort isn't worth its salt if it hasn't got a cocktail bar and if the cocktail waiter can't muster up a great Long Island Iced Tea, the journalist's number one exotic drink because of all the alcohol in it.

Happily the Coral Beach delivered. The Mojito wasn't half bad either.

There is an excellent choice of places to eat. Our favourite was the hotel's own harbourside fish restaurant, the Limani. They get the pick of the catch from the fleet of little boats which fish the bay.

It being my birthday, and me being greedy/hungry, we had the seafood meze. The food just kept coming and it was all excellent.

For a very stylish experience the Romazzino restaurant was a real treat.

They specialise in Italian nuova cucina which was excellent and goes very well with the superb choice of Cypriot wines on offer.

For those with hollow legs and the stamina to match, there is even a nightclub with live music.

We did actually venture beyond the Coral Bay a couple of times. If you are in a burning need for a pint of Guinness while watching Liverpool or Man U on SkySports there is a not bad Irish bar over the road.

We also popped into the town of Paphos for one evening. We had a curry, not exactly typical Cypriot but I did say this island has always been a hit with us Brits.

Would we go again? Definitely and I wouldn't worry about which time of year: according to fellow travellers who were repeat visitors, the weather is always just right for me and Goldilocks.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Rooms at the Coral Beach Hotel & Resort ([phone], www.coral.com.cy) from 127pp per night, based on two adults and two children sharing a studio sea view room in May 2009. This includes breakfast, taxes and service charge

CAPTION(S):

Coral Beach... high standard of accommodation and lots of pools