A luxury golf development built around a course designed by British champion Nick Faldo in Paphos is helping to raise international awareness of Cyprus as a world-class golfing destination, after being voted Best International Leisure Development.

The 71-par Faldo-designed golf course, golf academy and clubhouse are all complete and open at Eléa Estate, which picked up the award this month at the International Residential Property Awards 2011. Once finished, the resort will also feature a wellbeing retreat, restaurant, bars and a boutique hotel.

Still in the early stages of developing properties, currently only a small selection of four- and five-bedroom frontline villas are available at Eléa, with prices from €1,695,652. Later phases are due to include two- and three-bedroom homes.

Other golf resorts in the Paphos area with top notch courses include Aphrodite Hills, Minthis Hills and Secret Valley. To search for property in Cyprus – by a fairway, beach or in a town – visit the Cyprus listings on Rightmove Overseas.

If you’re planning to buy in or move to Paphos, or any other part of Cyprus, and need to transfer a large sum of money, remember to use a currency specialist to exchange your pounds into euros. For more information, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property Cyprus, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Cyprus Property Buying Guide