Vacation in Cyprus – which region to choose. What’s better — Paphos, Ayia Napa, Limassol, Larnaca, or Northern Cyprus? Where are the best beaches, and which area to choose for a family holiday with children?
In the past, I often found myself in a situation where I heard about a popular place, wanted to go, but didn’t know exactly where to go and what format to choose.
This happened the first time I went to Cyprus, which was 20 years ago. A travel agency sent us to Larnaca, to a hotel near the sea, but the nearest beach was at least a 25-minute walk away, and the beach itself was muddy and always wet, with a shallow depth requiring a 100-meter walk to swim. We didn’t see any good beaches then, and our vacation was saved by excursions, which we booked almost every day.
Reflecting on that time and after having visited Cyprus every year since then, I think I can now recommend the best resorts, beaches, and hotels on our favorite island.
Weather in Cyprus and When to Go
We’ve visited Cyprus in every month of the year and always found something to do. The official season on the island starts on April 1st, with temperatures between +20 and +30, and water around +20. Spring in Cyprus is for those who aren’t bothered by cool evenings and water that isn’t fully warmed up yet. The plus is that there aren’t many tourists.
Summer in Cyprus is hot and dry, with the warmest months being July and August when the air can heat up to +40. Typically, it’s +32 to +36 on the coast, and the sea warms up to +28. Isn’t that wonderful!
September-October offers the most comfortable temperatures for air and water (around +30), and while there are still many tourists, it’s less crowded than in August. Cyprus is a great way to extend summer for a couple of months.
In November, it’s still warm, up to +28, and this weather lasts until around the 20th. Locals especially love early November when the tourist flow decreases, but it’s still summer-like warm.
When to go to Cyprus? If the heat doesn’t bother you, which is bearable on the coast due to the dry air, then July-September is ideal. October is more comfortable – it’s a good time for a vacation with preschool-aged children. However, there are many children here during all the summer months, from June to October.
Where to Stay in Cyprus
There are several beach resort zones and tourist areas in Cyprus, each with its own unique appeal.
The Paralimni-Protaras-Ayia Napa area in the southeastern part of Cyprus has the best beaches and resort infrastructure.
Larnaca offers a great mix of city and beach holiday experiences. It has a beautiful promenade and historic center. The beaches aren’t the best, but it’s convenient for exploring the surroundings. Larnaca also hosts one of Cyprus’s two international airports.
Limassol has the best city infrastructure and is convenient for island excursions and trips to the Troodos mountains.
Pissouri is a village between Limassol and Paphos, perfect for those who don’t like crowds of tourists and prefer a secluded holiday in a beautiful setting.
Paphos is great for those who plan to travel around the island and are interested in history. Paphos also has beaches, but it can’t compare to Ayia Napa and Protaras in this regard.
Polis and Latchi are small resorts near Paphos, perfect for those who have seen most of Cyprus’s highlights and want more.
More Details About Each Area of Cyprus
Protaras and Paralimni
There is no clear border between them, and they are very similar in terms of vacation format.
Protaras and Paralimni are ideal for family vacations, holidays with children, and peaceful beach getaways.
A city bus runs from Protaras to Ayia Napa, taking 30 minutes. Protaras is home to one of the best beaches in Cyprus – Fig Tree Bay.
Protaras and Paralimni are the best places in Cyprus for a holiday with children. For both children and adults, there is a wide selection of activities along the coast, cafes, bars, and restaurants for evening entertainment.
There is a pedestrian path along the entire resort, running along the sea and the promenade.
Close to Protaras is another beautiful beach – Konnos Bay. You can reach it by city bus 101 or walk there along a nature trail.
Where to stay in Protaras and Paralimni:
- Louis St Elias Resort & Waterpark4* — an excellent option for a quality family holiday with children in the center of Protaras. The hotel has pools and water slides, spacious rooms with sea views. It’s a 2-minute walk to the beach.
- Capo Bay Hotel 5* — perfectly located right opposite Fig Tree Bay, near the best beach in Protaras and all of Cyprus. One of the best hotels in Protaras.
- Evalena Beach Hotel — a great hotel on the first line of the sea, near the city beach of Protaras. Slightly cheaper than the previous options, with almost the same comfort.
- Coralli Spa Resort – a good hotel near the best beach in Protaras, Fig Tree Beach.
- Crystal Springs Beach Hotel – a very beautiful and well-maintained hotel, with a green area and lots of flowers even in the summer heat, located right on Vrisoudia Beach in Protaras.
Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is Cyprus’s main beach resort, offering the best beaches on the island. It also has the best nightlife, with excellent bars and restaurants that serve delicious food. The resort boasts a beautiful promenade and marina surrounded by cafes and restaurants, a seaside promenade, and an atmosphere of relaxation and fun.
Who is Ayia Napa for? For everyone who loves white sandy beaches, nightlife, and partying. There are also many vacationers with small children who prefer the Macrinos Beach area on the outskirts of Ayia Napa.
The center of nightlife is the famous Ayia Napa bar street and Nissi Beach. These locations are quite distant from each other. It’s easy to get from one area of Ayia Napa to another by taxi or city bus 101.
Where to stay in Ayia Napa:
- Aktea Beach Village — a great place for a family holiday, 300 meters from the hotel is the famous Nissi Beach, and the center of Ayia Napa is a 15-minute walk along the sea. Optimal in terms of price-quality ratio.
- NissiBlu Beach Resort — a new, cool beach hotel near the best beach in Ayia Napa, Nissi Beach.
- Melissi Beach Hotel & Spa — right on the beach, this is an excellent hotel with a spa and pools. A classic resort hotel like those you might see in Turkey, for example. It’s easy to walk to the center of Ayia Napa if you want to go to a restaurant or bar or just stroll along the seaside promenade.
- River View Boutique Apts — a pleasant apartment hotel near the city center, marina, and beach. It’s a 10-minute walk to the beach. I stayed here in 2019.
- Myriama Apartments — inexpensive, pleasant apartments, conveniently located for walking to the beaches, the club part of Ayia Napa, and the city center. Everything is within a 15-minute walk. I’ve stayed here twice.
Larnaca
Larnaca is the first city you see when you arrive in Cyprus. It’s a beautiful town with a historic center, a fortress, and the Finikoudes promenade lined with palm trees and a wide beach. The beaches in Larnaca are mediocre, appealing mainly to small children and their mothers, as the sea is shallow. You’ll need to walk 70-100 meters to reach deeper water.
Adults in Larnaca will appreciate the vacation prices, the number of bars and restaurants, two promenades, and the opportunities for tourism and excursions. You can easily reach Ayia Napa and Protaras by Intercity bus, with a stop right on the promenade.
I recommend renting a car to explore the surroundings. Larnaca is excellent for day trips to the mountains, beautiful beaches, the capital Nicosia, and picturesque villages.
Larnaca is the third-largest city in Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol.
Where to stay in Larnaca:
- Lebay Beach Hotel — located away from the center of Larnaca, on the coast – first line. It has a beautiful area and access to a private beach. I recommend it if relaxation and staying by the sea are your priorities. Renting a car solves the problem of excursions and trips to other beaches like Ayia Napa and Protaras, for example.
- Best Western Plus Larco Hotel — a good tourist-class hotel with a pool and good breakfast, recently renovated after being purchased by the Best Western chain. We also stayed here for a few days. It’s a 15-minute walk along the sea to the center of Larnaca. A car is needed to explore the surroundings. The airport is nearby, and you can walk there in an hour if you wish.
- Le Voyageur — an excellent option for tourist accommodation in the center of Larnaca. Suitable for those who only sleep at the hotel and spend the day exploring the island and its beaches. It’s also great for city walks, with everything nearby.
- Quattro Beachfront Sea View Ap 34 — a budget option with a sea view, spacious apartments near the city center and the beach.
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus after Nicosia, and it’s the cultural and business center of the island. It has the best infrastructure, the most expensive housing, and almost everything is modern and new.
Limassol is located on the southern coast of Cyprus, halfway between Larnaca and Paphos.
Limassol is a great city to live in, but beach vacations here aren’t the best. There are a few decent beaches in the Limassol area – Governor’s Beach and the beach at the village of Pissouri.
Limassol is convenient for traveling inland to the mountain villages and wineries.
Limassol is popular with package tourists, mainly because there are more hotels catering to that type of vacation.
Where to stay in Limassol:
- Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol — a relatively expensive beach hotel with pools, restaurants, and excellent service, 9 km from the city center.
- GrandResort by Leonardo Hotels — another great resort hotel option in Limassol, with its own beach, a cozy restaurant, and a beautiful area. It’s also family-oriented.
- Harmony Bay Hotel – a hotel by the sea in Limassol.
- The Jolo – excellent, spacious, and stylish apartments 200 meters from the sea. Budget-friendly and very good for both beach vacations and exploring the surroundings.
Paphos
Paphos is the westernmost resort of southern Cyprus, competing with Ayia Napa. It has its own small international airport, with many low-cost flights arriving. There are also beaches, and they’re quite good. Paphos’s highlight is a long seaside promenade stretching for several kilometers. Paphos has many natural attractions as well as historical sites related to Cyprus’s history. Additionally, Paphos is a convenient base for exploring the Troodos mountains, small picturesque villages, and wineries.
Paphos is much more interesting than all the other resorts from a cultural perspective.
The best beach in Paphos is Coral Bay, and nearby in the mountains is Cyprus’s main shrine — the Kykkos Monastery. The Paphos area is also home to the best wineries in Cyprus and the wild coastline of the Akamas Peninsula, where sea turtles choose to lay their eggs.
There’s plenty of quality accommodation in and around Paphos, from luxury spa hotels by the sea to budget apartments or small hotels for the middle class near the beach.
Consider Paphos if you’re looking for a rich cultural program combined with a beach holiday.
I recommend these hotels in Paphos:
- Coral Bay Sunlove Villa – a hotel near the best beach in Paphos.
- Avanti Holiday Village – a very cozy villa near the village of Geroskipou on the shore near the beach of the same name, part of greater Paphos, though far from the center.
- Rododafni Beach Apartments — a well-priced apartment hotel right by the sea. It has its own small beach, pool, and seaside promenade. Many attractions are nearby.
- Panklitos Apartment – inexpensive, cozy tourist apartments with a pool, a 30-minute walk from the center of Paphos. It’s far from the sea, so it’s suitable for those with a car who want to explore the Paphos area and drive around Cyprus.
To summarize:
If you’re only interested in a beach holiday with lively nightlife, choose Ayia Napa. If you’re vacationing with your family, need beaches and occasional excursions, choose Protaras or Paralimni. All three resorts are close to each other and conveniently connected by bus 101/102, with a fare of 1.5 euros.
Between Protaras and Ayia Napa is Cape Greco, where you must witness the sunrise and visit the sea caves. There’s also the Blue Lagoon with its azure water.
If you’re looking for more attractions, wineries, and beaches, choose Paphos. There are hotels for every taste and budget there. Combine your beach holiday with seaside walks and trips to wineries and mountain villages.
Larnaca is ideal if you’re on a budget; in this case, renting a car and exploring the surroundings is advisable. There are several excellent hotels and villas for family holidays with children near Larnaca. Larnaca is also good for a couple of days’ transit.
Limassol is the choice if urban comfort and expensive hotels are your priority. Many package tours are sold to this city as well. I’m not very fond of Limassol as a holiday destination.
Lesser-Known Resorts in Cyprus
If you’ve already visited Ayia Napa, Protaras, Paphos, and Limassol in Cyprus, I recommend lesser-known mini-resorts like the village of Pissouri and its beach, or the village of Latchi and the town of Polis with their surroundings – they’re located near Paphos. You’ll enjoy the uncrowded beaches, great natural spots, and cultural programs.
Where to find hotels or apartments in Cyprus
We use the following booking systems for accommodation in Cyprus: Booking.com – Cyprus – a familiar and convenient site with the most comprehensive coverage of hotels and apartments.
How to Rent a Car in Cyprus
After several years of traveling to this island, we found the best service and now use the LocalRent website, which brings together trusted local rental companies in Cyprus. The site’s strengths are reliability, a good selection of cars, clear prices, support in Russian, 24/7 communication via Viber, options without a deposit, and flexible delivery and booking options.
We rented both budget cars like Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta, Fiat, as well as more expensive options like Audi A4.
I recommend reading the guide on How to Rent a Car in Cyprus – it’s straightforward and clear.
How to Buy a Cheap Flight Ticket to Cyprus
I use the Aviasales service. There I find the cheapest tickets, using the low-price map, which helps me plan my vacation because it’s convenient and reliable in the end. You can use the low-price calendar to find tickets – just enter your departure-arrival points and choose a date with the best price.
Airport Transfer in Cyprus
Cyprus is a top summer destination, and it’s common for taxi drivers at the airport to raise prices for their services. Moreover, most of them don’t have child car seats, as they take up the space of an adult passenger. Because of this, tourists with children often have to run around the airport looking for a free car with a child seat. Transporting children without a car seat is prohibited in Cyprus.
Both of these “problems” are easily solved. Transfers, both individual and group, can be booked online. You can also choose an option with a child seat. You won’t have to overpay taxi drivers, and there will be no issues with child safety.
It’s all very simple. After placing an order, a driver with a sign displaying your name will meet you. Right after exiting the arrival hall, you get into the car and head to your hotel.
Find transfer options in Cyprus >>
Useful links:
- Hotel Bookin — Booking.com
- Flight tickets — Aviasales
- Car rental — Local Rent
- Travel insurance — Hotline Finance
