Cyprus travel guides

Cyprus splits neatly into a handful of holiday bases. The east (Protaras and Ayia Napa) has the sandiest beaches and the clearest shallow water. The west (Paphos) mixes archaeology, sunsets and large resort hotels. Limassol sits in the middle with the strongest food scene and a long urban seafront, while Larnaca is the most practical short-stay base thanks to the airport. Nicosia, inland, is the cultural capital.

If it is your first trip and you want a classic beach holiday, choose Protaras or Ayia Napa. If you want variety, sightseeing and a slower pace, choose Paphos. If you want restaurants, bars and a city feel with the sea nearby, choose Limassol.

Protaras wins on beaches: Fig Tree Bay and the surrounding coves are shallow, sheltered and sandy, and the resort centre is compact enough to walk. Paphos wins on variety: an archaeological park, a harbour, mountain villages within reach and a much larger choice of big resort hotels.

Transfers matter too. Paphos is roughly 15 minutes from Paphos Airport, while Protaras is about 50 minutes from Larnaca Airport. Families with small children often prefer Protaras; travellers who want sightseeing as well as swimming often prefer Paphos.

Protaras is the most common family recommendation because of its calm, shallow bays and walkable centre. Ayia Napa also has excellent family beaches — just choose a hotel away from the main square if you want quiet evenings.

Paphos suits families who want a resort with entertainment plus sightseeing, and Larnaca works well for short family trips with a very short transfer from the airport.

Couples usually look for three things in Cyprus: sunsets, quiet and a sea view. The west coast around Paphos delivers all three, and there is a good supply of adults-only resorts and spa hotels.

For something quieter still, look at the coast between Limassol and Paphos, or the calmer edges of Protaras away from the main strip.

Larnaca and Limassol are the easiest car-free bases: both are walkable, with taxis and buses covering most of what you need. Central Protaras also works if your hotel is near Fig Tree Bay.

Paphos is more spread out, so hotels outside the harbour area can feel isolated without a car. If you plan to visit the Troodos mountains or Akamas peninsula, renting a car for a day or two is usually simpler than public transport.

The best sand is in the east: Nissi Beach, Makronissos, Fig Tree Bay and Konnos Bay all have pale sand and clear, calm water. The west has more dramatic, rockier coastline with sandy pockets such as Coral Bay.

Limassol and Larnaca have long, convenient town beaches, but the sand is darker and coarser than in the east.