Family Travel | Cyprus
We’ve been talking about Cyprus on and off for ages now. It’s got everything you’d want from a family trip on paper reliable sunshine, proper history, beaches that actually look like the photos, and a food scene the kids won’t turn their noses up at, but I always had this nagging feeling we didn’t really know what was there beyond the obvious stuff. So I went away and properly looked into it, and it turns out the island is hiding a lot more than its reputation suggests.
So whether you fancy a proper family week, a quieter break as a couple, or a trip where exploring is actually the point rather than the sunlounger (no judgement either way!), here’s everything we’d want to fit in.
Paphos isn’t just about that famous rock
Everyone’s heard of Paphos, but I don’t think people give it enough credit. There’s Aphrodite’s Rock, obviously that striking sea stack just off the coastal road, tied to the legend of where the goddess was supposedly born and it’s a lovely stop, particularly if you time it for sunset.
But what we’d actually be most excited about is the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park. It’s UNESCO-listed and home to some of the best-preserved Roman mosaics I’ve come across, intricate mythological scenes from the 3rd century AD that have somehow held up beautifully over the centuries. There’s also a 2nd-century amphitheatre, the Odeon, which still puts on shows in the summer months, the kind of thing I reckon the boys would be retelling for weeks. I’d give Paphos a whole day: the park in the morning, lunch by the harbour, then a potter around the old castle once the heat eases off.
Nicosia: a capital split in two
This one took me completely by surprise when I read into it properly. Nicosia is the only capital in the entire world that’s still split by an actual physical border the Green Line, a UN-controlled zone cutting straight through the middle, with the Republic of Cyprus on one side and the Turkish-administered north on the other. You can genuinely walk between the two through the Ledra Street crossing point, as long as you’ve got your passport or EU ID on you.
The historic centre is enclosed by Venetian walls that have survived remarkably well an 11-bastion ring built back in the 1500s. Within those walls you’ll find the Cyprus Museum, which has a really impressive haul of ancient artefacts, and the Selimiye Mosque, a former Gothic cathedral that became a mosque under Ottoman rule and is fascinating just to look at. The streets themselves change feel completely as you move from one side to the other it makes history feel close up rather than something behind glass. We’d budget half a day at minimum, though a full day wouldn’t go to waste.
Don’t sleep on the Troodos Mountains
Confession time: I had no idea Cyprus had proper mountains until I started planning this. The Troodos range climbs to almost 2,000 metres at Mount Olympus, high enough to get snow in winter, and a genuine relief from the heat if you visit in summer and the coast gets too much.
The mountain villages are gorgeous. Omodos has a monastery and the loveliest little lace shops. Lefkara’s known for its embroidery and silver work. Kakopetria has old stone houses lining a river that look like they’ve simply always been there. There are also ten Byzantine churches up here with UNESCO World Heritage status, some with frescoes going back to the 11th century still visible on the walls and ceilings. You’d need to hire a car and allow roughly 90 minutes from Larnaca, but it’s a brilliant change of scenery from the beach.
Give Larnaca more than a passing glance
Nearly everyone touches down at Larnaca Airport and heads somewhere else straight away. I get why, but it really is worth lingering. There’s the Finikoudes promenade along the seafront, lined with palm trees, perfect for an evening walk, plus the Church of Saint Lazarus in the old town (built, the story goes, over the actual tomb of the biblical Lazarus, who reportedly spent his final years here as a bishop) and a medieval fort right by the water.
A little further along, the Larnaka Salt Lake is one of those surprises nobody warns you about. Come winter, it floods and draws in thousands of flamingos genuinely pink, genuinely there, not something you’d expect on a Mediterranean island. The Hala Sultan Tekke mosque sits right at its edge and is one of the more significant Islamic sites in the region. And for anyone in the family who dives, the Zenobia, a Swedish ferry that went down on its very first voyage back in 1980, lies just offshore and is rated among the best wreck dives anywhere. Even the boys, who can’t dive yet, would be hooked on that story.
Larnaca makes such a sensible base, and if that’s the plan, Golden Bay Beach Hotel sits right on the seafront there. Five stars, four restaurants, a spa, and a kids’ club — there’s a bit of everything. Booking direct gets you the best rate, and you can do that at goldenbay.com.cy.
Protaras for the best of the east coast
If Cyprus isn’t your first trip, or you’re after something a touch quieter than the bigger resorts with beaches to match, Protaras on the eastern side of the island is a real treat. Everything I’ve read says the water out there is some of the clearest in the whole Mediterranean proper turquoise, the sort you have to see for yourself to really believe.
Fig Tree Bay is the one everyone talks about: a sweep of soft sand, shallow water, and a little island just offshore you can swim out to. It does get popular in high season but there’s enough space to go round. Just south of it, Cape Greco National Forest Park has sea caves cut into limestone, coastal footpaths, and cliffs dropping straight into clear water, easily a whole morning’s exploring. There are also boat trips running from the newer Protaras Marina now, taking you along the coast to the caves and over toward Ayia Napa’s Blue Lagoon. An afternoon on the water sounds exactly like our kind of day.
Right on the Protaras beachfront, Golden Coast Beach Hotel has direct access to Louma Beach, Blue Flag accredited and lovely and shallow, ideal if you’ve got younger children with you. There’s also a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, padel courts, and a kids’ club. Book directly at goldencoast.com.cy.
Crossing over to Famagusta
This one needs a bit more forward planning, you’ll cross the Green Line with your passport and find yourself in the Turkish-administered north but Famagusta is unlike anything else on the island. The old town is wrapped in Venetian walls that are among the best-kept in the entire Eastern Mediterranean. Inside, there’s a Gothic cathedral converted into a mosque under Ottoman rule that still reads as a cathedral from the outside, and the citadel that’s often said to have inspired the setting of Shakespeare’s Othello.
Then there’s Varosha, a resort district that was simply abandoned after 1974 and left exactly as it was: hotel signage still standing, streets empty for decades on end. Parts of it have only recently reopened to visitors, and it’s the sort of place that quietly sticks with you afterwards. Famagusta’s roughly an hour’s drive from Larnaca.
A handful of practical bits
Cyprus drives on the left, which always feels like a small mercy when you’re coming from the UK. The distances are friendlier than the map makes them look, Larnaca to Paphos is under two hours, Larnaca to Nicosia is about 45 minutes, and Larnaca to Protaras is the same. You’ll need a hire car to get beyond your base, but the roads are decent and clearly signposted.
The best time to go is May, June, September, or October, plenty warm enough for the beach and for sightseeing, without the full force of July and August, when the coast regularly hits the high 30s. If you do end up travelling at peak summer, the Troodos Mountains are your escape route, noticeably cooler and a totally different feel from the coast.
On food, stick to wherever the locals are eating and you won’t go wrong. The halloumi lives up to every bit of its hype. The meze is brilliant for families too, a spread of small dishes means there’s bound to be something everyone’s happy with. And the wine is properly good, especially the reds coming out of the Troodos villages.
Cyprus has genuinely jumped up our travel list since I started looking into all this. It feels like a place that gives back to anyone willing to go beyond the resort strip, and with the right base to come back to each evening, that’s an easy thing to do.
For the Larnaca seafront: goldenbay.com.cy. For Protaras: goldencoast.com.cy.