Why

Cyprus has good variety on a single island and is a great family destination with great beaches, weather and scenery for a fun filed family holiday and some good autumn sun in October and November but not much later. Tour Operator access direct from Dublin may be an issue this year as the winter service has been curtailed.

Ringed by coastal valleys and inviting beaches, it offers layer upon layer of beauty, culture and history for all to discover. The typically Mediterranean landscape is still blessed with the timeless beauty of antiquity. The Southern part is certainly more developed and the North of Cyprus still has sleepy towns and deserted beaches where turtles still nest. There are gleaming white deserted beaches on the West with conservation strongly supporting the endangered green turtle.

Paphos, a bustling town on the western coast, manages to balance the rich air of an ancient past with the lively atmosphere of a cosmopolitan town. In sun-drenched squares, lively bars and local markets rub shoulders with archaeological ruins, whilst further south, Limassol presents a modern city with the Troodos Mountains as a backdrop and a coastline that stretches for more than ten miles.

For those who seek some peace and calm, the quieter village of Polis and home of the Anassa hotel, a little further north along the coast, might be the ideal location with its lovely cafes and welcoming restaurants. If you want some quiet you are best to stay away from Ayia Napa for your family holiday.

When and how

Cyprus’s Southern Mediterranean location means that the climate can be perfect outside of the peak summer months when it can get very hot. It has a longer season than most sun resorts and you can get great weather as late as October.

There are two airports Paphos and Larnaca airport and new flights may be opening up to the North of the Island. You can check scheduled and budget flights here.Tour Operators may also offer charter flights.

From Ireland tour operator packages with companies include those from Sunway, Directholidays.ie and Panorama. From the UK Kuoni and Soverign both have good family focussed products and provide a good family service.

You should hire a car to see the best of the island and you can get car hire here.

Family Friendly Accommodation

There are lots of options for family friendly accommodation and you can book great value special offers and deals here with booking.com for a good range of family accommodation. You can search for family rooms and apartments which is a great feature. You can read reviews by families who have actually stayed there by category such as families with young children or older children.

For self catering and family villas you can have a look at who offer great family villas and often have special offers and deals.

Le Meridian Limassol is surrounded by 100,000 square metres of colourful gardens and this self-contained resort boasts the largest guest rooms on the island for a luxurious experience. For kids the Penguin Village is dedicated to children with 2,500 square metres of fun, such as a mini football pitch, bouncy castle, swimming pool, mini amphitheatre and climbing frames. Themed activities include pebble painting, cowboys & Indians and a talent show. Children under three are catered for with a fully supervised creche and enclosed play area indoors and out. Teenagers will make the most of Leisure Land and the Fever Disco. Leisure Land is specially designed for teenagers and adults with four tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, football pitch, mini golf, pool tables, table tennis, archery, badminton, table football, air hockey, bicycles for adults and kids, as well as the unique four-lane "Atlantis" Bowling Centre.

Le Spa is only one of its kind in Europe, a unique thalassotherapy experience with four outdoor and three indoor seawater pools and was awarded the World’s Leading Spa Resort for 3 years in a row from the World Travel Awards. The health and fitness club includes a heated indoor pool, sauna, whirlpool, and steam bath, as well as a well-equipped gym with aerobic and yoga classes. Scuba-diving with PADI instructors and water sports such as waterskiing, windsurfing, paragliding, snorkelling, canoeing, jet-skiing, and sailing are also available at the beach.  Book this for special offers and deals here with booking.com.

The Four Seasons Limassol has great facilities for a family holiday. Families can stay in studios or suites and there are good sports facilities including pools, tennis courts, a gym and indoor heated sea-water pool with sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. Children 3-8 years are well catered for with an indoor kindergarten and a children’s pool with a waterslide. 7-13 year olds have a kids club during school holidays. A Teens Club also operates in August. You can book this with Sunway  and Kuoni who feature this resort.

The Anassa hotel enjoys a stunning location on the unspoilt northwest coast of the island and offers elegant and refined spaces in which to relax. The guestrooms are located in the main building or in one of the individual residences that are dotted around the immaculately landscaped gardens. The family studios provide excellent and spacious accommodation with the one-bedroom studios sleeping up to two adults and two children and interconnecting rooms are also available.

The Dolphines Club is open from April to October for children aged from four to eleven where they can enjoy an extensive range of activities such as cooking, painting, games and off-site excursions. Guests can make use of a number of complimentary water sports such as parasailing, canoeing, windsurfing and jet skiing. A fine array of health and beauty treatments are offered in the breathtaking Thalassa Spa. Children can benefit from early dining times and will enjoy the choice offered by the specially designed children’s menu. This is an excellent and luxurious resort that is ideal for relaxation and pampering as well as an excellent selection of children’s activities. This was recently named as one of the top ten beach hotels by Conde Nast Traveller and you can book this here with Kuoni.

The Almyra is set in colourful landscaped gardens with views of the sea and the castle at Paphos. This beautiful haven of luxury also boasts unbeatable facilities for families. Whatever the age of your children, Almyra has the great entertainment. It has a Baby Creche and Smiling Dolphin Kiddies and there are exciting activities on offer as well as thoughtful touches like billowing awnings to provide shade as children play. Activities include themed days, sports tuition and craft workshops. Sports facilities include pools, tennis, table-tennis and gymnasium. At the beach you can try windsurfing and parascending. You can book this here with Kuoni.

What to do with the kids

The main draw will be the great beaches and the fine weather and sporting facilities but if you can drag the kids away consider these suggestions.

Hire a car and explore the fine sandy beaches and coves and perhaps spot some turtles. Take local and conservation advice before you go.

Go walking in the Troodos Massif which is superb especially in spring.

In the mountains you can try rock-climbing, mountain-biking and horse-riding.

Take a jeep trip to visit the Akamas Peninsula which is rugged and unspolit with sleepy fishing villages and Gorge walks.

Visit the donkey sanctuary near Limassol.

Take a trip to the Kolossi Castle which is famous for its mosaics and is supposed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite.

Cool off in the three waterparks - Aphrodite, Waterworld and Fasouri water marina water parks all on the Island.

Take a trip to the unspoilt North of Cyprus.

Have a go at go-karting in Ayia Napa, Polis and Eirmi.

Visit the Mazotos camel farm.

Visit the Unesco World Heritage site the Tombs of the Kings which is just outside Paphos and has well preserved tombs.

Scuba-diving with PADI instructors and water sports such as waterskiing, windsurfing, paragliding, snorkelling, canoeing, jet-skiing and sailing are all available at the beaches around the Island.

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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