Playtime in Protaras Cyprus
It’s no surprise to learn that Cyprus is one of the Mediterranean’s most popular holiday destinations when you realise just what the island has to offer – 340 days of sunshine a year, a heritage dating back to 7000BC, impressive archaeological sites plus plenty of lively touristy hotspots. With so many assets, who wouldn’t want to take a private villa holiday on this Mediterranean island? Renowned for its friendliness to visitors, the island is also blessed with a plethora of quality holiday rental villas and apartments – ideal for family holidays in Cyprus, a firm favourite with British families on the hunt for a typical Cyprus beach holiday with plenty of activities.
One of the most popular tourist areas in Cyprus is vibrant Protaras – it boasts a calm and crystal-clear sea and is protected from the wind. There you will find a great choice of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, and a lovely sandy beach in Fig Tree Bay which stretches along the coast for miles. There is a huge choice of restaurants in Protaras to choose from including Italian, Indian and Thai, but definitely not to be missed are the open air seafood restaurants where the freshly grilled fish are some of the best you’ll savour.
The beaches in Protaras are amongst the best in Cyprus too, so the area is a Mecca for tourists and Cypriots alike especially at weekends, so you’ll also find plenty of watersports to choose from including paragliding, jet-skiing, diving, windsurfing and waterskiing. Should you want to “get away from it all” for a day, head north to explore isolated coves and south for snorkelling or diving around the rocky coastline. As for shopping in this part of Cyprus, you’ll find the best bargains in designer merchandise (tax free prices) in nearby Agia Napa, as well as some good jewellery and leather buys.
As for activities in Cyprus for children, take them to the water slides and pools in the Ancient Greece-themed Aqua Park with aptly-named features – Poseidon’s Wave Pool, Aphrodite’s Bath, and the Odyssey River. Kids will also love the larger amusement park in nearby Agia Napa which features attractions for children aged from toddlers to teens.
Diving around the east coast of Cyprus is the bees knees… the beaches are surrounded by reefs, caves and canyons where you’ll discover a diverse range of colourful fish. Experienced scuba divers will find diving beyond the reefs even more exciting – expect schools of barracudas; needlefish, underwater pinnacles and the largest wreck in the Mediterranean.
Protaras is set up with excellent self catering accommodation including luxury villas with private pools, cheaper apartments and a range of hotels along the beach.
You might be wondering when would be the best time to visit Cyprus… you’d better bear in mind that summers are pretty hot from May until October, after which the island cools down. There’s still lots of sun between October and December though, and little rain, and if you visit Cyprus in December and January you will enjoy an average of about six hours of sunshine a day.