We moved to the city of Limassol in May 2021. It is the second largest city in Cyprus, as well as the most modern, and most expensive one. Since we moved here, many new restaurants, cafes, and shops have opened, and luxury towers have been built and boutique hotels have opened. In addition, a deep-water port was established here, one that allows the docking of cruise ships, and last year the resort with the largest casino in Europe was opened. The city is constantly developing and has become a perfect vacation destination. If you are coming to Limassol with children, I wrote a detailed guide with recommendations on Limassol with children.

Tips before flying to Limassol

SIM abroad

I personally recommend using an eSIM, which is an electronic SIM, and highly recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of a SIM card abroad as well as about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for Airalo to purchase an eSIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. You’ll see it at

How do you get to Limassol?

There is no airport in Limassol. It is located between Paphos and Larnaca (a 50-minute drive from each), so you can land in either one of those cities and take a taxi, bus or rent a car and get to Limassol. 

Where to stay in Limassol? Recommended hotels in Limassol

I wrote a detailed post with all my recommendations for hotels and resorts in Limassol.

Car rental in Limassol

There is no convenient public transportation in Limassol and in Cyprus in general. For those who only come for a backpacking vacation, the buses and taxis will provide a good enough solution, but if you also want to travel, I personally recommend renting a car. It is true that you drive on the opposite side here, but as someone who lives here, I can say that you get used to it quickly. You can search for a car in the Israeli search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies. I wrote an extended post on the whole subject of car rentals abroad and I recommend reading it especially if this is your first car rental.

Combined shopping and cafes

The easiest way is to put the NYX hotel in Google Maps.

And already there to start with a coffee and from there go out the side door straight to the shopping street Anexartisias Street, where you will find shops of local and international brands such as H&M, Zara, Mango and more…

And if you feel like buying cute things, you will also find the Flying Tiger store there.
I personally also like the Greek clothing brand BSB, especially their summer collection.

Additional and recommended coffee stops on Anexartisias Street are:

1. Stories Cafe, that specializes in coffee and fresh croissants as well as in surprising flavors such as mango and berries.
2. Astry Cafe, that specializes in coffee, bread, pastries and delicious desserts.

In addition, it is recommended to turn in the alleys so you can reach boutique fashion and jewelry stores (put Agiou Andreou Street in Google Maps).

If you are looking for more brand fashion stores, you can go to the MyMall mall, which I will detail later.
You can get there by taxi or bus line 30 (in front of the NYX hotel there is a bus stop).
And if you are looking for toys, gifts, household items and more, there are two branches of the Jumbo chain in Limassol.

Lady’s Mile

If you want to really feel like you’re on vacation in Limassol, then you have to go to the Lady’s Mile area (relatively close to the mall and the COD resort), it’s an area of a stunning beach and all along it there are different restaurants with sunbeds, food, and an amazing atmosphere. We personally really like Columbia Sun, which is relatively new and has pampering sunbeds and a luxurious atmosphere (and so are the prices :))

Casino

A year ago, a resort with the largest casino in Europe was opened in Limassol – the City of Dreams resort. I haven’t had the chance to go to the casino yet, but the novel has. This is a really big and well-invested casino. You get free drinks (no food). The entrance is open to everyone, even those who are not guests of the hotel.

Taverns with live music

I haven’t had the chance to be in a tavern with live music yet, but when my mother was here with friends, they went to the Nefeli Tavern and had a great time. They said that the food wasn’t very successful but there was a really good and happy atmosphere. In addition, there is also the Mageirio Tavern, which also has good recommendations.

Please note: the taverns are only open on Friday and Saturday evenings and reservations must be made in advance (it is advisable to reserve a place at least a week in advance). Both taverns are located in the old town.

Promenade and marina

The promenade of Limassol is 15 km long. At one end you will find the luxury hotels like Parkalne and Amara and at the other end the marina. Almost the entire length of the boardwalk has bike and walking tracks as well as bike rental stations along the way. In addition, there is the line 30 bus that starts from the Parklane Hotel and continues to the port, the marina, and then to the mall. Along the boardwalk you will find various stands of coffee or natural juices and in the marina area there are many restaurants and bars. In the area close to the marina called Molos you will also find several large playgrounds and a wide area of the boardwalk where the children can ride scooters.

The old City

From the marina area you can also go to the old city, which is charming in my eyes and especially worth visiting in the evening. It has stunning alleys and lots of bars and restaurants. Our favorite bar there is Da Vinci, but if you just want a coffee or something to drink then the Novak Bar Cafe (new place) is a great option, or if you are looking for a special restaurant you have the TIO restaurant, and a modern and new Mexican restaurant is also recommended.

Mymall mall

I don’t like shopping malls but I know many others do 🙂 It is important to know that in Limassol there is only one shopping mall called Mymall. It is relatively large and has many fashion brands, sports stores, and more. Downstairs there is also an ice skating rink and a children’s playground and game machines. On the top floor you will find several restaurants including TGI, McDonald’s and Ocean Basket (a local seafood chain). You can get to the mall on line 30 by bus, taxi or car (there is a huge free parking lot there).

Coffee shops

There are a lot of cafes in Limassol, but it is hard to say that they are all good. So I will give you a list of the cafes that I like the most and that have the best coffee in Limassol.

Our regular café, La Barista – excellent coffee, some desserts and pastries baked on the premises and the owner of the café, Tony, is really charming.

Inex Cafe – cafe and bike shop with good coffee, some desserts and sandwiches and has a breakfast and lunch menu.

The Cookhouse Cafe – excellent coffee and really delicious breakfasts, also suitable for lunch and dinner (I love their quinoa salad).

Stories Cafe – great coffee and fresh croissants

Espresso Drops Cafe – outdoor cafe with good coffee, really tasty sandwiches and burgers

The Shopkeeper Cafe – great coffee and a menu with light food.

Nomad Bread Cafe – they have several branches – good coffee, great desserts (also for those looking for healthy options), delicious breads and good sandwiches.

Cafe Toucan – great coffee and a menu for breakfast and lunch – I love their Sirenki (Russian cheese pancake) and their sausage sandwich.

Uluwatu Specialty Coffee – excellent coffee for takeaway and some options for healthy desserts and sandwiches.

Bike & Bean Coffee Station – great coffee and some healthy desserts and sandwiches as well as a bowl of muesli or acai. There are a few individual places to sit outside.

Picture above : La Barista Cafe

Wagmi Cafe – a great new cafe for people looking to work from a cafe. It has seating for working on the laptop. There is great coffee, desserts and food and it is open every day from 07:00-22:00. Directions.

Recommended breakfasts and brunches

We have found several places with breakfast that we really liked, some in cafes, some in restaurants, and some in hotels. I wrote a detailed post about all the recommendations for breakfasts and brunches in Limassol.

If you are in the old city area, I recommend the breakfast at Jam Limassol.
If you are in the city center, then Cookhouse.
If you are on the boardwalk in the resort area, then Malindi.

You are also welcome to take a look at my Instagram because I share quite a lot about restaurants and cafes in Cyprus and maybe there will be something that will catch your eye there, but which I haven’t had time to update in the blog yet.

Recommended restaurants

Limassol and Cyprus in general are a bit stuck in the ‘80s but the whole culinary world is improving day by day on the island and new restaurants of a higher standard are opening all the time. There are some excellent Asian restaurants, Israeli restaurants, local Greek restaurants, Mediterranean restaurants, gourmet restaurants, and more… I wrote a detailed post with the recommended restaurants in Limassol. If I have to choose one worthwhile meal, it would be at the Dionysus Mansion restaurant, a Greek restaurant in the old city that never disappoints (I really like its dishes).

If you are looking for a Meze meal (a Cypriot meal in which first courses and many meat or fish dishes are served) then the most recommended restaurant for this is called Meze tavern. We tried the fish market there and really liked it. It is important to reserve a place in advance because there are not many places there.

Places to see in Limassol

Prastio Waterfall

The Prastio Waterfall is recommended mainly in the rainy season, but even when there is no water in the waterfall, it is nice to walk there. You can only get there by car or taxi and it’s about a 20 minute drive from the city center. It is a beautiful area for nature for those who want to do a hiking trail. Just note that there are areas with spikes, so it’s worth coming with comfortable shoes and no socks. You cannot travel there with a stroller, so if you come with a baby, bring a carrier. During the rainy season there is a sandwich truck and an ice cream truck, but when there is no water in the waterfall, there isn’t much to eat in this area.

Yaramsoya Dam

The Yaramsoya Dam area is one of our favorite areas in Limassol. A beautiful and calm place. In principle, you are allowed to enter the water, but the locals warn of eddies. If you want to take a little walk here – put this location or if you want to have a picnic, put this location .

The White Stones

The White Cliffs – we came to this place by chance and were really fascinated by it. This is an area of ​​natural white cliffs with small bays from which you can enter the water and in addition there is a huge tavern nearby, Agios Georgios Alamanou Fish Tavern is very suitable for families and groups, because there are large plates of meat and fish and a large variety of foods. The tavern is really suitable for those who come with children, because there is an area with trampolines and some games for children.

Villages in the district of Limassol and the surrounding area

Our favorite villages in my area of Limassol: a distance of between 10-20-minutes-drive are

Kalavasos – a magical village with three taverns and a boutique hotel.

Trocni – a medieval-looking village with two excellent restaurants.

Fasoula – a village with a beautiful monastery and a really good tavern.

Zigi – a fishing village with many fish taverns and a special nursery.

You can find all the details in the post about the villages and trips in Limassol.

Castles

In the old city area you will find a medieval castle which is now used as a medieval museum. If you are already in the area of the old city, I recommend going into the castle for a visit of about an hour. This is a nice activity for children, too. Arrival instructions.

Kolossi Castle was originally built in the 13th century, and rebuilt in its current form in the 15th century.
Near the castle are the ruins of a sugar mill from the 14th century. Arrival instructions.

Museums

The Museum of Illusions in the marina area. A great activity with children that lasts around an hour – an hour and a half. A relatively small museum but there are all kinds of interactive illusions for children. You can also ask the employees there for help to understand how to see the illusion properly. It’s also nice because you get great photos for the children’s souvenirs.

Link to purchase tickets

Car Museum – a museum dedicated to collector cars and classic cars, including a Ford Model T from the beginning of the 20th century. Arrival instructions. If you are a car lover then you will be happy to come to the Historical and Classic Museum of Cyprus, a place where you can admire the most magnificent classic vehicles of all ages. Since its opening in February 2014, the Cyprus Historic and Classic Car Museum remains the only automotive museum in Cyprus.

Water park in Limassol

One of the most fun attractions in Limassol for both children and adults. I have both gone there alone with Roman and of course with the children as well. The park is large, with many slides, and facilities for both children and adults. There is a wave pool and a slow tube course that is perfect even with babies (note that in the middle there is a small waterfall in a cave and there are children who might be frightened by it). There is a fast food restaurant and an Italian restaurant with pasta and pizza, there is a cafe, a Cinnabon stand, an ice cream and coffee stand, and lockers. Most of the time the water park is not busy and if you come in the middle of the week, there are no queues at all.

There are slides with tubes and slides with a mattress.

To purchase water park tickets

Free stuff to do in Limassol

Beaches – if you don’t sit on sunbeds that are paid for, you can be on the beaches for free.

Walk around the old city, the marina and the promenade.

Playgrounds: the recommended ones are: Desudi Beach (directions), Petite Plage (directions), Molos (directions), the Municipal Garden (directions).

Take a walk in the villages and in the area of the dam.

Castles and the archaeological site of Amethos – these are not free but the entrance costs only a few euros so I put them on the list as well.

Amethos archaeological site

Archaeological site of one of the oldest royal cities of Cyprus. The city was destroyed by an earthquake and now there are only remains discovered in archaeological excavations. According to mythology, the site was founded by King Kiniras. Entrance Entrance costs 2.5 euros

In winter the opening hours are from 08:00-17:00 and in summer 08:00-19:30.

You can get there by bike, bus, taxi or on foot. It is 2 km from the hotel I recommended or 11 km from the center (the old city).
Arrival instructions.

Zoo and municipal garden

In the center of Limassol you can find a small zoo with a cafe in the middle of it and next to it there is a city park with a large playground. There is also a grocery store there. We like to buy pigeon food at the grocery store and then feed them in the square. In addition, the municipal garden has many events such as a wine festival, events in honor of Christmas, activities during the carnival, and more… Directions.

Before you come to visit Limassol, I think it’s worth looking for special events in the city, I recommend going to this website to see what events there are.

Nightlife in Limassol

I’ll already mention that I’m not really familiar with the nightlife here in Limassol since we have two little girls and hardly go out in the evenings haha, but I’ll list the entertainment places that exist in Limassol, some of which I’ve been to and some of which I haven’t.

1. Columbia Beach – a beach restaurant that can be reached from morning until night. On weekends it has a DJ from the afternoon on, and has a party atmosphere.
2. Du Soleil Marina Bar – an excellent bar in the marina area. One of the most famous and full bars here in Limassol.
3. Breeze Club
4. Rumors Bar – a recently renovated bar in the Yaramsoya area.
5. Guaba Beach Bar Club
6. Nammos restaurant – similar style to Columbia Beach.
7. Bar Da Vinci – a bar in the old city.

In general, in the area of the old city and the marina there are many bars and there is a really fun atmosphere in the evening and at night.

I think it would be most convenient for you to go to Bar Da Vinci and then from there explore the old city area to see what bars and restaurants you find.

If you arrive by car, there are small parking lots on the road that cost 3 euros and there are also parking lots in the Molos area.

Beaches in Limassol

As I mentioned above, the area of Lady’s Mile beaches is the most special in Limassol and is great for both adults and children.

Other beaches that are recommended if you want to go with children are:

Dasoudi Beach – an organized beach with two restaurants, a playground, video games and a bar.

A beach in the area of the Four Seasons Hotel that has sand games for children is Vouppa Beach.

Panagies Beach – a beach in the area of luxury hotels at the other end of the city.

For those who want to go a little further out, there is Governor’s Beach, which is close to the villages I mentioned above. There is also a restaurant there.

On most beaches you can also find water sports that include SUP, tubes, pedal boats, jet skis, paragliding, and more.

Tours and activities in Limassol

I haven’t had the opportunity to do the following activities yet, but I saw that there were good reviews for them and they seemed like great things to do for those who come here on vacation:

A jeep trip that leaves from Limassol to the Akames Reserve in Paphos

Land cruise from the marina in Limassol

Full-day jeep and boat combination tour from Limassol

Diving in Limassol reefs

A private tour of the old city of Limassol

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, Limassol is a great city for a vacation and it is also conveniently located between Larnaca and Paphos, so you can combine it with other destinations, especially if you rent a car. It has many restaurants, cafes and bars, fair beaches, and excellent hotels.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram.

Looking for more information about Limassol? I have more posts about Limassol and posts about Cyprus on my blog.

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One of the things we love most about Cyprus is the ability to visit magical villages within a short driving distance. Since we moved to Cyprus (in May 2021) we have stayed in three different villages – the picturesque village of Calabasos, a village in the Troodos Mountains, and now in the village of Pano Lefkara.

Every time we visit, we discover how humble and charming the people in these villages are and how special and colorful the architecture is. The village of Pano Lefkara is one of the most touristic villages in Cyprus, but still retains its charm (especially during off-season) and we really enjoyed our vacation there

Details about the village of Pano Lefkara

It is one of the most famous and most visited villages in Cyprus and it is located in the province of Larnaca. It was known for its stunning architecture and for the tradition of producing lace and silver products, all handmade. Lefkara is the name of an area in Cyprus and it has three villages all next to each other. The largest village among them is Pano Lefkara, which is where we stayed. Pano means above because it is the upper village and there is Kato (below) to Pakra, which is the lower village. You can reach Kato by foot. The village has many cafes, restaurants and shops with local produce.

Where to sleep in the village of Lefkara 

A charming boutique hotel with a perfect view

In April 2022, we stayed at the Archontiko Kiverniti hotel for two nights with Maya, who was three-and-a-half years old and Sophie who was six months old. The location of the hotel is pastoral with a magical view of the mountains. It is a family boutique hotel with a homely and pleasant atmosphere. There is a restaurant that serves food all day (the accommodation was based on breakfast, which was good). The hotel has a pool (we didn’t get to try it because it was too cold in April). The distance to the center of the village is a 10-minute walk (maybe even less) and it is a path in nature that is really fun to walk with children.

To book the hotel Archontiko Kiverniti and other opinions

 B&B in the heart of Lefkara village 

We booked an apartment, or in Israel’s terms, a Zimmer 🙂 in a charming apartment complex in the center of the village of Iosiphis Stonebuilt House. The complex has apartments with one or two bedrooms. We booked a two bedroom apartment because it is convenient for us and Maya to each have our own room. The price was cheap, 68 euros. And when we arrived it turned out that the whole complex was full for that weekend and it wasn’t even the peak of the season yet (so I recommend booking places in advance as early as possible). The apartment had a fully equipped kitchen (with a coffee machine and capsules and a pop-up toaster).

The apartment had an air conditioner in every room and in the living room as well as a new heating system (which unfortunately did not work when we arrived because it was new and they had not had time to install it yet). I recommend in the winter to find out in advance if the heating is working because the air conditioner on heat is very drying.

Beyond the apartment itself, the complex has a private parking lot and its highlight is the stunning yard. We sat there drinking coffee and in the morning we preferred to prepare breakfast in the apartment and sit in the yard than go to a cafe.

To book the B&B and other opinions

Where to eat in the village: recommended restaurants and cafes in Pano Lefkara

Lefkara Biscuit Cafe

We were really excited about this place because it has desserts that are baked on the premises and are really delicious. We tried the apple pie that had just been pulled out of the oven (there was also a chocolate pie) and we had rice pudding that Mayush flew over, as well as coffee.

The seating is outside on the sidewalk and the atmosphere is really nice. I highly recommend trying their cakes. Arrival instructions

Cafe House 1923

House 1923, a very cute cafe with outdoor and indoor seating. I went there with Mayush on a date and we really enjoyed ourselves. I ordered a cappuccino and Maya a hot chocolate (I made sure it was lukewarm and not too hot for her) and we ordered an apple pie, which was very good. The employees were really nice and, in short, it was a great place to sit for coffee.

Pavilion Restaurant

I think this is a good restaurant for those who come with children because the service is fast and the prices are good. Basically we wanted to go to another tavern we were in a few years ago which was really good, but it was closed so we went to Pavilion. We ordered a Greek salad, chicken breast and beef meatballs there. The dishes were good, just nothing special. Arrival instructions.

There are a lot of cafes in the village that looked really good and we didn’t get to try them, so my recommendation is to walk around the and just try the places you see because most of them get great reviews.

What to do in the village of Pano Lefkara and the surrounding area

Wander in the village

Well, you obviously have to wander around the village, and if you like photography, be prepared to take a lot of pictures because it’s really beautiful there. The village is not big but the architecture in it is so lovely and it has many shops and cute corners as well as many cafes with local produce. In short, you can walk around there for hours because every time you sit down for a coffee or go into a store or take pictures. In one of the alleys in front of the Adamos restaurant we also found a stand that offered fresh pomegranate juice which was really successful, so if you see the stand is open, it is worth trying this juice.

Lefkara dam

The dam is a 15-minute drive from the village and is really beautiful. There are places where you can stop with your car and even go down by foot. Entry into the water is prohibited and fishing is only permitted to those who have a fishing license. It’s really nice to drive around and stop at different viewpoints. Arrival instructions.

 Terra Oliva Organic Olive Farm

We came to this farm by chance just thanks to a sign we saw on the road and the truth is that it was one of the highlights of the vacation. We were so enthusiastic about the place that we will surely return to it again. A combination of a crazy landscape, local produce on the purity of the olives that was delicious and lovely people.

When we got there Mayush fell asleep in the car so Roman and I could sit quietly outside and enjoy the view and try the products they sell at the farm. The owner brought us different olives to taste, three types of olive oil, olive tapenades and bread. Of course also coffee.

When Mayush woke up we went into the store and tasted many types of jams, spreads (both sweet and salty) and even alcohol and everything from the olive tree. Everything was so delicious that we found ourselves buying half the store. lol Not really because they offer a lot of products, but we bought 112 euros worth of things (2 types of olive oil, 2 olive tapenades, 2 jams, 2 spreads, whole olives, cut olives, and more). Of course, Mayush also enjoyed walking around the farm area and seeing an 800-year-old olive tree.

In conclusion, the vacation in Lefkara was even more successful than expected. We were in this village 4 years ago and had forgotten how beautiful it is. The dam and the olive farms were an excellent addition to the vacation. We found out that there is a village nearby with a recommended breakfast (but you have to book a few days in advance) and a special monastery.

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Cyprus? I have more posts about Cyprus on my blog.

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We have been living in Limassol , Cyprus since May 2021 and have therefore gotten to try a lot of restaurants from different cuisines. In this list you can find recommendations for local, Asian, or Israeli restaurants, as well as budget-friendly restaurants for every pocket and those that are a little more expensive.

I’ve been planning to write this post for a long while and in the meantime more restaurants have been added to me every week. In short, now I have a long list of recommended restaurants in Limassol and I am sure that if you go to any one of them you will agree with me. So let’s start…

Local restaurants

Kissos Tavern

We discovered the Kissos Tavern by chance not long ago and have already been there three times. I’ll start with the fact that it has the most fun decor ever. A colorful Greek design with special flooring and a really pleasant atmosphere that makes you feel like you are in a small Greek village and not next to a main road in a touristy area. In addition to the stunning design, the service is really good and so is the food. We ordered a fish platter, which was excellent. Lots of dishes of seafood of all kinds and tapenades and salads. We also ordered white wine and a chocolate soufflé that was decadent and delicious. This place, in my opinion, is a must when visiting Limassol.

Kapilio Tavern

A homey local taverna that we recently discovered and really liked. This is a small restaurant located in the suburbs of Agios Tychon. The restaurant is open every day but it is recommended that you call before arriving.

We ordered a grilled fish dish that was one of the tastiest I’ve ever eaten and for a really low price of 14 euros including a starter of Greek salad, hummus spread, tahini, tzatziki and olives.

Roman also ordered lamb chops and liked them very much. For those looking for very tasty food, simply made from fresh ingredients, this is the restaurant to go. Arrival instructions.

Thymari Restaurant

A chain of Greek restaurants with grilled skewers, special pita skewers, salads and more. A great option for someone who wants delicious and fast food, and you can find many of their branches in Limassol. Directions to the branch where we eat.

Home Cypriot restaurant Η Φωλιά του Κούκου

A restaurant in the old city area that has only three homemade Cypriot dishes every day: two vegetarian ones and one meat option. Simple, homemade and authentic food. The workers there are lovely and the food is delicious and healthy. You can also order a Greek salad and drinks. And they also have a good semolina cake dessert. Directions.

High-end Greek restaurant Dionysus Mansion

We have been to the Dionysus restaurant several times and every time I am excited about their courtyard, the food and the service. The restaurant is in a commercial area, but as soon as you enter the courtyard you feel peace and quiet. We ate an excellent fish dish and a dish of ravioli with truffles (served as a starter, but you can ask that they increase its size to a main dish, at an additional cost of course). Roman also ordered bone marrow and he really liked the dish (I’m less of a fan), and the lamb chops he ordered were also excellent. In short, a Greek restaurant that is worth a visit.

Israeli restaurants

It is true that you already have Israeli meals all the time (for those who live in Israel), but these restaurants serve excellent food and there is a great atmosphere, which is why I put them on the list.

Karmela Restaurant

Karmela restaurant belongs to the charming Moran, who is a well-known figure in the world of restaurants here in Limassol. She has lived on the island for twelve years and opened the Carmela restaurant a year ago, in 2023. Only recently did I have the opportunity to go there with Roman and the truth is that we really enjoyed ourselves and raved about the food. We chose to taste the broccoli salad (it became one of my favorite salads), spicy shakshuka (it was so tasty and the truth is that I really missed real shakshuka), Jerusalem mix on a bed of hummus (they are delicious) and lamb arais (I don’t like arais but Roman really liked it). And the knapa dessert was extremely successful. The location of the restaurant is excellent, in the center of the old city. In short, a highly-recommended restaurant. Link to the restaurant website.

Pitot restaurant

Pitot is a restaurant with a fun and light Israeli atmosphere. Really tasty and satisfying dishes and what I really liked about was the sitting outside with Israeli music and the fact that there are self-serve dips and pickles. We ate a cauliflower and lentil salad that could satisfy two people, a Jerusalem mixed dish on hummus and the special of the day, Schnitzel in challah with Matbouha and salad. All the dishes were really tasty and satisfying. I felt like we ate a lot and still didn’t even finish half of the dishes. For dessert we ate amazing knapa and malabi. I was upset that I was already full from the food because they were so delicious that I wanted to eat more of them.

Kosher meat throughout Cyprus

If you keep kosher and want to order meat to the apartment you are staying in or an apartment hotel to cook yourself, then I would like to recommend Simply Kosher. They provide kosher meat with free delivery throughout Cyprus + a gift with every purchase + a special benefit for blog followers of 5% with coupon code TRVBOX. The kashrut is part of Beit Yosef slaughtering Chabad (the strictest kashrut). The delivery is the same day or max the next day.

Asian restaurants

We really love Asian food and have found some great authentic restaurants here.

Hanoi Vietnamese restaurant

The Hanoi restaurant is one of the best and most authentic Vietnamese restaurants I’ve tried. The flavors are exactly the same as the ones we had in Vietnam and they are constantly adding great new dishes. In my opinion, the most recommended ones are: the bun cha dish, composed of pork, rice noodles, green leaves and a perfect sauce with meatballs. Pho soup pho ba, the flag dish soup of Vietnam, with chunks of meat and strong flavors of the local spices. Steamed dumplings with shrimp and steamed spring rolls with shrimp. And there are many more excellent dishes like the noodles with the meat and the Tom Yum soup. In short, go there and I’m sure you’ll be delighted. Arrival instructions.

Golden Monkey Restaurant

The Golden Monkey is a Thai restaurant located in the St. Raphael Resort. This is a restaurant that we received many recommendations for and we only got to go there recently. A combination of luxurious design, excellent service and excellent food. Those who love Thai food will love this restaurant.

We ordered two starters, a soup and two mains and it was too much but everything was really tasty, so not bad :). I recommend trying their green curry with the beef – this is the dish I liked the most and also the appetizer of the steamed dumplings.

Gurkha’s Kitchen Indian and Nepalese cuisine

The truth is that I haven’t had the chance to go to Nepal, only India, but there is such a delicious Nepalese momo soup that I just got addicted to it. The noodle, paneer and curry dishes are also good, but the momo soup wins in my opinion. Arrival instructions.

Raj Tandoori Indian restaurant

Excellent restaurant for Indian food at great prices. We often order takeaway because there is a 20% discount and we order a quantity for the whole weekend. Yes, we are also addicted to Indian food. The dishes we like to order there the most are: palak paneer, a spinach stew with Indian cheese, malai kofta, balls of Indian cheese in a thick sauce, butter paneer, a stew with creamy tomato sauce and Indian cheese, dal daal, a lentil stew. We always order the dishes with jeera rice (rice with cumin seeds) and Indian garlic pita naan with garlic. Arrival instructions.

Kalimera Indian restaurant

In this Indian restaurant you will find dishes from South India ,and my favorite dish there is the masala dosa Indian crepe filled with potato and with coconut chutney sauce. Yum yum. Arrival instructions.

Mediterranean restaurants

Sands Beach Club-Resto

The Sands Beach restaurant is the place for food and drinks with a stunning view of the beach and the sea. A vacation-type atmosphere and really good food. Sometimes we go there just for wine and sometimes for food, too. The shrimp dish is amazing as well as the bass. If you are looking for a restaurant that will give you the feeling of a summer vacation, this is definitely the place.

Columbia Beach restaurant

The Columbia Beach restaurant is one of the most famous restaurants in Limassol. A restaurant that is excellent thanks to its breakfast, lunch, dinner and entertainment. It has everything from everything. Seating on the grass near the beach, seating inside, fun atmosphere with a view of the sea and delicious food. There are also cocktails, soft drinks, hot drinks and on weekends there is also a DJ. For breakfast, I really like their tapioca dish, and the avocado and burrata cheese sandwich. At lunch or dinner their sushi and burger trio.

It is recommended to reserve seats in advance

Malindi bar restaurant

The Malindi restaurant is on the beach and has excellent food. The service is a bit lacking but beyond that the restaurant is excellent and we always enjoy the food. We generally have a perfect seafood pasta and also mussels in a winning sauce. There are also excellent brunches: we have had focaccia with poached eggs and avocado and sirniki (Russian cheese pancake) and we liked both dishes very much. They have a large selection of dishes for breakfast and lunch and dinner.

Bar restaurants

Restaurant Bar Da Vinci

The Da Vinci restaurant-bar is in the old city in a magical location. You will find seating outside, inside, and up on the balcony. In addition, there are karaoke rooms (which I didn’t get to try :)). There is also the option of ordering hookah for those who like it. The food is really delicious and the cocktails are great (I really liked the spicy Russian cocktail). For food, we ordered bao buns with pork, chicken skewers in espresso and mashed truffles. Everything was great.

Bar du Soleil

Bar du Soleil is a bar located in the marina area. It is one of the best bars in the city, with fun music and a good atmosphere right in the port. I included it in the post because it is also suitable as a place for a dinner with alcohol or just to spend the evening.

It is recommended to make a reservation because it is always full.

The spicy margarita is really good and so are the nachos.

Chesters Bar Restaurant

If you are looking for a meat restaurant with a fun atmosphere then Chesters Bar Restaurant will suit you perfectly. They have excellent steaks and really tasty lamb chops and the truth is that their dreamy avocado quinoa salad is also great. Maya really likes their spaghetti Bolognese. The restaurant is part of a complex of other restaurants, so if you want to sit there and order sushi, for example, then you can ask for the menu of the Zen restaurant (a highly recommended Japanese restaurant) and there is also an Indian restaurant in the complex. In short, this is a complex of restaurants where you can find food for the whole family and it is located in the area of the 5-star resorts in Limassol.

Draught Microbrewery Bar Restaurant

The Draught Microbrewery restaurant is located in the old city in a lively area. There are great burgers there! Great service and really tasty children’s dishes. Maya and Sophie flew over the spaghetti bolognese. The hamburger is served with potato wedges with a delicious seasoning. They also have delicious cocktails and a selection of beers.

Gourmet restaurants

TIO Restaurant

TIO Restaurant is a modern Mexican Mediterranean restaurant. A new chef restaurant that opened in November 2023 and is located in the old city.

We discovered the restaurant by chance while wandering around the old city and its straightforward design intrigued us. And it turned out that it was an excellent decision to enter the restaurant. This is a chef’s restaurant with a limited menu (I like this the most because this way you can order most of the dishes from the menu).

For starters we ordered a sea bass dish, an octopus dish with avocado, a shrimp salad with mango and quinoa, and smoked corn. All the starters were amazing and special. For the main dish we ordered spareribs. I don’t like fatty meat so the dish was more for Roman. But there were some parts without fat that were excellent. I personally liked the starters the most. In addition, the cocktails were really good and the service at a high level. In short, if you are looking for a restaurant for a fun date, this is the place for you.

The Garden restaurant

The Garden restaurant is very close to our house and we just fell in love with it. The decor is luxurious, with excellent service and of course the food goes accordingly. I really like the sushi and the tom yum gong soup is one of the best we’ve had. The risotto dish is excellent and so is the Carpaccio. The restaurant serves food from different cuisines, so you can find Russian food, Thai food, Japanese food, and Mediterranean food; in short, everyone can find an excellent dish there. In addition they have a very large menu of wines as well as tea and a wide variety of desserts. If you are looking for a gourmet restaurant with value for money, I think this one will suit you perfectly.

Portuguese coffee restaurant

Sunday in Lisboa is a concept store that opened at the end of December 2023 and inside there is a Portuguese coffee restaurant. We were really excited about the place because of the service, the design, the food and the wine. They have a varied menu of salads, sandwiches, pastas and cheese platters and sausages. We ordered the Lisboa sandwich there, which I thought was a bit greasy, but my friend liked it very much. Jamon sausage sandwich that Roman loved, goat cheese salad that we all loved and truffle ravioli pasta that was simply excellent. We ordered the first wine from the white wine list which is tart and light and we all raved about it. In addition, they serve there one of my favourite desserts, Pastel de Nata, a type of creme borla in a pastry. If you haven’t tried this dessert yet, you must. In short, we really liked the place.

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, you can find many good restaurants in Limassol, but it requires research beforehand. I hope my post can help you find delicious and special restaurants in Limassol. Of course, there are many more places that I haven’t tried yet, but don’t worry, I’ll update the post every time and add more recommended restaurants.

I hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Limassol ? I have in the blog more posts about Limassol and posts about Cyprus.

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Maya and I went to a cool attraction in Protaras on a cruise with mermaids. The cruise was almost 3-hours-long (it was written that it would be 2 hours but it was longer 🙂 ).

The start of the cruise

The cruise left the port in Protaras. The exact location was sent to us a few days before it.
We arrived a few minutes before the start of the cruise and were greeted by Tinkerbell.
Maya and I walked around the deck a bit and waited for the activity to start.
The activity started during story time, when we were told about the mermaids and the treasure.

The operators let the children look for clues and read them. The activity was about half an hour, until we arrived at the Blue Lagoon.

Meeting the mermaids in the Blue Lagoon of Ayia Napa

When we got to the Blue Lagoon we looked for the mermaids. In the end we saw them on the rocks and they swam towards us.

We went down and swam with them in the water (I brought buoys to Maya but they also brought them in the boat). The water was really clear and we got to talk to the mermaids.

When we got back up, it was possible to get a face-paint at a cost of 5 euros and we could also sit on the deck with the mermaids and talk to them. I recommend getting on the boat before everyone else does to get the face painting pretty quickly (afterwards there’s a pretty long line) and then there’s time to go talk and take pictures with the mermaids (Maya was alone with them for about ten minutes because everyone was waiting in line for the face painting).

The meeting with the mermaids was around 40 minutes.

Additional sailing activities

We said goodbye to the mermaids and then continued with a short tour of the lagoon, afterwards there was a mini disco. The mini disco was upstairs on the yacht and the truth was that it was really funny because some of the fathers also participated (after their children forced them).

• The cost of the cruise, times and more
• The activity is in English
• The cost is 30 euros per adult and 20 euros per child
• I think it is suitable for ages 4-9
• The cruise leaves every Saturday at two o’clock in Protaras in the summer
• It is possible to buy drinks on the boat and there is a light refreshment of pastries after the swim
• You should bring a towel, sunscreen and swimwear
• You can contact the Facebook page of the cruise to book it

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the
comments, and if you have any more questions, you are also welcome to ask them in the
comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking
for more information about Cyprus? I have more posts about Cyprus on my blog.

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Kalavasos is a stunning picturesque village in Cyprus that Roman and I fell in love with the second we arrived. It’s a small location, with special houses, a view of the mountains, 3 taverns, guest houses and a charming hotel.

We stayed there one night and later came back a few more times to hang out with the family because it’s a really special place.

Where is Kalavasos located and how do you get to it?

The village is in the Larnaca district, about 40 km from the city. It was built on the west bank of the Vasilikos River, at an average height of 80 m. We arrived there coming from Limassol by a short 25-minute drive from the city center. Because we live here, we already have a car and if you want to be able to get there, I personally recommend renting a vehicle for a day or two and combining the visit to this village with other ones. Another option is to pay a taxi driver to take a half-day or day trip with you. There is no public transportation there.

Accommodation in Kalavasos

We stayed in the stunning Kalavasos View Traditional Apartments with sitting areas facing the view. Comfortable bed and magical rustic design. In the yard (or rather a balcony) there are lemon and tangerine trees and the host is really nice.

There are several apartments in the complex that are suitable for couples and families. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, shower room and bedroom. There is also a sofa bed if needed.

Recommended restaurants in Kalavasos – where to eat

Breakfast at the hotel near the apartment

We had breakfast at The Library Hotel Wellness Retreat. A basic buffet breakfast costs 8 euros, but the courtyard of the hotel is simply wonderful and the meal also includes a hot and light drink so I really recommend going there even just for an afternoon coffee. The workers there were super nice and the atmosphere there was great. There is also a restaurant there if you’re in the mood for a Mediterranean meal that we didn’t get to try but according to the reviews it should be good. In general there are very good reviews about the hotel itself and the service there. The hotel is a minute’s walk from the apartment.

Dinner at the tavern

There are three taverns in the village and we decided to eat at the George restaurant taverna. We saw good recommendations about the place and we were not disappointed. 

Sitting outside in the square with trees and in front of the beautiful umbrellas hanging outside, we ordered a Cypriot Maza dinner that included a lot of delicious dishes: Greek salad, Mazats, sausage with halloumi, zucchini stew in egg, lamb chops, sausages, ravioli, meatballs and more at a cost of 33 euros per couple (we did not pay for Mayush).

Another thing I really liked about the village is that at 6 in the evening the road to the center of the village closes and there is a tavern that takes all its tables out to the road, creating a very rural and peaceful atmosphere.

Things to do in the village

The village itself is very small, so it’s nice to walk around it on foot (on Saturday morning two handicraft stalls were also opened there) and upon entering with the car you can stop at a beautiful observation point.

It is close to Governor Beach, which is a great beach with additional taverns in the area.

And there is a really beautiful dam 10 minutes away, at the Kalavasos Reservoir. In general, it’s really worth taking a trip there with the car around the reserve and the dam.

In conclusion, for those looking for a quiet and picturesque vacation or a magical day trip, this village is highly recommended.

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Cyprus? I have more posts about Cyprus on my blog.

Pin below to save on Pinterest 

Cyprus is a really fun destination for a summer vacation, but it is also an excellent place to try for a winter one. Although it is considered part of Europe, it has Middle Eastern weather, which means that most of the year the weather is pleasant to very hot, similar to Israel.

This means that even in the winter months you can enjoy the hotels (at low prices) and enjoy pleasant weather for trips. In addition, there is snow in the mountains in the cold months, usually between January and March. For those looking for village tours, Cypriot food, great hotels and even snow, Cyprus is the perfect destination.

So, I decided to write a detailed post with all the things you can do in Cyprus in winter and give you some tips before you try to embark on a trip to Cyprus.

Tips before flying to Cyprus

SIM abroad

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Car rental in Cyprus

There is no convenient public transport in Cyprus. For those who only come for a backpacking vacation, buses and taxis will provide a good enough answer, but if you also want to travel, I personally recommend renting a car. It is true that lanes go in the opposite direction, but as someone who lives here, I can say that you get used to it quickly. Car rental prices in Cyprus are quite cheap compared to other places in Europe, especially if you come in winter. You can search for a car in the Israeli search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

Attractions in Cyprus

There are two websites through which you can find various attractions in Cyprus such as wine tours, jeep tours and more. I recommend searching on the following sites: Get your guide and Viator.

Snow and skiing in Cyprus

Of course, if you are already coming to Cyprus in winter (especially in January, February and March) then it is worth checking if there is snow in the mountains and going there. You can see live if there is snow and get information about the roads on the website of Cyprus Ski.

Here is a link to the Ski Live website camera. Link with information about the roads and skiing routes.

How do you get to the snow?

Before you go to the snow it is very important to check the condition of the roads. If it’s windy, you will be informed that you can only get there with 4×4 vehicles or with chains for the wheels of the car. If it’s not windy then the roads are open to all vehicles.

Directions via Google Maps to the North Face trail on Mount Olympus.

Note that there are several surf tracks along the road. I gave you a link to the route we went to where there was a cable car and a restaurant.

We went to see the snow parting from Limassol and it was about an hour drive by private car.

I personally recommend renting a car and driving independently, and you can even sleep in the area (there are several hotels there). A hotel that I have heard many recommendations about is Casale Panayiotis. We haven’t had the chance to sleep there but it gets good reviews.

If you need to buy car chains then you can find them in stores like Super Home but the rental company can also provide them for you for a nominal fee (it’s also a good idea to ask them for a demonstration of how to assemble them).

Ski site costs in Cyprus

This is a relatively cheap experience since there is no entrance fee to the ski resort and the cable car is also low-cost. The main expenses are renting or buying skiing equipment (and if you come only to sled, then generally the costs are low).

When you approach the ski resort there are stands on the road that sell sleds (we bought a simple, plastic sled for 30 euros, there were also 25-euro options). It is also possible to buy snow boots and gloves there. You can also rent equipment and clothing at the ski resort.

I recommend calling them before arrival to find out prices and details – link to the ski website.

There is a cable car at the ski site and the cost is about 7 euros both ways and there is no charge for a child. There is no entrance fee to the ski resort itself.

We bought a sled and used it in the snow near the cable car and Maya and Roman also went up in the cable car.

The ski resort also has a restaurant where you can buy hot drinks and food like pizza, soup, buns with sausage and more at cheap prices.

If you are going there by car from Limassol, then I recommend stopping halfway at the John restaurant, a place with an amazing view and good local food. And there is also a cafe next door. Arrival instructions.

Village tours in Cyprus

The pleasant weather in winter is actually a big advantage for anyone who wants to travel in the villages of Cyprus. Even the most touristic villages are significantly less crowded in winter, so you can take a leisurely stroll through each one.

Cyprus has a lot of magical villages and I wrote about them a lot in different posts: village trips from Limassol and a trip to the villages in the Troodos Mountains.

Villages we really like are: 

Kalavasos – a small and magical village a short drive from Limassol.

Lefkara village – one of the most popular villages in Cyprus that specializes in lace and gold and silver products and has a special olive farm and a stunning dam next to it.

Omodos – another well-known village in the Troodos Mountains, the village has wine production and a monastery.

Kakopetria – a village with various taverns, a playground for children and a short hike with a waterfall.

I haven’t had the chance to do guided tours here, but if you prefer tours to villages rather than traveling independently, then here are some that I found that receive good reviews:

Booking a tour to the Troodos Mountains and villages from Paphos
Booking an authentic tour to historical sites from Paphos
Booking a wine food tour and a visit to the Troodos Mountains
Booking a jeep trip from Larnaca to the Troodos Mountains
Book a wine tasting at a winery in Paphos

Feel free to write to me in the comments about additional recommendations.

Places to travel in Cyprus in winter

Waterfalls in Cyprus

There are several waterfalls in the Troodos Mountains area:

Caledonian Waterfall
Millomeris Waterfall
Chantara Waterfall

And between Limassol and Paphos there is the Prastio Waterfall.

Because there is not much rain here, most of the time there is no water in the waterfalls. It is recommended to go mainly during rainy periods in Cyprus.

Venetian bridges Bridge Tzelefos in Paphos Forest

Beautiful bridges located about 440 m in the forest of Paphos. They are on the way to the Troodos Mountains, so it is worth visiting them on the same day you go to the Troodos Mountains. The bridges are about an hour’s drive from Paphos and Limassol or an hour-and-a-half drive from Larnaca. The Gefiri Tou Tzefolu Bridge is the largest stone bridge built in Cyprus.

You can travel between the bridges by car or on foot. At the first bridge there is an option to go up the mountain to an observation point (about a 10-15 minute hike on foot). When we were there, there were many photographers who came to photograph the bridges, because they are really special.

Nature reserves in Cyprus

The winter months are an excellent time to travel in nature reserves in Cyprus because in the summer it can get too hot to hike. We hiked in February in the following two nature reserves and in Akamas we also did a 5-hour walking route.

Akamas Nature Reserve (Akamas Peninsula)

Is about an hour’s drive from Paphos. In the western part of Greek Cyprus, one of the most spectacular sites on the island of Cyprus, which is a highly recommended destination for travelers looking for a nature trip in Cyprus. The reserve is stunning and has many hiking trails as well as a blue lagoon with the clearest water there is.

There are tracks of different degrees of difficulty. The route of the Aphrodite trail is considered the most difficult, because it climbs a mountain to an observation point. There are also flat routes such as a route to the blue lagoon.

Another cool option in this reserve is to rent a buggy and travel with it in the reserve. So even if you are less into walking, you will have something to do there. Entry to the walking trails is free. There is a map at the beginning of the route that shows the distance and the options for the route. The route itself is marked all the way.

The Aphrodite route takes between 4-6 hours and you can extend it depending on the route you choose (directions). Suitable for those looking for tracks in Cyprus. If you are hungry at the end of the route or the trip in Agi, you can eat at a restaurant in the reserve that has a wide variety of food and good prices.

Booking a jeep tour in Akamas

Cape Greco Nature Reserve

A lovely reserve located in Ayia Napa (about half an hour’s drive from Larnaca). There are hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, there is a beautiful natural bridge, and there are places to have a picnic. Definitely worth spending a day or half a day there.

Book a guided tour in Cape Greco from Larnaca.

Events and festivals in Cyprus in winter

December

Christmas celebrations throughout the island.

Although there isn’t an atmosphere like the one in the big European cities, there are still many decorations and lights and even parades and special activities for the children. Larnaca has a Christmas market every year at the beginning of December and there are several villages that do events especially for the Christmas .

January

Until the beginning of January you can still find decorations around the city for Christmas. They usually start taking them down in the first week.

The Epiphany Day – 6th January – this is the day when you will see families going to church with bottles to collect holy water blessed by their local priest.

February

Mid-February – Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery Fair Paphos.

Mid-February – mandarin festival (yes, there are many fruit festivals here) in the village of Arakapas.

Towards the end of February – Derynia Village kite flying competition.

March

Carnival celebrations throughout Cyprus (costume celebration).

The carnival usually starts in the first week of March and lasts about ten days. In Limassol there are two parades. One is in the Promenade area of Limassol, starting roughly from the zoo area, and the second, larger parade that mostly takes place on the main street in Limassol Arch Makarios.

End of March – mandarin festival in the village of Dierona.

More information about the festivals.

Cyprus in winter with children

Outdoor playgrounds for children

One of the most convenient things to do with children in the winter is to go to outdoor playgrounds. In Cyprus there are not too many playgrounds like that, but you can find in every city at least one indoor playground that is really nice.

Our favorite games.

In Limassol – 

Agora Arcade, which is also inside an indoor market. From a playhouse suitable for babies from about 9 months, to children up to 5-years-old. There are slides into a ball pool, a small horse carousel, and a maze for children. There is a seating area for parents and you can bring food from the indoor food market. The food market has several food stalls, and computer games for the older children.

The Hunnies & Bunnies playhouse is close to the mall and is suitable for babies up to the age of 4-5. It’s a playhouse with seating for parents and a small cafe with wooden games and role-playing games, as well as a small outdoor playground.

In Larnaca –

The Fun Factory playground is a large playground with a seating area and a restaurant, and many games for children. Suitable mainly for toddlers up to about 8 years old.

Paphos –

The Cosmic Arcade is next to the mall. A huge playground that is suitable for both babies and older children because there are also colliding cars and bowling.

Museums for children

Museum of Illusions in Limassol Paradox museum. A cute museum that is suitable for spending an hour to an hour-and-a-half with the children.

Link to book tickets to Paradox museum

Rope parks

If the weather is nice then a rope park can be a great attraction for children even in winter.

There is a rope park in the Troodos Mountains called Sparti.

There is also a rope park at the City of Dreams hotel in Limassol that you can enter for a fee even if you are not a hotel guest.

Where to sleep in Cyprus in winter. Recommended hotels for winter

In my opinion, one of the most fun things in Cyprus is that there are many great hotels and most of them also have heated pools. So, even if you are flying with children or if you are a couple, you can enjoy the pool at the hotel (by the way, I happened to see people entering the outdoor pool and the sea even in the middle of February).

I have made lists of recommended hotels in Paphos and Limassol and most of them have heated pools.

A post about recommended hotels in Paphos.
A post about recommended hotels in Limassol.

If you are looking for a special hotel that will suit a couple in the winter, I think the Minthis Hotel in Paphos is a perfect place for couples in the winter because it has a spa with a heated pool for adults only, with an amazing view of the mountains.

A hotel recommended for children in winter is Olympic Lagoon Paphos because it also has a heated pool and activities for children, such as a mini disco and baby, children and youth clubs.

I, however, do not recommend staying in resort towns like Ayia Napa and Protaras. These are great towns for a vacation in the summer, but in the winter everything there is deserted. My recommendation is to stay in cities like Larnaca, Paphos and Limassol (these three cities are on the sea) or stay in the Troodos Mountains for a more wintery experience.

The biggest advantage for me in hotels in Cyprus in winter is that they cost much less; it can even be half the price of summer because it is considered off season. We always take advantage of this to go to 5-star hotels here at a cost of 200 euros, compared to in the summer, when the cost can reach 500 euros per night and even more (depending on the hotel).

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, Cyprus is a fun destination for winter as it is a combination of a vacation in pleasant weather with touches of a real winter in the snow. In winter you can stay in the best hotels at attractive prices, you can enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and enjoy various festivals and special trips to magical villages and the Troodos Mountains.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram.

Looking for more information about Cyprus? I have more posts about Cyprus on my blog.

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This post is part of another, broader one, about recommendations for things to do in Paphos (even without children).

Paphos is a city located in the Greek part of Cyprus. Even though it’s a city, it is suitable for relaxing as well as for those looking for trips to the mountains and magical villages. Paphos is a great destination for couples and families. There are attractions that are suitable for adults and excellent hotels. In this post you will find some attractions and cool things to do with the kids in Paphos, Cyprus.

Tips before flying to Paphos

SIM card

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Where to sleep in Paphos

The hotel we personally like the most is the Olympic Lagoon. This is a 5-star all-inclusive resort and is perfect for a vacation with children. I also wrote a detailed post about recommended hotels and resorts in Paphos.

Car rental in Paphos

In Paphos and in general in Cyprus there is no convenient public transport. For those who only come for a backpacking vacation, the buses and taxis will provide a good enough answer, but if you also want to travel, I personally recommend renting a car. It is true that the journey here is in the opposite direction from standard traffic, but as someone who lives here, I can say that you get used to it quickly.

You can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies. I wrote an extended post on the whole subject of car rentals abroad and I recommend reading it especially if this is your first car rental.

Cruise to the Blue Lagoon with snorkels

We took a 6-hour cruise to the Blue Lagoon, which also includes snorkels, lunch, fruit and drinks, as well as transportation from the hotel for those who need it. A fun experience for children and adults. The cruise includes Coral Bay, the Sea Caves and St. George Island. There is one break where you can swim and snorkel.

The cruise is on a fun yacht with two floors (for those who suffer from nausea, it is better to be downstairs and not upstairs. I was pregnant during the cruise and it helped me the most to be downstairs in the middle of the yacht). You don’t need to bring anything except towels and swimwear and just enjoy the cruise.

Link to purchase tickets for a cruise to the lagoon – can be reserved free of charge in advance and can be canceled for free up to a day before.

There are also cheaper options for a cruise that’s a bit longer and doesn’t include food (but I have no recommendations from personal experience).

A visit to a magical castle

At the end of the harbor you will find a castle that was originally a Byzantine fortress built to protect the harbor. What survives today is the Ottoman reconstruction from 1592.

The main part of the castle is a large square tower that has an enclosed courtyard in the middle. The ground floor consists of a central hall with small rooms, which were used as prison cells during the Ottoman reign.

Maya (age 4) and Roman had a lot of fun exploring the cells from the outside and talking about them. What’s even nicer is that you can go up to the roof and there you have a beautiful view of the harbor and it’s another place for the kids to play.

Entry for children is free and adults 2.5 euros.
Directions to the castle at the end of the harbor

A visit to an animal protection organization

An organization called Animal Rescue Cyprus that rescues abandoned animals and takes care of them. The children can pet donkeys, dogs and cats there. You can also “adopt an animal” with a monetary donation and they will send you a certificate and a photo of it. They don’t really give it to you.

We visited with Maya and Sophie (one year old) and they both really enjoyed seeing and petting the animals. The donkeys roam freely and have a very large area to do so.

Entry is of course free. It is recommended to call before and find out if they are indeed open. And of course you can also donate any amount of money to help out.
Directions to Animal Rescue

Visiting the tombs of kings

Form part of the Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos (Paphos) – one of the most important archaeological sites of Cyprus included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1980.
Despite its name, no kings were buried there, only members of the aristocracy, but the size and splendor of the tombs gave the place its name.

This is one of our favorite places in Paphos. It’s a huge place where the kids can run free, look for hiding places and play. The view is beautiful and you can visit all year round (in winter when it doesn’t rain).
A perfect place for children to run, crawl and play.
Entrance fee: children free and adults 2.5 euros
Directions to the Tombs of the Kings

A visit to the playground near the mall

A large Cosmic World kid’s entertainment playhouse with games for children and little ones.

There is also bowling, crashing cars and computer games. On weekends it can be very busy especially during the winter but it’s still a great place to spend time.
Entrance fee: 5 euros for children. Adults and babies free
Directions to Cosmic World

And if you are already there, you can visit the mall itself, where you will find brand stores, a Jumbo branch (a type of Maxstock only much bigger), restaurants and a children’s playground. Note that most shops close at 7pm.
Directions to the mall

Paphos Zoo

Quite a large and nice zoo for children. Personally, I’m less connected to zoos, but there are some cute activities for children, such as feeding fish, a 15-minute parrot and owl show (suitable for children who can sit without moving much because it’s not allowed). The owls fly over the crowd and you have to sit down so as not to scare them. You can feed the teachers (surcharge 5 euros per person) or feed a fillet rescued from Bangladesh (surcharge 50 euros for a group of up to 5 people).

Entrance fee:
17.5 euros per adult (12+)
9.5 per child (2-12)
Babies up to two years old are free

Link to purchase tickets to the zoo – you can reserve free of charge in advance and you can cancel for free up to a day before
Directions to the zoo

Aphrodite Paphos Water Park

A large and fun water park for children and adults. There are slides and water attractions that are also suitable for little ones, children and adults.

The park is usually open from the beginning of May until the middle of October / the end of November.

It is recommended to call and find out activity times or visit the website of the water park and check there. Sometimes there are discounts on the official website if you order before the season opens or you can also order a ticket for a few days, shuttles and other extras. It is important to note that the booking on the website of the water park is non-cancelable / non-refundable.

Link to purchase tickets to the Aphrodite Water Park – you can reserve free of charge in advance and you can cancel for free up to the day before
Directions to the Aphrodite Water Park

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, Paphos is an excellent city for a vacation and you can find all kinds of nice attractions for children. It is the most fun to be there in the summer months, because that way you can also enjoy the seasonal attractions such as water sports, pools, a water park and the sea, but even in the winter months you can find something to do.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or write to me on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Paphos? I have more posts about Paphos and posts about Cyprus on my blog.

Pin below to save on Pinterest 

Paphos is a city located in the Greek part of Cyprus and though it is a city, it is suitable for relaxing on your stomach as well as for those looking for trips to the mountains and magical villages. There are also attractions suitable for adults and excellent hotels that go from all-inclusive hotels, hotels with a water park, cheap hotels, hotels suitable for families, and luxury hotels.

Tips before flying to Paphos

SIM card

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Car rental in Paphos

In Paphos and in general in Cyprus there is no convenient public transport. For those who only come for a backpacking vacation, the buses and taxis will provide a good enough answer, but if you also want to travel, I personally recommend renting a car. It is true that the journey here is on the opposite side of traffic, but as someone who lives here, I can say that you get used to it quickly.
You can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

Attractions in Paphos

I wrote a detailed post with recommendations for things to do in Paphos.
You can get ideas for other cool things you can do on the various attraction sites and even order through them (sometimes at a discounted price). The first attraction Get your guide and the second is Viator.

All-inclusive resort perfect for families

Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos

5-star all-inclusive resort.

We really liked this resort and I think it provides a perfect solution for a vacation with children (and even babies). We were there in winter (January) but we had perfect weather of 20 degrees (Celsius). I saw people getting into the pool outside, but that was too extreme for us :). Outside there are pools for babies, a pool with a slide and a pool for adults. The resort is by the sea and at its exit there are lots of lawns and a promenade that reaches the port (about a 30-minute walk). There is no beach (everything there is rocks) but in a short walk you will also find sand.

There is a heated pool at the resort that we have been to several times with the girls (Sophie is a 14-month-old baby and Maya is 4 years old). There is a youth club, a children’s club and a club for babies without parents, where they stay with supervisors. The baby must be registered 24 hours in advance and can be left with a babysitter in the baby room for up to two hours. The children can be brought whenever they want during the activity hours. The parents receive a buzzer and if the baby cries or the child wants to leave, then the parent is buzzed. Maya really liked the kids club and went there every day for an hour or so. She did creations there, dressed up and she also had her face painted. We left Sophie twice for an hour and she enjoyed exploring the games. Maya sometimes entered the nursery and confirmed that Sophie was happy and did not cry.

The resort has an amazing buffet in the morning, lunch and dinner. We really liked the food. At lunch and in the evening there is a pasta station where you can have any pasta you want prepared on the spot (this was my favorite station), at all meals there is a crepe station and in the morning there are even smoothies. For lunch and dinner there is also a diner restaurant with excellent hamburgers. And there are two other adults-only restaurants that are not open in the winter. There is a snack restaurant that is open from morning until dinner and there are sandwiches, salads, desserts, pizzas, ice creams, yogurt and coffee. You can also grab anything for takeaway and eat around the hotel or outside. And of course that’s why it’s an all-inclusive hotel, so there’s free drinks all the time: light, hot and alcohol.

Every evening there is a mini disco and this was one of the activities that the girls liked the most and looked forward to every day. We booked a room there with a partition for a part with a double bed and a part with two single beds and a balcony with a sea view. It is important to note that in the winter the prices are much cheaper than in the summer.

To book the Olympic Lagoon Resort and other opinions

By the way they have another resort in Ayia Napa Olympic Lagoon, Ayia Napa, which is really similar to this hotel. It’s not by the sea but it has a cool tubing course that we really liked.

A special golf resort in the mountains

Minthis Resort

A beautiful resort in the mountains of Paphos at about a 20-minute drive from the center of Paphos. You can get there by taxi, but if you also want to visit Paphos itself, then I think it’s best to rent a car. The resort is a 5-star one and is, in my opinion, suitable for couples or families looking for peace. We booked a suite there with two bedrooms (there are also suites with one bedroom and villas with 2-3 rooms). The suite had a garden, living room and kitchen.

The resort is on a breakfast basis and there is the hotel restaurant where you can have lunch and dinner (that’s what we did). There is a stunning outdoor infinity pool and there is also a huge adults-only spa area with a heated pool (this was a disadvantage for us because we couldn’t be in the heated pool with Maya and it was already quite cool for an outdoor pool – we were in early October).

And of course there are golf courses, so for golf enthusiasts or those who want to learn to play the sport, this is definitely the place to go. They offer golf lessons and the possibility to buy and rent golf equipment.

 To book the Minthis Resort and other opinions

An all-inclusive hotels at an affordable budget

Louis Breeze Hotel

A 4-star hotel from the Louis hotel chain. This is our favorite chain in Cyprus and we have been to many of their hotels, the recommended ones are Royal Apollonia in Limassol and Louis Althea and Louis St. Elias in Protaras. All these hotels are all-inclusive hotels and I think they have high level food even for a 4-star and excellent entertainment teams for children.

When we stayed at the Breeze Hotel I was pregnant with Maya, so we got to experience the hotel as a couple without children, but for the other ones she was already born and we saw that they are also great for families. The hotel has a kids’ club and several outdoor pools. It is on the sea and has evening shows such as a fire show and a Greek dance show.

The hotel has two outdoors pools and a kid’s pool, a roofed pool, spa, gym, tennis court, ping pong table, Greek restaurant, a main restaurant with buffet meals, three bars and tanning beds across from the sea. You can stay at the hotel plus breakfast, or half board or with an all included package.

When I say “All included”, I mean that literally. The stay includes alcohol, drinks, amazing food all day long and the option of visiting the Greek restaurant if you’re over the buffet meals.

There are three meals a day, each with a never-ending variety of food. Especially great is the dessert area. Breakfast for example includes a variety of vegetables, jams, pastries, cakes, breads, salads, hams and cheeses (Including hard cheeses), cereals, oatmeal, different stews, pancakes, an egg station by order, fruits and more…

Dinner is varied, with a different theme every night – Such as local food, Italian or Mexican… The Greek restaurant has a set menu and you get to try everything. When we were there at first, we were served different appetizers, then sea food dishes, the chicken and meat, and a dessert.

Between meals there are also snacks, meaning there’s not a hungry moment between breakfast and midnight. Afternoon snacks included food at the pool like chips, hamburgers, cakes and nuggets. At night there were many snacks like vegetables, sandwiches, ice-cream, olives and depending on the night – Pizza, nuggets, pigs in a blanket, chips and more.

In terms of drinks, there is alcohol (Wine, beers, cocktails), water, coffee, non-alcoholic cocktails and sodas. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have cocktails, but Roman had a cocktail everyday and said the bloody Marry and Mojito were really nice. I had cold brew caffeine free coffee with soy milk three times a day, as it was great.

From what I could see, most of the hotel’s visitors were families. The hotel has a kid’s pool, a playground, a kid’s playroom and kid activities. There is also a babysitting service at the hotel.

The hotel is in a quiet area 10 minutes from the mall and about 15 minutes from the port. There are shuttles four times a day, for free, between the three locations. There’s no beach close by, so if you wish to reach Coral Bay (A popular beach in Paphos), it’s a 15-minute drive. You can get a cab there or ride the bus (The bus station is 10 minutes from the hotel).

There’s free parking at the hotel. Although they drive on the left side of the road, it’s nothing you won’t get used to in a few hours of driving. It’s recommended to take it slow and travel the entire area easily by car. Ideas for day trips out of Paphos.

To book Breeze Hotel and other opinions

Louis Ledra hotel

A hotel located on the boardwalk in Paphos with an adjacent beach. The food is excellent and varied (including breakfast, lunch and dinner at the buffet, a snack bar (including pizzas, ice creams, hamburgers, yogurt and more…, soft and hot drinks and unlimited alcohol). Every evening the girls had a mini disco (the favorite attraction of both), during the day We were in the indoor pool (it was 28 degrees, a bit too cold for my taste, but Roman and the girls went in there) and at the beach (the weather was excellent at 27 degrees). We booked a room with a sliding door to separate it, and it was a great option, especially for the price we paid. The hotel has a baby pool, a pool normal and spa.

We booked the hotel a few months ago on Black Friday and paid half the price of the hotel today. It cost us 430 euros for 3 nights for the four of us all included for a large room with a partition.

To book Louis Ledra and for other reviews

An excellent all-inclusive hotel for families in the port area

Hotel Sofiana Resort & Spa

A 4-star hotel that opened two years ago, its location is really good, because it is in the port area, where there are many restaurants, bars and cafes and it is also nice to walk along the boardwalk there. The hotel has a heated pool (relatively small), outdoor pools, a toddler pool, a small playground and a kids’ club.

The hotel is on an all-inclusive basis and the food there was fine. In the evening there were various shows that are also suitable for children, such as a fire show that Maya really enjoyed.
We booked a room which is actually two bedrooms.

We really like hotels that have the option of booking a room with a bedroom and living room or two bedrooms separated because it really improves the experience. Both this hotel and all the other hotels I have mentioned in the post have family rooms.

To book Sofiana Hotel and other opinions

An all-inclusive family resort with a water park

Leonardo Laura Resort

This is a hotel with a water park that is very popular among Israelis. I haven’t had the chance to stay there, but I know a lot of people like it because it has a lot of water slides outside and it keeps the kids busy, aside from being all-inclusive. From what I understand, the majority of the population there are Israelis and I have read controversial reviews about the quality of the food. So although I haven’t stayed there, I’m mentioning it as an option for those looking for an all-inclusive hotel with a water park.

To book the Leonardo Laura Resort and other opinions

Cheap hotel in the port area

Pyramos Hotel

Roman and I were at the Pyramos Hotel after finding a really cheap 5-euro per person flight to Paphos. We arrived in Paphos for 48 hours and chose this hotel because of its price and location. The hotel is really basic, with clean and simple rooms and a basic breakfast as well. For those who are looking for a hotel in the location of the port where there are many restaurants, bars and cafes, this is a great option.

To book Pyramos Hotel and other opinions

Adults-only hotels

The truth is that I haven’t had the chance to check out adult-only hotels because all our vacations so far have been with the girls. But if you are looking for hotels for adults only, I have read very good recommendations about The Ivi Mare and The King Jason Paphos hotels.

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, Paphos is an excellent city for a vacation, where you will find many hotels that will suit what you are looking for. It has many all-inclusive hotels, hotels for families, hotels for couples only, cheap hotels and luxury hotels.

Hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Paphos? Posts about Paphos and posts about Cyprus.

Pin below to save on Pinterest 

In May 2021, we moved to Limassol, Cyprus and we got to go to a lot of hotels in Cyprus and in Limassol in particular.

In the city of Limassol there are many excellent hotels that go from cheap to very expensive price ranges. In general, this city is the most expensive in Cyprus and is about a 50-minute drive from Larnaca and 45 minutes from Paphos. It does not have an airport but it can be reached by taxi, rental car or bus from the airports in Larnaca and Paphos.

It is the most modern city in Cyprus and you can find good restaurants, beautiful beaches, the largest casino in Europe (in the City of Dreams hotel), various attractions for children, great breakfasts, cafes, shops, water sports, a beautiful promenade and, above all, a lot of relaxing.

A table for comparing the hotels in Limassol

Map of the recommended hotels in Limassol

Recommended hotels and resorts in Limassol to go to with children 

For me, it is most convenient to be with the children in all-inclusive hotels, but there are some hotels in Limassol that are great with children even if they are not all-inclusive. Some of them have amazing children’s clubs and in some the convenience is the pool and the proximity to the beach along with the affordable prices. 

Which hotels are all-inclusive in Limassol? St. Raphael Resort, Royal Apollonia , Grand Resort Hotel and Atlantica Miramare Hotel.

Are there any hotels with a water park in Limassol? No. There are hotels with small slides in the toddler pool like in Parklane and Royal Apollonia, and there is a fairly large slide for children at the Four Seasons.

5-star hotels in Limassol

Parklane Resort

In my opinion, Parklane is one of the best resorts in Cyprus, it is a hotel that combines luxury and the possibility of an experience with the children. It is a 5-star resort and the service there is at the highest level and the rooms are very pampering (there are really comfortable beds). The food is excellent (we were there on a half-board basis and both breakfast and dinner were excellent). There is an indoor heated pool and a spa with a gym.

One of the things I liked about this hotel is their children’s club, which is actually a large complex with Omega facilities for children and even a toddler pool with several small slides. In addition there is an indoor area with games for babies and creative rooms and games for children. Children over the age of 3 can be left there under the supervision of the workers there and they contact the parents when the child wants to leave.

In my opinion, it is a perfect hotel for those who come with children while it is also a perfect hotel for couples because it has a luxurious and calm feeling.

It is important to know that the resort is located in the resort area of Limassol, which means that it is located on a beach strip that is relatively remote from the center and the old town.To get to the center of Limassol or the old town you will need to take a taxi (a 20-minute ride) or a bus (there is a bus stop outside the hotel and from there you will need to take line 30 – a ride of about half an hour). Of course, if you rent a car, then you can travel with it.

To book the Parklane Hotel and more opinions about it

St. Raphael Resort

St. Raphael Resort is a 5-star resort located in the Pygros area where Perklane Resort is located. The resort has several pools, one of which has a bar in the water. There are lawns, a spa (of a very high level), a good breakfast, a gym, an indoor pool, a children’s club (suitable for children aged 4-12), spacious rooms, and excellent service. It has an amazing Thai restaurant called Golden Monkey. You can stay at the hotel on a breakfast basis or all-inclusive.

The big advantage of this resort, in my opinion, is the price. Its price is relatively cheap compared to all the other 5-star resorts. If you are looking for a vacation at an affordable price then it can suit you.

I wrote an extended post about this resort

To book the St. Raphael Resort and other opinions

Grand Resort

Grand Resort, a luxury hotel in Limassol, was recently acquired by the Leonardo Hotels chain (Fattal) and underwent a complete renovation. We visited for a rare couple’s getaway, our first in five years, and chose an all-inclusive package. We were pleasantly surprised to find that, while the price is more affordable compared to other five-star hotels in Limassol, the quality and service are exceptional.

The renovated rooms feature comfortable beds and luxurious bathrooms. The hotel offers three restaurants; we dined at the Asian restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious and satisfying meal with a variety of generous portions. The coffee at the bar is excellent, and they even offer coconut and soy milk options. At lunchtime, we dined at the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Ouzeria. The risotto was excellent, and the lemongrass chicken was delicious.

In terms of facilities, the hotel has outdoor pools, a spa with a gym, and an indoor pool. For families, there is a small shaded playground outside, a kids’ club, and a hammock area near the beach. The hotel’s private beach is right nearby, complete with sunbeds for guests.

The all-inclusive package includes alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, hot drinks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a snack bar offering delicious pizza, fries, nuggets, and more. We were also happy to find that there is an ice cream parlour included in the package.

In short, Grand Resort is an excellent choice for a couple’s vacation or a family getaway with kids – a wonderful experience at an affordable price.

To book the Grand Resort and read more reviews

Update: The GrandResort Limassol will be closing on 4th November 2024, reopening in April 2025

City of Dreams Resort

City of Dreams is a new luxury resort that opened in the summer and there is a lot of buzz around it because it has the biggest casino in Europe. This is a huge resort with several types of pools (such as one with sea sand) and a rope park. There is a big kids’ club there.

This is a 5-star resort but I have heard conflicting opinions about the level of service there. We haven’t had the chance to stay there yet, but it was important for me to write about it as an option because it has become one of the most sought-after hotels in Cyprus among Israelis.

The resort is located in the area of the mall in Limassol. It is relatively far from the old city, but by taxi or bus line 30 (which departs from the mall) you can reach the marina area and the old city. The resort is close to a strip of beaches called Lady’s Mile where there are restaurants on the beach with a very cool atmosphere.

To book the City of Dreams Resort and more opinions about it

Royal Apollonia Hotel

The Royal Apollonia Hotel was renovated a year ago. We happened to be there before the renovation and even then we had really liked it, but the renovation really upgraded it, however it also increased its price. So now it is among the most expensive hotels in Limassol. You can order it on a breakfast basis or all-inclusive.
The rooms there are pampering, there is a spa, an indoor pool, a gym, outdoor pools (a baby pool and one with a bar), three restaurants, a tennis court, and a kids’ club.
The hotel is in the area of the Harmony Bay and Atlantica Miramare hotels, so what I wrote about their location is also relevant to it.

To book the Royal Apollonia Hotel and other opinions

Amathus Beach Hotel

The Amathus Hotel is one of the most prestigious hotels in Limassol and in my opinion it is the competitor of Parklane; in both the service is of a very high level, both are very suitable to go with children because of a very worthwhile children’s club, delicious food and pampering rooms. There is a spa, gym, indoor pool and outdoor pools. The location of the Amathus Hotel is closer to the center of Limassol compared to Parklane but it is still quite remote so you need to get there by taxi or bus.

To book the Amathus Hotel and more opinions about it

Four Seasons Hotel

The Four Seasons Hotel is a prestigious 5-star hotel. It has a cafe that we really like, colors cafe, and it has two reputable chef restaurants. There is a beach next to it with beach games for children and a modern playground.

It has a children’s club for ages 3-8 and youth activities. It has a pool with a slide outside and babysitting services. Of course, it also has a spa, a gym, and an indoor pool. It has an adults-only pool and an ice room.

To book the Four Seasons Hotel and more opinions about it

Amara Hotel

The Amara Hotel is a 5-star hotel that opened in recent years and is extremely luxurious. Many celebrities choose to stay there. Its location is in Pygros, near Parklane and St. Raphael. Its design reminds me of a luxury hotel in Thailand. It is definitely something special and there is a reason why people are passionate about it. I felt that it is less suitable to go with small children and only for older ones because it feels too quiet and too luxurious for those who make noise and messes 🙂 But it has a children’s club for ages 4-12 and an afternoon club for ages one-and-a-half to 4. It has chef restaurants, an infinity pool, spa, gym, and indoor pool.

To book the Amara Hotel and more opinions about it

4-star hotels in Limassol

Crowne Plaza Hotel

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is a 4-star hotel in a great location in Limassol. Near the beach and close to the center of Limassol. The hotel is also near one of the most famous restaurants in Limassol, Columbia Beach, which is also suitable for evening entertainment.

The hotel does not have a children’s club or an entertainment team for children.

It has a spa (excellent massages), gym, indoor pool, saunas, outdoor pool and it has its own beach strip with a Mediterranean restaurant and an Asian restaurant. The breakfast there is relatively simple, but it has everything you need, including pancake and omelet stations. From there you can also get to the old city by bus line 30 or walk (about a 30-minute walk).

To book the Crowne Plaza Hotel and other opinions about it

Hotel Atlantica Miramare

Hotel Atlantica Miramare is a 4-star hotel. It is in a great location near the beach and near many restaurants and cafes. The hotel is relatively outdated in terms of the rooms, but the facilities are great. It has an adult pool, a baby pool and a pool for everyone with a swim-up bar. It has a spa, gym, saunas, indoor pool and restaurant.

You can order it on an all-inclusive basis or only with breakfast included. The beach next to it has water sports.
The hotel does not have a children’s club or an entertainment team for children.

The recommended restaurants near it are Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant, La Caleta Restaurant and Garden Restaurant. And if you are looking for bars, it is close to the Rumors Bar and Guaba and Breeze clubs.

This hotel is also close to the bus station and with line 30 you can reach the old city.
When my older sister comes with her children (ages 10-20) they go to this hotel because of the affordable price and proximity to water sports.

To book the Atlantica Miramare Hotel and more opinions about it

3-star hotels in Limassol

Harmony Bay Hotel

The Harmony Bay Hotel is a 3-star hotel that is suitable for those looking for a cheap place with a pool by the sea. It has very spacious rooms that are suitable for those who come with children and it has a gym.
The hotel does not have a children’s club or an entertainment team for children.

Breakfast and dinner are both buffet and simple meals. There is a restaurant bar in the hotel with Mediterranean food. The hotel is close to Atlantica Miramare so all the restaurants and bars I mentioned above are also relevant to this hotel.

You can order it on a breakfast or half board basis.
To book the Harmony Bay Hotel and other opinions about it

Boutique hotels in Limassol

S Paul Hotel

The S Paul Hotel is located in the old city in a charming location that is close to many restaurants, bars, cafes and a fun atmosphere in the evening. The hotel itself is a relatively new hotel with a restaurant bar and pleasant rooms (comfortable beds). They have indulgent breakfasts and I wrote about their breakfast in a post about worthwhile breakfasts in Limassol.

The hotel is mainly suitable for couples.

To book the S Paul Hotel and more opinions about it

NYX Hotel

The NYX Hotel is a new and beautiful 4-star hotel with a cool and fun design. Located in an excellent site in the old city near the marina (close to the S Paul Hotel I mentioned above). The hotel has a stunning pool on the roof (suitable for summer) and note that the pool is relatively small and without many seats. The hotel has a gym, an Asian restaurant, and a Mediterranean restaurant. The breakfast there (buffet) is really good. It is a high-class Israeli-style breakfast with a large selection of salads, eggs such as shakshuka, pies, pastries, fresh fruit and more.

To book a NYX Hotel and other opinions

Bonus for blog followers

If you are planning to come to Cyprus and are looking for someone to plan an itinerary for you that you can do independently with a car (minimum for 3 days) or if you want to do a private trip with a driver (also suitable for large groups) then I recommend contacting Rony Schwartz. We met not long ago and I was very impressed by his knowledge of Cyprus (he has been living here for 5 years in Paphos) and beyond that he is really charming and has been planning trips for many years.

Link to Roni’s WhatsApp for contact

If you book a “private trip” for a family, or a small group, Roni will make for you a “detailed plan for a sightseeing day, with a culinary emphasis”, in Paphos, or Larnaca, or Limassol, including warm recommendations! Such a program costs 50 – 40 euros normally, but you will get it for free.
If you order a trip planning you will get one day at my expense, pay for three days planning and you will get four.
If you book a trip for a group of over 7 participants, you will receive a shuttle to the airport and back at an attractive price or a detailed culinary trip planning for an independent trip for free.

In conclusion, there are many recommended hotels in Limassol. There are all-inclusive hotels, luxury hotels, resorts and recommended hotels with children, as well as charming boutique hotels. Limassol is suitable for a backpacking vacation as well as a star destination for a trip to all of Cyprus because it is between Larnaca and Paphos and also an hour’s drive to the Troodos Mountains.

In August 2023 we decided to take a cruise with our two daughters, Maya (3.5 years old) and Sophie (10 months old).

We did the cruise through Royal Caribbean and booked the cruise directly from the website.

In June 2017, we did a cruise with NCL as a couple and we really liked the concept, so we decided to do a family cruise this time.

Brief summary about the cruise

When: end of August 2023
Who: a couple + a baby and a girl
Company: Royal Caribbean
Ship type: Rhapsody of the seas
How long: 8 days (7 nights)
Where did the cruise depart from: we started the cruise in Limassol, Cyprus, but it had departed from Israel
Cruise route: Haifa (Israel) – Limassol (Cyprus) – Rhodes (Greece) – Mykonos (Greece) – Santorini (Greece) – Athens (Greece) – Haifa (Israel)
Room type: mini suite
Cost for the whole family: 5000$ + tips

We did the cruise at the end of August so you have to take into account that the prices are higher because it is the peak of the season.
Although the ship was fully booked, we did not feel crowded and apart from waiting once for five minutes for breakfast, we did not wait at all.

Why is a cruise an ideal family vacation?

Since the girls were born, we’ve discovered that we really connect with the concept of an all-inclusive hotel. Because what could be more convenient than food available all the time, activities for children and resting as much as possible? So this time we decided to upgrade the all-inclusive vacation and go on a cruise, which is basically the same concept, only bigger and more special.

The ship has everything you could want for you and the children.
High-quality food at any hour and in all kinds of styles. Activities for children including shows, competitions, dances, a children’s club, a babies’ club, arcade and more.

Pools, Jacuzzis and special attractions (depending on the type of ship, we also had a climbing wall).
Bars, casino and chef restaurants (for an additional fee).

In addition to the ship, which is like its own city, every day the tour stops at a different destination, which is a really fun thing in my opinion.
Every day there is a new view and you can leave the ship and explore each destination independently or on an organized tour (you can order tours from the ship or find them yourself and book in advance).

The cruise allows you to go on a light vacation without planning things too much and to enjoy the facilities. To top it all, if you also want to explore new destinations then you can leave the ship when it is docked and go walk around for a few hours every day at a different location.

Details about the Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Israel

1. We took a cruise with Royal Caribbean. I booked one that does an 8-day circuit trip from Limassol back to Limassol. When we boarded the ship it turned out that the cruise had started the day before in Haifa from Israel. This means that the absolute majority on the ship were Israelis, there were signs in Hebrew and even occasionally songs in Hebrew (you decide for yourself if it’s okay or not).

2. There are several types of rooms: an interior room without a window, a room with a window, a room with a balcony, a mini suite, and a suite.

3. We booked the mini suite and paid 5000 dollars for 4 people. In retrospect it was not worth the price and we had to take the room with the balcony which cost around 3800 dollars. Much more value for the money.

4. There are activities all day, every day. Shows, competitions, games, dances, workshops. The activities can be for children, families, adults and young people.

5. The food was of a high standard and really tasty, there was great variety in the buffet.

6. The destinations we stopped at were: Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Athens. We didn’t take tours of any destination, we preferred to wander alone with the girls and really enjoyed exploring each place on our own.

7. The price for the cruise includes all activities and food, but there are 2 paid restaurants and the price does not include alcohol and drinks such as cappuccinos, espressos, etc. There are snacks all day such as pizzas, fruits, American ice cream, cookies and more.

8. The service on the ship is amazing. Everyone is very kind and smiling all the time.

9. Our room was cleaned twice a day, but I don’t know if it’s like that for all the types of room or if it’s because we booked the mini suite.

10. We booked the cruise four months in advance directly from the company’s website.

11. The ship has: a casino, a playroom for babies, a playroom for children with supervisors (without parents), a cafe, bars, a pool, a Jacuzzi, a spa, a gym, an area for adults only, shops, two buffet dining rooms, a Japanese restaurant for a fee, a paid chef restaurant, restaurant for kosher keepers.

12. On each day we arrived at a new destination and docked directly at a port, with the exception of when we reached Santorini, where the ship docked close to the port and we arrived at the port by boat from the ship. When arriving at any destination, there is public transportation such as taxis and buses with which you can go wherever you want.

13. On the ship every person has a magnetic card and every time you want to buy something you hand over the card and only at the end of the cruise do you pay for all the extra things you purchased.

14. There is always water and soft drinks available for free as well as black coffee.

The route of the cruise departing from Israel

The destinations we stopped at on the cruise were really nice with kids. We personally didn’t book tours and preferred to explore each destination on our own at our own pace.

Limassol

As I wrote at the beginning, we started the cruise from Limassol because we live in Cyprus, but the cruise parted from Israel. If you are looking for recommendations about Limassol, you can find many posts here on the blog.

Rhodes

The ship docks right next to the port of Rhodes, which means that you can easily get off the ship and reach the old town on foot. There aren’t too many things to do with children in the old town of Rhodes, but because we were with a baby and we didn’t want to bother her too much, we preferred to just wander around the old city, have lunch there, and then continue to the aquarium (the aquarium is really small and nothing special, but Maya had a great time there).

There is a water park in Rhodes that I have been to twice before and it is great for both adults and children, so if you are looking for an attraction that is a little more fun with the kids while stopping in Rhodes, I do recommend it.

Mykonos

On the previous cruise we did, we also stopped in Mykonos. When we docked with the NCL ship we were close to the old city but the Royal Caribbean stops at a slightly further location, so there are several options to get from the ship to the old city. The cheapest options are the bus that comes frequently or a bus ferry that has a stop right next to where the ship docks. I thought it was possible to reach the old city by foot, but after 15 minutes of walking with Maya on the road and with the wind, we gave up and I ordered a taxi. The taxi was expensive and there was a lot of traffic at the entrance to the old city so it probably wasn’t the best option :). 

Mykonos is stunning and I personally can walk for hours among the alleys and take pictures there. Last time we also hadn’t done too much, just a tour of the city and went to a small beach there, where we ate ice cream at the seaside and had lunch.

Santorini

The truth is that I originally was a little afraid to travel in Santorini with the girls because there are a lot of stairs and it’s difficult to get up there by foot. It’s possible to get there on the cable car, but there usually is a very long line for it. 

However, we had learned from last time what to do and in the end the visit to Santorini was really successful with the girls. Last time we had left the ship early in the morning but everyone else also chooses this option and what happens is that then there is a crazy line for the cable car (over an hour) or you have to go up on foot (or on donkeys, which I am against this option) and it is a difficult and exhausting ascent of at least half an hour that’s even worse with the August heat.

This time we decided to leave the ship at noon because the stop in Santorini was until the night. And this decision ended up being excellent because we were the only ones out at that hour, and we were the only ones on the cable car, which meant that we got on without waiting a minute in line. One mistake we did make, however, was that we took a stroller with us and you can’t walk around Santorini with one. So we decided to go around only with a baby carrier (we left the stroller on the side close to the cable car and it was stolen – no doubt we were too naive when we thought no one would take it). Anyway we walked around with Sophie in the carrier and with Maya on foot and we had a really nice time.

We eventually decided to sit down to eat something small and drink wine at a stunning place called Franco’s bar, which was pleasant.

In short, a tour of a few hours with children in Santorini can be extremely enjoyable, especially when you are there at sunset with a glass of wine.

Athens

We were in Athens in December 2017 for a week and we loved this city, as it’s a fun and interesting place, filled with many bars, cafes, taverns, markets and entertaining tours. Here’s a post I wrote about recommendations for Athens.

The Royal Caribbean docks at the port and to get to the city center you can take a train, which is really convenient and fast because then there are stations in central places throughout. Otherwise, you can take a bus or taxi from the port to arrive there.

In Athens we also just walked around the city. We started the day with coffee at a cafe in a cool hostel called Athens Hub Hostel, which is a place with a youthful atmosphere and fresh juices and delicious coffee.

Then we went for a walk around the Monastiraki flea market and had lunch close to the market at a Greek food restaurant.

Important things to know before booking a cruise

1. For those traveling with a baby or toddler, it is important for me to point out that it is not allowed to put them in the pool on a cruise if they still wear diapers for fear of bacteria from the urine or feces. It’s like that in all the American cruise companies, like Royal and Norwegian, and we weren’t aware of this before. There are ships that have a special pool for babies, but the one from Israel and Cyprus does not.

2. There is an obligation to tip (on all cruises in all companies there is an obligation to pay tips) which costs $16 per person per day (it cost us around $450 extra for 4 people). 

I’ve received messages from different people who claim that they went to the reception and asked not to pay the tips and pay the room cleaner themselves, and that they were approved with no more issues. 

I personally haven’t done it that way, and we just paid for the tips.

3. The ship that departs from Israel and Cyprus is the Rhapsody of the Seas. It is a relatively old ship and does not have attractions such as slides or the kinds of other facilities that are available on newer ships.

Our lessons for the next cruise

1. Next time we will book the room with the balcony; it is more affordable than the mini suite, which is only a little bigger and has a coffee machine and bathrobes but costs 30% more.

2. We’ll fly to another destination in order to take a cruise on a newer ship with more attractions.

In conclusion

We really enjoyed the cruise and so did the girls, but we definitely learned lessons for next time and there is no doubt that the day is not far off when we will do another whole-family cruise because it was a great vacation and especially when Sophie grows up a little more it will be amazing. If you are an all-inclusive hotel kind of person, then you will certainly enjoy a cruise as well. If you are a person who likes nature, peace, and boutique hotels more, then probably a less high-end cruise will also suit you.

I would love to hear what your experiences have been like if you’ve taken a cruise before.