These are unusual times, and the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Our writers visited these hotels pre-pandemic.
For children, Cyprus is one huge playground. There are beaches to explore, calm Mediterranean waters to paddle, expansive pools to splash about in, towns to wander for shops and ice cream, and many, many activities to enjoy on and off-site. These range from quad biking to local zoo tours, centres like the Mouflon (ovis ophion) enclosure for learning about conservation, and sports academies for golf, football, tennis, diving and even horse riding. Pirate ships leave the harbours for a day of fun, and many Cyprus family holidays revolve around resort towns where excursions and day trips can be booked.
And then there are the kids’ clubs – where educational activities merge with craft workshops, games tournaments and even children’s parties, for all ages. For adults looking to keep their family busy, it’s a dream. Especially with many hotels offering romantic restaurants, bars overlooking the ocean, nightclubs, and soothing spas for parents to while away a few hours while their children are being looked after by babysitters, childminders and club organisers. For a holiday to suit everyone, here’s our pick of the best family hotels in Cyprus.
Columbia Beach Resort
Pissouri, Cyprus
A lively yet supremely elegant resort with facilities for families and a quieter adults-only area, located in a crescent-shaped bay mid-way between Paphos and Limassol. Days can be spent enjoying the beach and watersports, taking boat trips, or splashing about in family swimming lessons. Children aged from four months to four years are welcomed in the Cub Life crèche, while those aged up to 12 can take part in workshops as part of the Den Kids Club. Continuing the resort’s traditional Cypriot rustic-cum-contemporary theme, accommodation is cosy yet luxurious, with some interconnecting suites offered. Parents can also expect children’s menus, a babysitting service, and items as toiletries and nappies available to pre-order.
From
£
114
per night
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• The best hotels in Cyprus
Coral Beach Hotel & Resort
Paphos, Cyprus
This perennial five-star, which hugs the shoreline of Coral Bay in the Paphos district, is one of the best family hotels in Cyprus for its endless facilities. Three outside pools are complete with tropical island gardens and rocks formed to create waterfalls. There’s an indoor pool, an Olympic-sized pool, and courts for tennis and squash. Elsewhere, the spa is a sanctuary for parents while children and teens are kept busy with the crèche and supervised clubs and activities. Rooms are fresh with white walls and wooden floors, crisp bed linens and splashes of blue, or terracotta shades – and there are Family suites or interconnecting rooms, with cribs if requested. Most restaurants – and dining here is a serious business with more restaurants than there are days in the week – have children’s menus.
From
£
64
per night
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Capo Bay Beach Hotel
Protaras, Cyprus
The Capo Bay, located in Protaras and right on the doorstep of one of the best beaches in Cyprus, is a place that manages to blend an informal atmosphere of family relaxation with edgy styling. From the moment you step inside, you know you’re somewhere out of the ordinary. Tropical gardens, contemporary works by local artists on walls and objets d’art constitute the quirky yet sophisticated touches, while an abundance of leisure facilities and restaurants designed for families add to the overall effect. There’s a fully-supervised Kid’s Club offering youngsters the chance to enjoy workshops and games, as well as a playground in the gardens and a dedicated pool. The coastal waters are popular for scuba diving and snorkelling.
From
£
86
per night
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Grecian Park Hotel
Cape Greco, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Expect impeccably manicured gardens surrounding lagoon-style pools, understated honey and cream-coloured elegance in restaurants and lounges, and a beach reached via a nature trail (or shuttle if easier) at this sprawling resort on the periphery of the National Park of Cape Greco. Watersports, including diving to the shipwrecks, are available through a partner company and there are floodlit tennis courts, a children’s pool and playground, a summer-only kids’ club for youngsters aged from four to 12 years and a games room for teens. The hotel’s health club even has a programme to correct postural problems through exercise for under-14s. Adults may choose to spend their free time in the spa by day and the nightclub (in high season) by night.
From
£
107
per night
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Golden Bay Beach Hotel
Larnaca, Cyprus
The Golden Bay Beach enjoys a beach-side location on the periphery of Larnaca. Childminders entertain little ones at the Mini Club (summer months only) and there’s a play area with swings, slides and climbing frames in the gardens, together with a pool specially for youngsters. At a time when many holidaying families never leave a resort’s boundaries and see local life, it is refreshing to see this hotel has a traditional Cypriot taverna in its grounds. Here at To Petrino guests can hear local music being played on the bouzouki and enjoy a menu that has nothing but Cypriot classics. For à la carte cuisine head for the hotel’s revamped and plush Les Etoiles restaurant, or dine more informally at the Thalassa or Yacht Club (all have kids’ menus).
From
£
109
per night
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• The best hotels in Limassol
Aphrodite Hills Resort
Paphos, Cyprus
This sumptuous hotel with panoramic sea views is surrounded by the manicured greens of one of the island’s finest golf courses. Opposite the course’s clubhouse is the Retreat Spa, a resplendent sanctuary with packages available for youngsters aged between eight and 15 and their parents. Nearby is the Aphrodite Hills Tennis Academy with its red clay and new plexicushion courts, while within the resort’s grounds is a horse riding club and the Village Square, plus numerous new attractions for children including a splash park, soccer school, kids’ clubs, craft workshops and even parties. Standard Deluxe rooms have either a private or swim-up pool, as do some of the interconnecting rooms and self-contained suites.
From
£
88
per night
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• The best hotels in Paphos
Amathus Beach Hotel
Limassol, Cyprus
With its gardens, super guestrooms, and array of children’s amenities, this is one of the best hotels in Cyprus for families seeking a friendly beachside base. A choice of upmarket restaurants (including the Pelican restaurant with menus for smaller appetites) is complemented by leisure facilities that include an outdoor freshwater swimming pool, a further pool with waterslides for families, and an indoor pool. There are two floodlit tennis courts, a spa and a gym, and the nearby Amathus Beach is co-managed with its sister hotel, the Four Seasons. Children have their own Pelican Kid’s Club with a programme of games and educational workshops, plus soft toy corner and a high-tech games room. Plus, the hotel is often frequented by magicians and clowns.
From
£
152
per night
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The GrandResort
Limassol, Cyprus
A cocoon-like feel of luxury is the deal at the GrandResort. There are seven restaurants (from à la carte Japanese cuisine and fish and seafood platters, to French and Greek gourmet-style plates and buffet dining), a handful of bars and a whole host of sports facilities such as pools, a playground, floodlit Astrocourt for tennis, snooker room and watersports. Add to this a spa known by locals for its serenity, and a nightclub, and adults can enjoy a few hours of grown-up bliss. Part of the pleasure of a stay here is the chance to sit on a balcony, perhaps with a glass of something, and admire the view (some rooms have sea views, while others look towards the Troodos Mountains).
From
£
180
per night
Rates provided by
Booking.com