Review of Cyprus and Hotel Papatonia, Protaras

by Gemma
(Bristol)

The hotel Papatonia in Protaras was just ok, a bit grubby especially the carpets. There was no aircon in the living area so me and my 3yr old boiled on our first night - it was late July. So I took the sofa cushions off and slept in with my parents as it was the only room with aircon. As you can imagine they weren't too pleased!

We hired a car which was reasonably priced, roads and signs were very easy, scenery isn't that great as it's mostly motorways, but heading into Paphos was very beautiful. We weren't too keen on the locals; they all spoke English but were quite miserable. Food was lovely, didn't have one bad meal in our 2week stay. Fig tree bay was gorgeous, safe and shallow for little ones. Nissi beach isn't too bad but not the the tropical bay we were expecting. It was packed with young singles not suitable for families as my son found it hard to play without bugging somebody. Nicosia is the only place to shop, a few boutiques such as Peacocks and Debenhams. Paphos was my favourite place, lots of souviner shops and a market, also do visit tomb of the kings which was very interesting but not good for buggies.

There is a lovely harbour in Paphos full of restaurants. If you're thinking of booking a holiday to Cyprus, Paphos is the place to go. If you do hire a car, visit Troodos mountains, it's beautiful. If you cross over the border into the North your car is not insured and have your passports ready, as the Turkish guards with their guns are rather scary. We all enjoyed our holiday but are unsure whether to go back.

P.S Limmasol is rubbish, don't waste your time.

Overall i'll give Cyprus a 7 out of 10.