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An aerial view of the Cypriot coastline and clear sea

Cyprus · Eastern Mediterranean

Cyprus

The last place in the Mediterranean still warm enough to swim in November, and the first warm enough in April. A seven-month season, two airports, and four resort areas that suit very different people.

4h 40m direct · PFO / LCANo visa for UK passportsApr–Nov seasonGuide price from £429pp

The short version

East or west decides everything

Cyprus has two airports at opposite ends — Paphos in the west, Larnaca in the east — and about ninety minutes of motorway between them. The east around Protaras and Ayia Napa has the white sand and the clearest water. The west around Paphos has the archaeology, the hills and the quieter resorts. Book a Paphos flight for a Protaras hotel and you've added three hours of coach to your holiday.

An aerial view of a white sand beach and turquoise water

The east

Protaras and Ayia Napa are not the same place

They're twenty minutes apart and sold interchangeably. Ayia Napa has Nissi Beach and a genuinely serious nightlife scene. Protaras, round the corner, is family-focused, low-rise and quiet by eleven — Fig Tree Bay is one of the best family beaches in the Mediterranean. Same coast, same sand, completely different week. We'll ask which you want before we quote.

A white building on a rock formation above the sea

The west

Paphos has more going on than the beach

A UNESCO-listed archaeological park with Roman mosaics, the Tombs of the Kings, and the Troodos mountains an hour inland with painted Byzantine churches and, in winter, actual snow. Beaches here are smaller and rockier than the east. If you want to do something other than lie down, this is the end to book.

An aerial view of the shoreline and sea in Cyprus

Pick your end

Four areas, two airports

Transfer times matter here more than on most islands. Check which airport your quote flies into against where the hotel actually is.

East · 45 min from LCA

Protaras & Pernera

The family end of the east coast. White sand, shallow clear water, low-rise hotels and very little noise after dark.

Fig Tree Bay: The main beach and the reason people come back. Shallow, sandy and consistently rated among Europe's best.
Pernera: Quieter still, a small harbour and a run of coves. Good with young children.
Kapparis: Northern edge, closest to the Famagusta view. Calm and residential.
Cape Greco: Not a resort — a headland of sea caves and clear water between Protaras and Ayia Napa.

East · 45 min from LCA

Ayia Napa

Famous for the nightlife, but the beaches are the real asset — Nissi and Makronissos are as good as anything in the Med. Much broader than its reputation these days.

Nissi Beach: The postcard bay. Busy, beautiful, and a short walk from the strip.
Makronissos: Three sheltered coves west of town. Family-friendly and calmer.
Ayia Napa town: Square and strip. Loud in July and August, unrecognisably quiet in May and October.
Ayia Thekla: A few minutes further west and much quieter. Where locals go.

West · 20 min from PFO

Paphos

Archaeology, a harbour castle and a long seafront. Beaches are smaller and often shingle, but the hinterland is the best on the island.

Kato Paphos: Harbour, mosaics and the hotel strip. Walkable and well-served.
Coral Bay: Twenty minutes north. The best sandy beach in the west and a family favourite.
Latchi & Polis: Far north-west, near the Akamas peninsula. Low-key, rural and beautiful.
Pissouri: Between Paphos and Limassol. A hillside village above a long quiet bay.

South · 45 min from LCA or PFO

Limassol

The island's second city, and the one with a proper year-round life — a restored old town, a marina, and the smartest hotels on the island.

Limassol marina: New, smart, and the best restaurants in Cyprus.
Amathus: The five-star strip east of the city, on the site of an ancient town.
Governor's Beach: White chalk cliffs and dark sand, twenty minutes east. Unusual and quiet.
Kourion: Not a resort — a Greco-Roman theatre on a cliff, still used for performances.

Our speciality

Cyprus and the Holy Land, or Cyprus and Israel

Larnaca is a 45-minute flight from Tel Aviv and around an hour from Beirut and Amman, which makes Cyprus one of the easiest beach halves to bolt onto a Middle East trip. We also pair it with Dubai on the way further east.

Paphos5 nightsArchaeology, Akamas, the Troodos.
Drive · 2h
Protaras5 nightsFig Tree Bay and the east-coast sand.
Flight · 3h 45m
Dubai3 nightsOn the way home, or on the way further east.

Cyprus sits between Europe and the Gulf, which makes it unusually easy to combine. Ask us to price the two-centre version alongside the straight beach week.

When to go

Seven months, and November still swims

Cyprus has the longest beach season in the Mediterranean. Sea temperature is still around 22°C in November — warmer than the English Channel in August — and April is already swimmable. July and August are very hot inland and busy on the coast.

JanCool

FebCool

MarMild

Apr22°

May26°

Jun30°

Jul33°

Aug33°

Sep30°

Oct27°

Nov23°

DecQuiet

May, June, September and October are the value months. October in particular is excellent — high twenties, warm sea, and prices well below August. The Troodos mountains get enough snow for a small ski season in January and February.

Worth leaving the resort for

What we'd actually book

A person standing on a rock formation above the sea

Cape Greco

Sea caves, an arch and the clearest water on the island. Snorkel gear and an early start.

Akamas peninsula

Undeveloped headland in the far west. Blue Lagoon by boat, or a 4x4 track to Lara turtle beach.

Troodos churches

Ten painted Byzantine churches, UNESCO-listed, in mountain villages. A cool day out when the coast is 33°C.

Paphos mosaics

Roman floor mosaics in the archaeological park, still where they were laid. Go before ten; there's no shade.

Limassol marina

Restaurants, bars and a walkable old town behind. The best evening on the island.

Latchi and the Blue Lagoon

Boat out from Latchi harbour to swim in the Akamas coves. Half a day, and worth doing on a calm morning.

Kourion

A Greco-Roman theatre cut into a cliff above the sea, still hosting performances in summer.

Nissi Beach

Ayia Napa's famous bay. Genuinely lovely at eight in the morning, and a different proposition by noon.

The practical bits

Things that catch people out

Two airportsPaphos (PFO) west, Larnaca (LCA) east, about 90 minutes apart. Match the airport to the resort.

DrivingOn the left, like the UK — one of very few Mediterranean destinations where that's true.

Time zoneTwo hours ahead of the UK, all year.

CurrencyEuro in the Republic. The north uses Turkish lira and is a separate matter — ask us before planning to cross.

Sea temperature19°C in April, 27°C in September, still 22°C in November. The longest swimming season in the Med.

LanguageEnglish is very widely spoken; Cyprus was British until 1960 and it shows.

Sun bedsCharged on organised beaches, typically €10–12 a pair. Municipal beaches are cheaper.

PassportsEU rules: three months' validity beyond your return, under ten years old on entry. We check both.

A white sand beach and clear turquoise water

Before you book

Five things worth knowing

Protaras and Ayia Napa are different holidays. Twenty minutes apart, sold as the same thing. One is families and quiet evenings; the other is Nissi Beach and a serious club scene.

Match the airport. Paphos to Protaras is well over two hours. Larnaca to Paphos is much the same. It's the easiest money you'll save on comfort.

East for sand, west for everything else. The eastern beaches are white and shallow. The west has smaller, rockier beaches and far more to do off them.

They drive on the left. Which makes hire cars genuinely stress-free for British drivers — unusual in the Mediterranean and worth taking advantage of.

October is the secret. High twenties, warm sea, half the crowds and noticeably lower prices. Our pick of the year if the school run allows it.

Next step

Tell us your dates and we'll match the airport

Send your dates, party and rough budget and we'll come back with the right end of the island, the right airport, and the payment plan written out in full.

Your money is protected. Trip Tides is a travel agent — we book your holiday with a travel company, and that company is named on your quote and confirmation. Your contract is with them. If your holiday is a package including flights, put together by an ATOL holder, you'll get an ATOL certificate naming that company. We confirm in writing what protection applies before you pay.

Cyprus packages

Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.

7 nights in Cyprus

All inclusive · May–Oct

Return flights and private transfers
All inclusive throughout
Financial protection confirmed in writing before you pay

from £479per person

Get a quote

10 nights in Cyprus

All inclusive · May–Oct

Return flights and private transfers
All inclusive throughout
The extra nights cost proportionally less — fixed costs don't change

from £609per person

Get a quote

14 nights in Cyprus

Half board · May–Oct

Return flights and private transfers
Half board throughout
Best value per night, and worth it on a longer flight

from £729per person

Get a quote

Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.