Protaris in cyprus is a fab resort, loads to do great beaches, lots of places to eat,traditional and modern. Not to in your face but you won't be lost for things to do. I loved it and will definitely go back to the same place. When you say Greece is to quiet, where were you looking at? Been to lots of different islands and some certainly weren't quiet!

hi michelle

have visited cyprus twice. We stayed in nissi beach which is near ayia napa so best of both worlds plenty of clubs and resurants in ayia napa that is easily accessible by tax and public transport but then back in nissi beach its quiet and a beautiful beach to catch some rays if thats your type of thing!!

second time we stayed in pernera which again is very near protaras, protaras is a family resort but still plenty going on, bars resturants and entertainment. We love cyprus and have no probs in recommending it as a country well worth a visit. june was hot and august was boiling!!! there are members who have visited many times so im sure they will be able to help a little more than myself

lily

my preferance would be Pernera its smaller and less in the face of its big brother Protaras [be aware Tour operators sell both as Protaras]

yasus
wizard

Pernera is our favourite place, its smaller and quieter than Protaras but has plenty going on, bars like the Ranch Bar and The Barley Mow doing great entertainment, lots of good restaurants (Nautilus Trattoria for Italian, The Fresh House for a range of well cooked dishes etc...) good beaches... and taxi rank, bus stops, car hire, bike hire to get around.. lots of trips available, boats, 4x4s, coach etc...

and if you want more to see its a short walk (about 20-25mins) to Protaras or a 15minute drive to Ayia Napa (the fit amongst us can cycle to Ayia Napa along the cycle path out above Protaras)......

Steve

Sorry to disagree with the comments so far, but when we stayed in Protaras I felt that we could have been anywhere in the Med as it didn't feel at all Cypriot or traditional. However I agree that there was plenty to do and loads of places to eat.

I felt Paphos was more traditional, but I know a lot of people prefer other places so maybe I'm odd.

luci

Stayed in Pernera 5 times , wins hands down for us, great restaurants, great trips, lovely beaches, a lovely walk into protaras.

I have to agree with Lucy in part - there's nothing traditional about Protaras. It's a man made resort.

Ayia Napa has more tradition than Protaras... as it has a traditional harbour and a square.

Paralimni was always the more traditional place in that location but now it's very difficult to find the original resort amongst all the new build and the sprawl that has joined Ayia Napa, Protaras and Paralimni pretty much together. The other is Dhyrenia.

For something as close to "tradition" then the seafront at Finikoudes palm tree lined promenade in Larnaca and by the old mosque is more like it in the Eastern side.

If you're looking for traditional Cyprus you've got to get away from the resorts and head inland to the villages. Some of the villages have converted traditional stone houses into tourist B&B's or self-catering apartments and go under the Agrotourism name. You will find a number of them between Limassol and Larnaca in the inland villages.

Paphos for me is a real "no, no" now - it's no longer the small traditional place that it used to be. The old town where the market is and by the police station and Town Hall is pretty much all that's left.

Pissouri village still has some of its' quaintness and reminiscence of what it once was - but Pissouri Bay (not the village) is now full of holiday villas, apartments and "posh" hotels near a shingle beach.

Limassol and Larnaca are the only resorts that continue to allow the old and the new to live side by side.

I've been holidaying in Cyprus since 1985 and living on the outskirts of west Limassol since March 2004. There are a few tourist villages such as Omodos and Agros in the Limassol districts with holiday accommodation or Kalavosos (Larnaca district), or for more traditional "village" life - you could try Pachna or Arsos villages. They are about 25km drive from the highway exit near Episkopi (highway from Paphos airport heading towards Limassol).

The "alternative" Cyprus of course is the North. We have visited many times for day trips but last year we did stay over one night by the harbour of Kyrenia at the British Hotel and it does have the traditional feel of "old" Cyprus but is very quiet and doesn't sound like what the opening poster is looking for.

Quite frankly, if Greece didn't swing it for you - then I'm not too sure that Cyprus would either. I would say you're at least 20 years too late for traditional Cyprus

Shell
Limassol, Cyprus

Well it is back to Paphos again come October. Our 4th time since 2004 with Ayia Napa/Nissi Beach the other years. I think however that others have summed it up. There is some traditional stuff if you get out and explore but very hard to find. One or two less overdeveloped places that we like to visit when we go but they have always changed a little more each time we visit.
I do sometimes wonder what people want/expect from holiday destinations no matter which country they visit. They say traditional yet want all mod cons and comforts. We are in the 21st century so why should we expect these places and their people not to be the same?

fwh

fwh

I totally agree.

And if anyone wants to go back to "traditions" well they are quite welcome to come and spend a Cyprus winter in our rented house between Kolossi and Polemedia villages. The same one we've been in since we arrived in 2004.

When it's been raining as much as it has these last 3 - 4 weeks and you get up in the morning to no sun so having to go back to the "good old days" of relying on the immersion heater for hot water plus the Calor gas heater (those portable ones you can get back in UK) and our 2 kerosene heaters which we carry around between the living room and the bathroom - there's your "tradition".

Reminds me of when I was a kid back in UK when we still had a coal fire - long before the gas fires or central heating....

Most central heating in Cyprus is oil fired so you will see the wagons appearing every so often at houses in the street filling up the tanks. Some houses have wood burning stoves but we just dig the rugs out and make the most of our 3 trusty fires!

Temperatures have been pretty low overnight and there's 150cm of snow up on Mount Olympus at the moment. On Friday, there was 90cm of snow, it dumped loads of rain on us from Saturday teatime and all day Sunday at sea level which meant more snow for the mountain. It never stopped all day.... Yesterday was the first time in 8 years that I've been able to see the snow line almost all the way along the highway on the way into Limassol to work.

But come the summer when the temperatures are up in the low 40's for six weeks on end - will someone please remind me of this posting!

Shell (in a wet and quite cool)
Limassol, Cyprus