Finally I found the time to write this blog about our trip to Cyprus. It was actually the first time that I went to this place, but happy we decided to plan our half term to this beautiful island. Although we had just a week, it felt much longer afterwards as we made so many nice trips every day. In this blog I will share you where we stayed and what things you must do and see when you spend a couple of days in South/West Cyprus.
As we are normally not really into the touristy things we booked our residence more close to the mountains in a picturesque village called Vouni. This village is characterised by its narrow streets, great views (as it’s on a hill), painted coloured wood work, flowers, cats, locals and nice restaurants (taverns) where you can have the best local Cyprus dishes.
We stayed in Villa Cabernet, which is on a walking distance from the centre of the village. This villa is perfect if you are a family with children as it includes a large bedroom with a double bed and a bunkbed, there is a living room, an equipped kitchen with dining area, two bathrooms and laundry facilities. The outdoor area offers a wood oven, covered dining area and a large swimming pool with great views over the mountains.
As we wanted to see more of Cyprus than the village where we stayed, we’ve rented a car for the entire week. Better to book one in advance as it cost more time and money if you do this once you have arrived at the airport. Make sure you hire a small car, as most streets in Cyprus are very narrow, especially close to the mountains.
After we had explored Vouni the first day, we planned a trip towards the sea. As the weather in Cyprus is mostly sunny and even during Autumn still around 24 degrees, it’s the perfect trip to spend an afternoon at the beach. There are many beaches in Cyprus, but we decided to go to Melanda Beach which is just a 35 min drive from Vouni. This place is very child friendly, not touristy and you can find a great fish restaurant nearby where you can have lunch or dinner with a stunning view over the water and the sound of the sea at the back.
The nice thing about the island is that we were able to plan a diversity of day trips that were all drivable from the residence where we stayed over the week. So after we spent a day along the beach and in Vouni, we decided to head over to one of the bigger (port) cities of Cyprus, Limassol.
The city is located on the south coast of the island along the beautiful Bay of Akrotiri, there are also several different beaches where you can choose from. It all depends of what you prefer, more quiet and between the locals, or busy and more touristy, you can find both here.
And if you don’t feel like you want to go to he beach there are luckily many other things to do. If you are with kids it’s fun to bring a visit to the Zoo, the Water Park or one of the many museums. But you can also spend an afternoon shopping combined with a nice lunch or dinner in one of the cozy restaurants along the promenade or in the city centre.
The next day we felt we wanted to explore more of the wine area of Cyprus and so we planned a trip towards the valleys and mountains where you can find different wineries spread over the area. We brought a visit to Tsiakkas Winery, a well-known winery in Cyprus and definitely worth to bring a visit as it will offer you, next to a great tasting, also a stunning view over the vineyards of the island.
On the way back to Vouni we decided to change our route to make a stop in Omodos, a small village with many boutiques and restaurants. In the end I found it a bit too touristy, as everything felt really designed and focussed on the ‘experience’ of Cyprus in one place, especially in the centre. But in the end still worth to bring a visit and stroll around though the narrow streets.
The last day we felt we wanted to see another city of Cyprus and decided to bring a visit to Paphos.
Next to Larnaca and Limassol, a very popular bad place in the South of Cyprus. Paphos is a popular seaside resort on the southwest coast of Cyprus and has a lot to offer.
A large part of Paphos is even on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which you can discover at
Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos. But if you feel like you want to relax on the beach then you can definitely find a spot somewhere near a hotel or close to the centre of Kato Paphos, called Alykes Beach, also very popular among water sporters.
What a week, we had seen and done so many things that it felt way longer. Happy we stayed in a more quiet village in the mountains as we could always come back to relax after a busy day somewhere else. I would say Cyprus is a perfect holiday destination to spend a week, especially when you are travelling with kids. As it’s not too big and crowded, it’s great to discover it by car and plan some different activities that are fun for the whole family.
