The island of Cyprus seems to be a perfect place to spend some time lying on the beach and forgetting about all of your problems. And that is something we all need from time to time - just a peaceful rest on the seashore. Cyprus can offer a quiet family vacation options - Larnaka, Limassol - but also has popular resorts full of modern nightclubs for youngsters - Ayia Napa, Paphos. Depending on your goals and preferences, you can choose what suits you best. This post will be dedicated to the family vacation style, as I'm not a big fan of nightclubs and enjoy going on excursions instead.
Larnaka welcomes you with a bright sun and palm trees. On your way from the airport to a hotel, you can see the famous salt lake from the window of your car. There's nothing too exciting about it except for the beautiful flamingos living there. It will be a good idea to visit this place and take pictures as its location is not very convenient to come here again. Be aware that the flamingos do not stay here all year round, and usually come at the end of October to spend the winter time on the lake.
The beaches are very nice and cosy, with fine sand and wooden umbrellas to be able to hide from the sun. Some people spend here day after day and don't get bored of this kind of rest. There is a newly built esplanade where you can walk in the evening because - well, there's not much to do in the evening unless you want to get drunk in a nearby pub. That said, you can visit numerous cafes and restaurants situated close to the sea and enjoy fresh and delicious fish dishes and the sea views; the local Greek Cypriot cuisine is simple and tasty with lots of appetisers. The only problem is a language barrier. It's difficult to communicate with locals as they almost never speak English. So make sure to take a friend who happens to be a translator with you or just install a translation app.
Once you get tired of spending your time on the beach, you can visit some of the cities and go sightseeing there. Nicosia - the capital of the Greek side of Cyprus - will make you understand what a city of contrasts actually means. If you go there by bus, you'll see piles of garbage everywhere near the station. The city center is quite nice. Cyprus is full of ancient churches and archaeological sites you can visit. But don't get too excited walking around the city as you might accidentally cross the border and get into trouble. The northern part of the island belongs to Turkey and if you go there, you can't visit the southern one and vice versa.
I must say that my experience with the offered excursions was not that great. It's better to stay on the beach in Larnaka than visit the dirty and buzzing cities of Cyprus.There are a lot of construction plants in Larnaka, and soon it will be full of new hotels. It's better to go there now when there are not so many tourists yet. The most beautiful time on the island is at the sunset, when the heat is dying down and the sky has breathtaking colors. Take a glass of cold wine and gaze to the sea. There is nothing more relaxing and mesmerising than watching the sun hide behind the horizon.
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