I have just returned from my honeymoon in Protaras, Cyprus and we have had a fantastic time. I will review the hotel that we stayed in separately (Capo Bay Hotel).
Protaras is on the East side of Cyprus, near to Ayia Napa. It is in the Paralimni/Famagusta area. Protaras is purely a holiday ... Read review
eight kilometres of Paralimni and Ayia Napa's buzzing nightlife. The 225 contemporary guestrooms are simply decorated with patterned fabrics and wood furnishings. All include balconies, air conditioning, Internet access, satellite television, direct dial phones, hair dryers, minibars (on request) and safes. The hotel offers a number of dining options: the Capo Greco Restaurant serves a range of international and local dishes in an elegant setting with a terrace area, and the open air New Pavilion Restaurant offers a range of regional and international cuisine, including speciality fish dishes, in a relaxed setting with sea views. The Parasol Poolside Bar serves a range of hot and cold snacks and drinks throughout the day. Guests can compete on the tennis and volleyball courts, learn scuba skills at the hotel's onsite diving centre, and go for a cooling dip in one of two swimming pools. The Health Club houses a fully equipped fitness room, and guests can relax in the sauna, jetted tub and massage treatment room. A hair salon, souvenir shop and boutique are all available, and guests can sip cocktails, to the accompaniment of live music and cabaret, at the Aquarium Bar. Those on business can benefit from two conference rooms and a range of audio visual equipment, while further practical amenities include a 24 hour front desk with safe deposit box, dry cleaning facilities, a multilingual concierge, and complimentary parking onsite. The hotel is well placed for exploring the surrounding area; Cape Greco is three kilometres away, the Red Villages are ten kilometres away, Larnaca is 50 kilometres away, and Nicosia is at an 80 kilometre distance. Larnaca International Airport is 40 kilometres away, and takes approximately an hour to reach by car.
eight kilometres of Paralimni and Ayia Napa's buzzing nightlife. The 225 contemporary guestrooms are simply decorated with patterned fabrics and wood furnishings. All include balconies, air conditioning, Internet access, satellite television, direct dial phones, hair dryers, minibars (on request) and safes. The hotel offers a number of dining options: the Capo Greco Restaurant serves a range of international and local dishes in an elegant setting with a terrace area, and the open air New Pavilion Restaurant offers a range of regional and international cuisine, including speciality fish dishes, in a relaxed setting with sea views. The Parasol Poolside Bar serves a range of hot and cold snacks and drinks throughout the day. Guests can compete on the tennis and volleyball courts, learn scuba skills at the hotel's onsite diving centre, and go for a cooling dip in one of two swimming pools. The Health Club houses a fully equipped fitness room, and guests can relax in the sauna, jetted tub and massage treatment room. A hair salon, souvenir shop and boutique are all available, and guests can sip cocktails, to the accompaniment of live music and cabaret, at the Aquarium Bar. Those on business can benefit from two conference rooms and a range of audio visual equipment, while further practical amenities include a 24 hour front desk with safe deposit box, dry cleaning facilities, a multilingual concierge, and complimentary parking onsite. The hotel is well placed for exploring the surroundingarea; Cape Greco is three kilometres away, the Red Villages are ten kilometres away, Larnaca is 50 kilometres away, and Nicosia is at an 80 kilometre distance. Larnaca International Airport is 40 kilometres away, and takes approximately an hour to reach by car.
A review by kismet on Protaras (Cyprus) November 8th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Excellent
Sightseeing
Excellent
Shopping
Excellent
Nightlife
Excellent
Ease of getting around
Excellent
Advantages:
lovely area, fantastic beach, nice people
Disadvantages:
everything closes on 31 october ! !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I have just returned from my honeymoon in Protaras, Cyprus and we have had a fantastic time. I will review the hotel that we stayed in separately (Capo Bay Hotel).
Protaras is on the East side of Cyprus, near to Ayia Napa. It is in the Paralimni/Famagusta area. Protaras is purely a holiday spot, it closes from November to March and I mean CLOSES! But more of that later on. Protaras is next to Ayia Napa, but it is family orientated and does not attract the gangs of lads that Ayia Napa does. We were there for two weeks, one of which was half-term and the place was packed with families.
Protaras is a modern, purpose-built resort located 14km east of Ayia Napa. The resort stretches over 6km along the sandy-beached coastline, interspersed with rocky coves. The resort has two main focal points - Fig Tree Bay and Pernera Beach - where the majority of hotels and bars are to be found. Protaras attracts families and couples wanting to enjoy the stunning beaches of the eastern coastline but without the frenetic nightlife of neighbouring Ayia Napa!
The fine beaches shelve gently into the sea and so are particularly good for families with children.
We travelled with Argo (who were useless and I would not travel with them again, we never saw our rep once!).
We stayed at the Capo Bay Hotel which is near the lower end of the strip. Our hotel was right on the beach of the fantistic Fig Tree Bay. I have written a separate review on that to include more detail in each review.
Protaras has a great selection of bars, tavernas and supermarkets/souvenir shops. There is really something for everybody there.
My favourites were:
Only Friends Pub +++++++++++++
this is a bar which serves English food and plays non-stop dvd's of Friends tv show. This was a great bar to go to. The staff were lovely and friendly and as with all greek places, the more you go, the better they treat you. We were even given free food when they had a staff barbecue. The food was served very quickly and was very cheap, around £4 (cypriot) for an omelette or jacket potato.
Nicolas Tavern ++++++++++++
this is a traditional Cypriot taverna which serves fantastic Cypriot food, cooked in a real clay oven. The service was fantastic and we were given free brandy, salad and desserts, the more that we went there. Nicolas is very proud of his oven and his food. My husband had Kleftiko (lamb roasted for 8 hours) and it was so tender. I had chicken breast, stuffed with mushrooms. All meals are served with vegetables, rice and potatoes.
The only trouble was we could never fit in a dessert as we were too full from the huge meals that they served up!
Diva ++++
Diva is a "posher" restaurant, which was recommended to us by the locals. They said that it is expensive, but you get what you pay for and that this fish is so fresh it is practically swimming on your plate!
The Love Boat ++++++++++++
The selection of food here was good, although mainly English. The entertainment was the main thing here. We were able to "see" Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones and Elvis. (Elvis is very popular in Cyprus). This place was extremely popular with families, and also did Kareoke.
These were just our favourite places. There were loads more, all selling good English food and great cocktails. Another popular bar was Only Fools & Horses, which showed the tv show, along with football. There were a lot of kareoke places and also several Elvis bars!
FOOD +++++ When I go abroad I do like to eat different foods and not just eat pie and chips every night, but if that is what you are looking for, then you will not be disappointed as there is plenty of English food available. There are also several Cypriot tavernas and restaurants which sell a great variety of food.
There is a Pizza Hut and a McDonalds in Protaras. The "golden arches" can be seen for miles around, which is a shame. I must admit that we did go to Pizza Hut one night as I craved a decent Hawaiin pizza and it does taste just like home. They must ship the frozen pizzas out there, ready to cook!
BEACH ++++++
Our hotel was on the fantastic Fig Tree Bay beach, which is rated as one of the best in Europe. It has a blue flag and two lifeguards watching over you.
The tide is minimal, and the waves are small but powerful. The beach shelves quite steeply initially, which gives the minimal tide. There are plenty of sun loungers (which you have to pay for)
There is a great selection of watersports. Stavros is very friendly and helpful. There is the banana, the ringo, parasailing, boat hire, pedalo hire and much more.
The beach is down some quite steep steps, but there is also disable access ramp.
There are other beaches all the way along the strip with the other hotels.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT ++++++++++++++++++
This is widely available in the form of buses and taxis and is quite cheap.
SHOPPING +++++++++
There are a lot of supermarkets and souvenir shops along the strip. There are also opticians, book-makers and clothes shops. If you want "real" shopping however, you will need to go into Larnaca or Paphos. However when I go on holiday it is not for the shops, so it did not bother me. I was able to buy some cheap presents to take home. The cigarettes and alcohol here is extremely cheap. 200 cigarettes costs around £22 and wine can be bought for £2 per bottle or £1 for a litre carton!
MAGIC DANCING WATERS ++++++++++++++++++++++
This is described as "a magical show which is a spectacular combination of dancing lasers, laser show, volcanic eruptions, fire and smoke show".
This is a very accurate description. We paid £5 each to go in and the show lasted for one and a half hours. It was fantastic, lasers, and water fountains bathed in lights along with real flames and fire. It was really breathtaking and I would recommend a visit.
CHURCH WITH GREAT VIEWS +++++++++++++++++++++++++
On the outskirts of Protaras is a small attractive stone church set atop a rocky crag - the Church of Ayios Ilias. It is well worth a walk to the church and the climb to the top. From the top there is a panoramic view of Protaras and the surrounding countryside. According to the guide books there are 171 steps up to it. I didn't count them but it did not seem that far and was well worth it for the views.
DAY TRIPS AND THE REST OF THE ISLAND +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We went on a jeep safari to Northern Cyprus. Our driver was a refugee from the North and we heard in great detail about how the turks invaded and destroyed everything. We had to take our passports and be issued with a visa as it is treated as a separate country by the turks. We went to the ghost town of Famagusta and walked on the beach in front of empty destroyed hotels, whilst being watched by gun-toting Turks which was a bit scary. No photos are allowed there. We also went to Kyrenia which was nice, we went up through the mountains to get there which was a bit scary too!
We also went on a bus trip to Paphos which included the Kourion ampitheatre and mosaics in Paphos.
It is worth going over to the Northern part of the island just to see what it is like. You won't believe your eyes with the ghost town being so empty and destroyed. It is very unfriendly over there, nobody looks at you or speaks.
HISTORY +++++++
A lot of refugees live in the Famagusta area as it is the closest that they can get to where they lived before the 1974 invasion. These people ended up with nothing. They fled the northern part of the island under threat of murder and rape and left behind everything. A lot of people went missing and were never seen again. In the ghost villages, the tables are still set for breakfast that will never be eaten. We heard of one man who had just finished paying a 30-year loan on a hotel that never even opened. These people want to get back their land and their homes, but are realistic that it may never happen.
It is well worth researching into this on the internet as it is a fascinating subject and having talked to some refugees I want to find out more about it now.
DOWN SIDE OF STAYING THERE IN LAST WEEK OF SEASON! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Whilst I would recommend Protaras to anybody, I would not recommend that they stay there in late October. The weather was ok, on one day it was 32C. But the hotel officially closed on 31 October, as did the resort. A lot of pubs had their final night on Saturday 29 October and from then on, we were watching them close daily.
Protaras is purely a holiday resort. No locals live there, so when it closes, it closes completely. By the 6 November when we left, Protaras was nearly in darkness! Most of the hotels were shut, all of the villas were closed up and the restaurants all followed suit.
So if you go there, make sure it is no later that middle of October!
SUMMARY +++++++++
I would really recommend Protaras, it is a family resort, with fantastic beaches. The resort is clean and tidy and the people there take a pride in looking after it and serving the tourists. It is on a one-way system as well, not that the locals take much notice of that!
Advantages: Lovely hotel, Hot in October, Four hours from Gatwick Disadvantages: Bit of a walk to the beach, souvenirs are completely tackky!
...to a specific hotel in Protaras rather than an overall review of the resort.
Seven nights HB at the 4* Tsokkos Gardens Hotel, Protaras, Cyprus
October, 2002
Through Goldensun - booked over the internet.
We paid £844 each for two adults + £292 for one child.
Our first visit to Cyprus
Flight
We flew with Eurocypria on the 10.10pm out of Gatwick arriving at Larnaca in the small hours. There was no in flight entertainment at all so don't forget ... ...All along the beach at Protaras you can hire out things like jetskis, do parasailing etc. On the way back each night we stopped at Safiros Kiosk for drinks. Excellent cold beer at reasonable prices - we found the music a bit loud but our daughter liked the swing and slide in the garden.
If you turn left instead and walk for about five minutes there is a lovely sandy cove. It's quite small and I imagine that peak season it would get very crowded.
...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Excellent beaches, wide selection of bars Disadvantages: Extremely hot in July and August
...the local villages. Protaras is a purpose built resort with lots to offer in the summer season. The reason behind its development was the result of the main resort of Famagusta becoming inaccessible in 1974. There are some of the best beaches (outside of Northern Cyprus) to be found in this part of the island. Most beaches offer watersports including parascending, jetskis, waterskiing and pedaloes. BEACHES * Fig Tree Bay is the most famous with its ... ...that runs from Paralimni to Protaras to Ayia Napa from about 8am until 11.30pm during the summer season. All trips on the route cost around 55p (50 CY cents). This is the only form of public transport in the area aside from taxis. If you hire a car then they drive on the same side of the road as in the UK. SUMMARY All in all this is a great family resort and also ideal for couples. The heat can be a little overbearing in July and August. The best ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...We were based in Protaras 10km. from Ayia Napa. It reminded me of Las Americas without the time share touts. Purpose built it was lacking in character but had everything one needs for a seaside holiday. Every water sport was available on the nearby beaches plus boat trips to various local places including one to see the ghost town of Famagusta. The beaches were ideal for children and it only cost £3 per day to hire 2 sunloungers and an umbrella, ... ...but these were the one’s we preferred – 1 Mandarin Chinese Restaurant – under £14.00 for a meal for two. 2.Erato – super value 3 course meals plus free coffee or cocktails. Cheap and tasty steaks. 3.Il Basilico – next door to Erato & owned by the same people. Specialise in Italian food – not that authentic but again good value for money. 4.Georgias – Some Greek food as well as English dishes. Nearby Paralimni ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Sandy beaches, clear blue water, sunshine. Disadvantages: This is not the real Cyprus
...airport to our resort of Protaras - we being my boyfriend and, of course, me. Protaras is 'the pearl of Cyprus with beautiful scenary', well that's what the brochure stated. As I looked out of the window in the early morning light all I could see was dust, rocks and barren land. It wasn't exactly an awe inspiring sight as we made our way the forty, or whatever, miles to our hotel.
What a relief when we finally arrived, the hotel was fine and slap ... ...clear and blue. Maybe Protaras was going to be okay after all. Protaras, as far as UK Tour Operators are concerned, is a dot on the map on the south-east coast of Cyprus, just a few miles from the sector that is under Turkish occupation. What they describe as Protaras is a new(ish) purpose built concrete mixture of buildings especially created for the tourist industry - with restaurants, bars, hotels, apartment blocks, tavernas, souvenir shops and ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Value for money, gorgeous weather, beaches and friendly people Disadvantages: Time flies when you're having fun
Protaras was our first choice of wedding venue. Mainly because there was a guarantee of beautiful sunshine, a rarity in Scotland.
We chose the hotel Grecian Park, situated just outside Protaras, at Cape Greco. The hotel was located on a cliff top and the views were spectacular.
As we were getting married whilst staying at the hotel, we were given a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite and it was beautiful. The rooms were huge and we had 2 balconies ... ...of the time walking to Protaras as that was where the best beaches were. There was a beach near the hotel, but it was a long walk up and down the hill. Our daughter was 2 at the time and it was a bit of a trek with a buggy. It was a nice walk to Protaras, about 20 minutes from the hotel, there was always a nice breeze to cool you down whilst walking.
We went to Fig Tree Bay beach a couple of times and this was very popular with families as the water ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Overlooks the sea and next to a sandy beach. Disadvantages: Nearby building work to the east of the hotel.
...while on holiday?
Anyway, here we go with the facts (Tatsache), as promised, about the Pernera Beach Hotel situated in Protaras, Cyprus.
Position, as they say, is everything. The hotel is right on the coast, overlooking the clear blue sea and slap bang next to a small, sandy beach. What could be better? Absolutely nothing if you look out to sea or walk along the coast in a westward direction - you'll come across even better beaches, However, walk the other way and you may well stumble over a few building sites, as more development takes place, and hear the clunking of cranes, lorries and machinery. This doesn't effect you while in the hotel but just remember, when facing the sea, to turn right and not left if you fancy a romantic, or any kind of a walk.
The hotel is in a reasonably quiet spot (I wasn't aware of any building...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Quality hotel in a beachside location. Disadvantages: Quite a distance from major tourist attractions.
...everyday, I think though this particular room just needed a bit of refurbishment.
Apparently if you upgrade, the rooms are larger, but as we only really sleep in a hotel room, I do not think it is worth the extra expense.
The entertainment team do their best to put on a little show each night, but to be honest they are pretty cringe worthy!
Any music etc is usually finished just before midnight, which suits us fine, as we do not stay up late.
This hotel is great if you just want to chill out in very pleasant surroundings, but if you are thinking of doing a lot of sightseeing, please be aware that you are 2-3 hours away from the major sights like Paphos. You may get their quicker if you hire a car, but there are some truly mad drivers around, so we did not risk it. Even a very short taxi ride to Protaras will have you gripping...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Definately the best side of the island for Diving. Disadvantages: None except it goes really quiet in the winter.
...Our first package holiday in Cyprus found us in a place we hadn't even heard of before. Protaras! A fair drive North from Larnaca Airport. A few miles on from Ayia Napa...
A few of the holiday makers were dropped off at some of the nicest looking places, but quite a distance from the sea.
We ended up right on the sea front in Protaras, in a 3 * Hotel, self catering, that was o.k., we were right by the best restaurants and pubs. The food and entertainment was excellent.
Even in October the weather was fantastic! we couldn't go bare foot, the pavements and the sand burned our feet. We weren't complaining. Two whole weeks of glorious sun. At this time of year the flowers in the gardens and along the beach are at their best. After the heat of the summer sun they come into bloom with vigour.
The beaches are beautifully soft...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
First impressions not good due to very unhelpful and rude staff at check in. Reception area itself though was lovely with atrium design and small bar with comfie seating.
Beach kart helps you to your apartment which gives the impression that the... more
