Protaras, Cyprus is the only place I have ever been to that I feel I must visit again. It has something for absolutely everyone.
The prices are similar to in England although cigarettes are a lot cheaper. There are some good deals of full English breakfasts in some of the bars, the alcohol and food are about the same price.
The shopping isn't fantastic, a large range of the usual pressie shops and copied cd's and dvd's. No people harassing you when your eating to buy something or other.
There are plenty of pubs which serve great food, the Malmia was brilliant for breakfast, has internet access, english beer,an outdoor and indoor seating area, a beautiful view and friendly staff.
The beach is beautiful and there are plenty of things to do, for example para-gliding, banana boats, rings pulled along by a boat, scuba diving and glass bottom boat trips. We went
in October and apparently there is even more in high season!
On a night there are plenty of places to visit, there are a fair few karaoke bars along the main strip of bars and pubs so your ears can be easily damaged but if you get drunk enough it's fun to join in.
There is a bar/restaurant called the flinstones which is obviously based on the cartoon and is very original and the staff dress up like Fred Flinstone. The food is lovely and the kids who were there absolutely loved it. There is a small arcade at the back and they love getting served their food by "Fred's". The rising sun is another bar right opposite the 'Golden Star' apartments where i stayed, it offers a range of enterntainment from cabaret nights to dancers and karaoke and buffet-style nights. It is really nice and has a pool table, dart board and arcade games. They also screen a lot of films in here and the big football games.A good place for kids and adults. The only problem is that there was a dead cockroach in the ladies toilet for 2 weeks, which explains in itself how often they must be cleaned and the steps down to them are a bit slippy at times so be careful! The only other down-point in Protaras is a nightclub called Boogie Nights which is open until around 6am. It isn't a place I would recommend, by 5am there is usually sick on the floor and the bar staff decide they will serve people when they can be bothered as they re usually as drunk as the customers. The service isn't very good, and the prices are a bit much too. If its nightclubs till dawn your looking for taxis are fairly cheap and Ayia napa is not far - worth a night out!
Away from the main pubs and bars there are plenty of hotels and apartments situated around Protaras, they are usually in blocks of around 5 isolated from the nightlife.
Through reading this you may think it is a place for youngsters clubbing but far from it. I would say there is something for everyone here! There are only 2 or 3 nightclubs, the rest are bars which are very quiet during the day and liven up all night but most of the late opening ones are down one street, so if you don't want to do the bar's there are small quieter pubs away from that strip. There are plenty of nice places to eat and a few day trips available from here.
There are a few stands where you can get taxi's from and hire out mopeds and bikes and things. The taxi's are very reasonably priced although they do drive rather fast!
For those who like scenery there is a church to visit and it is only tiny at the top of a hill, you walk up lots of steps to get there but it is very pretty and when you get to the top you can see some amazing views (I will take post some photos when my scanner works again). Also if you go on one of the glass bottom boat trips you can see lovely scenery from quite far out. There are some quieter streets to go down a bit further out of town which is a bit less commercial and it is enjoyable to have a wander round and see what you discover. The beaches are clean and in October when we went, not too busy but still quite a few people there. For kids there is a waterpark not far away, the watersports, mini-golf, arcades, Macdonalds, aswell as the activities each apartment block or hotel provides.
I would say Protaras is a very safe place, my sister and I went just before our 17th birthday with our parents, most nights we went out on our own and didn't feel intimidated by any grubby men or anything. Our parents felt o.k about us going out as they didn't see anything to worry about (nothing other than us being in a strange place) but they found the people friendly too.
I was lucky to meet a group of 20+ people when I first arrived, who had already been there one week so showed me around and told me where and where not to go and gave me some company away from the sister and parents!
When they left I was friends with some of the staff who worked at the pool bar and went out for drinks with them and they looked after me well and the group who left said the same.
When out and about we also met a few couples who had been there a few years in a row and love it. One couple were getting married the day after I left by the beach and I cannot imagine a more beautiful place to do it!
The weather in Protaras is said to be good most of the year but in the high season can get too hot so may/june or september/october is probably the best option and you still come back with a tan. The locals are very helpful and friendly.
I didn't see any cockroaches except that one dead one which could've been there all year! I was told by a restaurant manager that they don't get many but it's mainly in very high season if they do.
So overall I have hardly any complaints, well worth the flight time and I literally had to be dragged home! Was very upset to be leaving. So I met young couples, old couples, families, lone travellers and a group of 23 or 24 and every person had not one bad word to say about the place!
The place is well worth a visit, if you go you will have a great time, have lots to do, get a tan and make some friends for life! If you don't pay it a visit, you're missing out!!
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This sounds like a nice place, we are thinking about somewhere is Europe for a week in the Summer, maybe Greece or Croatia, I will also bear this in mind. Nicky x
star333 12.03.2005 13:04
Great review, I would love to go here x
aznchick 11.10.2004 22:24
I went here years ago and would love to go again! xx
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Aug 3rd, 2004
(Feb 18th, 2005)
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