Nicosia District Travel Forum

We're looking forward to our first ever visit to Cyprus, in August. What we aren't so sure about though is just 'how' we make sure our 15 year old son is entertained enough.

Right up until this year we've always had two children with us, but daughter dearest has decided she is now far too old to be going on vacation with her middle aged parents, so poor son is left somewhat adrift.

He loves swimming, so we know the Water Park will be good for a couple of days. So too, I hope, will the local Nisi Beach be good for some snorkelling. But we're staying for fourteen days.... So.... we thought maybe there might be some beach(es) with waves enough for a relatively good swimmer and his father to try out some body-boarding and/or surfing?

Any ideas, anyone? Any other ideas that might grab the interest of our young man?

Virtual hugs, and my eternal gratitude, for anyone with useful advice.

Chrissie

Hi,
There is not much surfing in Cyprus the waves are not big enough maybe in a storm or very windy day.
There are beaches in and around Larnaca but it is dark sand. the best beaches are in the Ayia Napa area Nissi Beach is very good and popular plus there is a water park there also you could drive to Protaras there are some nice beaches and bays also in that area.

Michael

Many thanks for your advice, Michael.

We're staying at the Olympic Lagoon in Nisi, so the local beaches appear to be covered. I'll add Protaras to the places to visit list.

Kind Regards, Chrissie

Hi,
If you do hire a car not far from Ayia Napa is a village Dherinia this is very close to the green line. There is a new building not sure how to describe it but there is an observation place were you can look across the green line with binoculars. You can see part off Famagusta that as not been lived in since 1974. I think it is just of Kennedy Ave?. of Famagusta Ave? on the left.This is nice drive late afternoon.

Michael

Thanks for that. We will get a car, I think. Two weeks is too long to stay local... Did you go to the North, at all? People we've spoken to here have advised it's far better to spend the time exploring Greek Cyprus as the North is very under-invested.

I bought a new, whizzy, as-close-to-professional-as-an-amateur-need-ever-get, camera last year and for the first time we have some excellent holiday snaps (the California Coast - Frisco to LA). This year, I want to make sure I not only catch all of our son's water-borne adventuring (something tells me his holidays with us are coming to an end), but that we come away with some good memories of Cyprus itself. Any more tips for photo opportunities will be most welcome.

Chrissie

Hi,
Nicosia is well worth a visit there is the old walled city part if you walk up the main street passed Woolworth's you come to a dead end and there is a view point this is a corridor between the Turkish and the Cypriot sides. This corridor is use by the UN and it is still the same as 1974 looking back in time.
Also there are some designer shops, perhaps the best place to shop in Cyprus. Also Woolworth's as observation tower were you can view the Turkish side.

Troodos mountains are well worth a visit quite a drive though you could consider a coach tour through one of the local travel agents they will take you to the best places.

There is also the jeep safari this may appeal more to your son and as for swimming it is great and there are some diving schools also.

The last time we had a family holiday in Cyprus my son was fifteen and daughter 13 we did not ses much of them they had a greet time. My daughter still likes to go on holiday with us we are going to Portugal in Sep.

Michael

Hi,
I forgot about the mini cruise to Egypt you can book through Louis travel agents in Cyprus or on line. You sail over night to Egypt and they take you to the Pyramids and museums in Cairo and the overnight sail back to Cyprus.
We did the Israel trip a long time ago.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think you've given me nearly a weeks worth of itinerary. Something for all of us, too.

Finding this site has been such a bonus.

You must post your thoughts on Portugal when you've been. That was one of our options for this year, especially as their surfing is supposed to be good. But, I'd also had some not so good tales told to me, which sort of put me off. I'll be interested to read your report.

Many thanks, Michael, for all your good advice.

Chrissie

Hi Chrissie,
It's nice to hear you have decided to return to Cyprus for a vacation.
There have been some good suggestions already but I will try to offer something too. Mind you August in Cyprus can be extremely hot with temperatures reaching above 40 Celsius at midday. If you are thinking about a cruise to Egypt, temperatures there will be even higher.
Cavo Greco is a national park between Protaras and Ayia Napa. I have often went snorkeling there (do stay on the NorthEast side of it) and there is a nice photo op at a natural bridge.
There is a bunch of boats offering cruises from Ayia Napa harbor and it is a day well spent. They take you around the coast, making stops for swimming at areas that are usually inaccessible.
There are a few restaurants I can recommend. The Limelight very close to the municipal car park has good Cypriot cuisine. The Taste of India very near the square has the best Indian cuisine in Ayia Napa.
Nissi Beach is a great beach for a young man (lots of young girls...) and it also has bungie jumping. I was not very happy last time I was there as there were a lot of sea weeds. Then again I do remember when there was nothing else there than Nissi Beach... There is also a nice small beach a couple of miles towards Ayia Napa where the Anonymous Hotel is. In Protaras the most popular beach is Fig tree bay.
I will come back if I think of something else. Enjoy your visit to Cyprus.

Thank you for that. We do intend to take at least one boat trip. Not just for the swimming/snorkelling that son & spouse will love, but also I'm hoping one of the trips offer a beach barbecue as well!