Protaras! Perfect for a family vacation!

Protaras is perfect for a family vacation! Places for your kids to play, many pubs to choose from for you but quiet enough to get some rest!

From the very beginning, I saw the resort as the favorite place for the British, who spend more time in the hotel pools during the day and have fun in the pubs in the evening. It’s the place where I feel safe at any time of the day or night, where I’m not afraid to leave my phone in my beach bag and go swimming. The place where I can walk on the beach at midnight, alone, without looking over my shoulder.

Protaras Center is a one-way street where hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops are concentrated. Take care of what accommodation you book on the net because now everything is sold as being in Protaras even if they are in the nearby resorts – Pernera or Kapparis.

What to visit in Protaras

 

I think the main goal that should not be missed in Protaras is the Church of the Apostle Elias. On the top of the hill, a bit hard to miss. For those who have strong legs, because you have to climb a few good steps, it is worth visiting during the day and at night. The view from the top of the resort is superb. Do not be afraid of all the branches of the trees filled with pieces of cloth or napkins. Here is the tradition of tying something personal to the tree in some places and making a wish. I don’t know if it works because I haven’t tried it. If you go on holiday on July 20 in Protaras, you will find at the foot of the cliff where the church is and a kind of fair where toys and traditional sweets are usually sold.

Aquarium
There is also an aquarium near Protaras, which can be easily reached by bus or taxi. Definitely not on foot. I wasn’t curious, but I guess it could be fun for the kids to see it. You can try if you want to take a half day break from the beach but you don’t want to go too far. https://www.protarasaquarium.com/

Magic Dancing Waters – a magical show with lights water and volcanoes, right at the entrance to the resort, next to McDonalds.

Luna Parc – amusement park, much smaller than the one in Ayia Napa but enough for children if you do not want to go to other places in the evening. It’s next to Lid on the main street.

Mini golf – you will find it on the main street, on the way to St. Elias Church on the hill.

Where you can easily get from Protaras

 

From Protaras you can easily reach the Water Park in Ayia Napa. You can book a trip there from your hotel and usualy you don’t have to worry about transfer there.
If not, the buses of the public transport company run very well, even only 15 minutes away during peak hours, and a ticket costs 1.5 euros per person. You certainly don’t get lost because Water Park is the end of the line. On the main street of Protaras there are 3 very well signposted bus stops, impossible to miss. But don’t forget to ask the driver if he is going to Water Park, so that you don’t end up in Paralimni, the other end of the line.

See here details about transport and bus schedule: https://osea.com.cy/en/

Also in Ayia Napa you will find Luna Park – the amusement park that opens in the evening and runs until after midnight. You can also get there by bus or taxi. You can usually order a taxi from the reception, but you can also find them in the specially designed stations on the street.

If you go by taxi often, it doesn’t hurt to keep the phone number of the taxi driver or the company you went with. It’s faster and safer to have a car when you need it.

Protaras it’s stretches for several kilometers and you can find accommodation at a hotel or villa located 2 kilometers from the strip. Each of them has a beach nearby, each very good for a swim in the sea. So if you don’t want to be in the center and prefer some quiet, these accommodations can also be a very good option, especially since you can easily travel by bus. If you use it daily, I recommend the one-week subscriptions.

Trips on the island

 

Anyone who is not a maniac with the sun and water like me, can also plan trips in the area. The easiest methods are either from the hotel reception or from the car rental offices. Where you see excursions displayed on the front window, for sure you can find a way to spend your money.

I think the most sought after are those who go to the occupied area – Katehomena. For that one you ony need a passport or an ID card.  You have a choice between trips with the double-decker coaches, such as those traveling to London, where you better take your bath towel and put it on your seat and necessarily sunscreen and a hat, or those that will take you to your destination with the minibus.
The distance to the border is small, somewhere about 20 kilometers, and from the border to your destination – Famagusta -you’ll be there in the blink of an eye.

• Jeep safari, or how to sit in an off-road car without seeing much

They also sell such trips that will take you to many places on the island. Some of the old Jeeps are equipped with benches on the side, meaning you won’t see anything on the window and you won’t get much air conditioning. You go more on the road than on the dirt roads and in the end you lose a day. But that’s my opinion. If you’ve tried it and liked it, tell us!
You can also experience a trip to the mountains by bus or minibus. They are in civilized conditions and usually because they take all day, the price includes a meal at a tavern. You can visit monasteries and villages and if you don’t want to rent a car, I think it’s worth spending a day on the road. Cyprus in the mountains is beautiful and green, in contrast to the dryness you will see in the coastal area.

• Buggi / ATV

If you don’t want to rent a car, but still want to explore the area without depending on the bus, you always have a buggy or an ATV at your disposal. I like a buggi more, but each according to taste. Prices are clearly higher than for a car, but the feeling is incomparable. In addition, there are so many paths at Cavo Greco that can only be discovered only by riding one of this things that it’s a shame not to try. After many years here in the tourist area, I still find the buggy and ATV columns spectacular during the season on the roads in the resorts.

But be very careful how you drive because no matter how careful local drivers are in traffic, every summer there is still a terrible tourist to have an accident that does not always end well.

• Water sports

There is no large beach in the area that does not offer such entertainment. From walking on the mattress pulled by the boat to parachuting at height. Prices don’t differ much from one operator to another, so there’s no point in bothering to look for a cheaper one because you won’t find it.

For those who want to try scuba diving, there are offices in the resort where you can schedule a session. They will usualy take you to the Green Bay area, famous for its turtles. Nobody lies to you, I saw it with my own eyes!
If you don’t want specialized help, you can buy a mask, a tube and even paws for snorkeling from the shops in the area. Remember to try the mask on before you buy it. If they refuse you at a store, it’s okay. Try the next one because you have a choice. Keep the receipt. If something is wrong they will change your product or you can replace it, even if it is used.

A little history

 

Protaras was practically established after 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied a third of the island, including Famagusta and Varosha – the most developed tourist area on the island at that time. (Varosha is the British-created resort near the town of Famagusta).
After the invasion, hotels began to appear in the current Protaras. Where 40 years ago potatoes and tomatoes were grown, now we have expensive hotels and villas. Between Protaras and Pernera there are still a few plots where the most stubborn still farm.
Many of Protaras’s hotels belong to the same developer, Tsokkos.

After the economic crisis that made Cyprus feel better in 2012, a construction boom followed, a lot of new hotels have sprung up in the last four years and most of the old ones have been renovated. Local regulations stipulate that a building should not be longer than 5 storeys, so you will not find hotels that are too tall.
There are also many villas in the area, both old and newly built. If you want to rent one, check how far it is from the beach and the center of the resort. Five minutes from the center of the resort means about 2 kilometers away from kilometer zero.

Shopping

 

On the main street of Protaras you will find some supermarkets, most with pretty good prices. If you have chosen accommodation in a villa or apartment and you want to do more shopping, you can choose between the Lidl, which is in the Protaras, on the main street, behind the Vangelis hotel, or you can use the 101 bus that will take you leave it in front of the Metro (which is a regular supermarket here and you will find absolutely everything you need).
Other supermarkets you can go to in Paralimni are Kokkinos and Sklavenitis. The first one you can reach it with the bus, but for the second you need a car.

Tips & tricks

 

The large beach in Protaras is spacious enough for everyone, no matter what time of year you come, and at the far right you will find the famous beach at Fig Tree Bay. Much more beautiful but also a bit more crowded. If you want a sunbed, you have to come and get one in the morning.

In case you don’t know or haven’t noticed, it’s very VERY hot in Cyprus, sometimes even from the middle of May until September, so during the day almost everyone stays by the pool or on the beach, as close as possible to the water. Don’t be fooled by the fact that you saw 32-34 degrees announced on the weather app. Depending on the humidity in the atmosphere, those degrees will literally melt you and burn your feet on the sand and especially on the asphalt. My advice is not to forget your shoes if you want to go outside. But the sea water temperature is perfect to cool down.

However, as the evening progresses, the streets come alive. From 7 o’clock, people start going to restaurants for dinner, and after 9 o’clock in the evening the pubs start to become alive. A cold beer goes well after a full day … in the sun. If you want more than just a drink, there are many bars where there is a Karaoke program or various tribute bands singing.

Surely you will find Michael Jakson and sometimes Elvis in Protaras.
If you are a microbist keep calm because there are TVs in all the Pubs and you can relax at matches.
You can even watch Formula 1 on Sunday. 😉