Waterworld, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Family life is at the heart of Cypriot culture. Large family groups are a common sight in local tavernas, and youngsters walking into hotels and restaurants will prompt a warm welcome rather than nervous glances from staff.
Add the island’s year-round sunshine, laid-back lifestyle, and plentiful options for adults, from spas and golf to adult-only pools, and you’ve got a winning recipe for parents looking for a relaxing family break.
“Cypriots love children and go out of their way to accommodate them,” says Orestis Rossides, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation’s director for the UK and Ireland. “And children’s facilities have increased and improved in the last few years in response to rising demand by families.”
Cyprus is one of Thomas Cook’s most popular destinations, regularly featuring in its top five summer hotspots. Olympic Holidays has also seen a rise in high season sales, with Ayia Napa and Protaras selling very well with families, all-inclusives seeing a big take-up and increased demand for Paphos.
Over at Prestige Holidays, summer sales are up 21% year on year. “The standard of family hotels in Cyprus is extremely high and so families are spoilt for choice,” says marketing manager Nicky Shafe.
Cyplon reports a 10% rise in family bookings. “Cyprus has built an excellent reputation as a family-friendly destination,” says managing director Harry Hajipapas.
“The concept has been taken up by many hotels that have invested in creating exclusive play areas and numerous activities to keep children entertained in the day and early evening and offering babysitting services. Accommodation has also been developed with children in mind, with more family suites and rooms with interconnecting facilities.”
Package deals
There’s no shortage of deals on offer to pitch to your clients. Sunvil, for example, currently has savings of up to 50% for youngsters sharing their own room at larger hotels, and a reduction of £25 per booking for the first child and £50 savings per booking on its villa programme.
Thomas Cook has free child places at a range of properties, from self-catering to three to five-star all-inclusive properties. They include the four-star Pafian Sun Village in Paphos, leading in at £2,322 for seven nights for a family of four; the four-star Dome Beach Hotel, Nissi Bay, from £2,725 all-inclusive; and the three-star-plus Tsokkos Gardens Complex in Pernera from £1,277 self-catering for a family of three, which includes a free child’s place.
All properties feature free childcare at Thomas Cook’s award-winning KidsWorld, activities, entertainment and access to water parks. Designed with families in mind, they offer studios, apartments and family rooms.
For budget-conscious families, Ayia Napa’s Macronissos Village Club is close to the beach and has a wide range of amenities on site. It is featured by Olympic Holidays, which offers 14 nights’ self-catering for two adults and one child from £1,099.
Columbia Beachotel in peaceful Pissouri Bay, and its neighbouring five-star sister the Beach Resort, offer a variety of packages including free child places. The Beachotel has adjoining rooms and suites that sleep up to five and the resort has adjoining junior suites and family suites with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All resort accommodation has a kitchenette with a hob, fridge, storage and other necessities.
Both properties have children’s pools, and cots and extra beds are available free. Operators featuring Columbia include Classic Collection, which is offering reduced rates, free upgrade to half-board, and seven nights for the price of six on selected dates.
Kids’ club at Columbia Beachotel, Pissouri Bay
The InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort recently opened the Pirates Village Kids’ Club for three to 12-year-olds with a separate crèche for babies. It includes shaded play areas, an outdoor adventure playground, pool and daily activities.
Cyplon features a Family Treats section for all of its properties, highlighting discounts and offers such as free child accommodation and half-board. It has a range of offers at Aphrodite Hills including free child places, free nights, half-board stays for B&B prices and full-board stays for half-board prices on selected dates until next March.
Prestige is offering seven nights at the resort for travel this September from £3,372 for two adults and two children under six with complimentary half-board, a saving of £931.
A good upmarket choice is the five-star Le Meridien Limassol Spa & Resort, offered by many operators including Olympic Holidays, Elegant Resorts, Cosmos, Kuoni and Cyplon. The bedrooms in the main building are the largest on the island and there are 37 specially designed family rooms.
Children have their own Penguin Village, with a host of facilities including a mini football pitch, bouncy castle and pool, and there is a dedicated children’s restaurant available for lunch and dinner. Teenagers have their own space in La Sirene, a cool retreat with a jukebox, pool table and electronic games, and can let off steam at the Leisure Land sports area.
The Almyra hotel is good for younger children as baby and toddler essentials such as sterilisers, car seats, swimming aids and nappies are provided through a ‘baby go lightly’ programme, many of them free of charge. For an all-inclusive option, Coral Beach Hotel & Resort also offers snacks, a mini club and entertainment programme for children and teenagers.
Both properties are sold by Prestige, which is offering free stays for children under 12 sharing a room with their parents at the Almyra and complimentary half or full-board when travelling with parents on the same basis. There is also a discount of up to 50% for children staying in a separate room.
Family fun
Away from the ancient mosaics and historic sites that enthral adults but bore children, Cyprus has plenty of exciting attractions to keep younger visitors happy.
Popular excursions include Ayia Napa’s Waterworld, billed as Europe’s biggest water park, the Aphrodite Water Park at Paphos and Fasouri Watermania park near Limassol. All offer thrilling flumes for older children and gentler attractions for youngsters and parents who prefer to take it easy.
Paphos Bird and Animal Park, the only one of its kind on the island, is home to a large collection of birds, with daily shows in the 350-seat air-conditioned amphitheatre, while for something fishy the Protaras Ocean Aquarium is home to a huge collection of marine creatures.
As well as going for a ride on the ships of the desert, the Camel Park at Mazoto has an excellent play area and a petting zoo. Another hit with animal lovers is the Cyprus Donkey Sanctuary in the village of Vouni near Limassol, a subsidiary of the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon.