Protaras holiday villa: Vrisouthion, 5295 Paralimni

This property was very clean & tidy. The pool is well maintained 3 times a week & is a lovely size even for 6 people. The household equipment was a bit basic but when we requested a hairdryer, chopping board etc it was delivered within 24 hours. Beaches are within easy walking distance & there are boat trips & pedaloes etc all on hand. There are 4 small supermarkets nearby which stock just about every essential but a larger supermarket can be reached by bus for just 1.50 euro's each way. Excellent access by road to all major towns etc. Only took just over an hour by car to get to Nicosia. All in all, an good holiday!

The villa is in a quiet location just outside Protaras. The nearest shops are a minute away but more expensive than others near by. The supermarket on the way to Paralimni is great if you can get to it (a short drive). Protaras is about a 5 min drive or seven euros in a taxi (shop around though). Quite a few nights we walked into Penera instead which is about a 15 min stroll.

We used the beach by the harbour a lot and went to Kalamies for lunch which was friendly and right on the beach. Fig tree bay in Protaras is beautiful but the smaller beach by us was lovely: less busy, friendly and the water is really safe for children. If you're into water sports, the beach by the harbour does them and the guy has been doing it for 35 years so he has a good reputation for being very safe.

The villa was really clean when we arrived and we were greeted with a starter pack, (tea, coffee, water etc), which meant we didn't have to rush straight out to get things although we never actually met any of the villa management team in person. There were loads of towels - a hand, bath and pool towel per person and a few extra. The villa was comfortable and cooled down quickly with the air con even in the summer heat. The kitchen is excellent - it really does have all the things you might need if you want to cook or even make breakfast for the large number of people the villa holds.

The pool was lovely and we used this most days. It was cleaned twice a week and the pool cleaners were quick to respond to our needs. At the moment there is no BBQ so don't count on this for your meals. You can buy disposable ones but they're not easy to come by and they're quite expensive (over 5 euros).

You should definitely go to La Cultura Del Gusto in Pernera, (you might need to book), and try some of the others in the info pack in the villa as the ones we tried we enjoyed.

We found life easier with a car but we also managed easily without one for a third of our holiday - we did find it was almost as cheap to hire a car as to get a taxi to the airport.

We'll definately return to Cyprus - we had a brilliant holiday and Protaras / Pernera are lovely. If you are into beach / relaxing holidays with a little sightseeing, (rather than the other way round), I'd recommend this side of the Island over Paphos (which I have been to before and also visited this time round - about a 2 1/2 hour drive if you fancy it).

My family and i had a fantastic week in Cyprus, and i could not have chosen a nicer villa or location.
The villa catered for all our needs, it was clean, comfy and had all the mod cons.
The local fishing habour was a two minute walk from our villa, where there is a beautiful cafe and a little church.
I highly recommend this villa to families with children, we certainly had a great time!!