A Holiday with Children in Cyprus. Part 1

Many people planning a holiday with children in Cyprus want to know where they can go with their children. Here we can talk about the places we’ve visited and can recommend.

A Holiday with Children in Cyprus: Limassol

Limassol Zoo

The Limassol Zoo is quiet small but no less interesting for that. It’s located in a shaded city park, ideal for children. You can enjoy a cold frappe in the café whilst the children run around and look at the animals and various birds, including pink flamingos. The zoo area is fenced off from the rest of the park so children cannot get lost and they will always be in your sight.

Entry to the zoo (as at 2014): 5 Euros for adults and 2 Euros for children. The zoo is more suitable for children under the age of 12.

The zoo is open in the summer from 9am – 6pm.

The Water Park in Fasouri

This famous Water Park is located near the village of Fasouri and is popular with both children and adults.

There are lots of fun water rides, including Kamikaze Mountain, a sea wave simulator, a quiet river where you can float along in donut rings, various slides, a water rope swing and more.

You can try out the epidermis nibbling Garra Rufa fish (6 Euros for 20 minutes), visit a souvenir shop, and take photos. You can have a snack in the café of the water park, but if you plan a substantial lunch you’d better choose a restaurant outside the park as the local establishments are more aimed at light snacks: pizzas, sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.

The Park is open from 1st May to 31st October, 10am – 6pm. Entry (as at 2014): 29 Euros for adults and 16 Euros for children.

You can get to the water park from Limassol either by shuttle (3 Euros one way) or by taxi (15-20 Euros from any of the hotels located in the tourist area). Please keep in mind it is quite problematic to get on the shuttle in the centre of the tourist area, because it starts to collect guests from hotel Le Meridien and is packed by the middle of the route.

Galactika Luna Park and amusement centre

Galactika is a large amusement centre, where you can spend the whole day bowling on one of the 24 tracks, playing billiards, visiting the sports bar with its large screens or the café with free internet.

 

For children there are 70 amusement rides and a video games hall. There are grounds and amusement rides both in the open air and in covered conditioned premises.

The Luna Park is located near McDonald’s on the embankment and is open evenings.

Cineplex Cinema

The cinema is located in close proximity to the tourist area, close to the Taras Bulba restaurant and the Metro supermarket.

Films in English and Greek are shown daily.

The Santa Marina Retreat

The Santa Marina Retreat is a place of active recreation for children, with adventures and fascinating outdoor sports amusements. Here children can ride horses (for children over 5 years of age), visit the stables and a horse-breeding farm where more than 250 horses live, go rock climbing (slope 20, 30 and 40 degrees), bow shooting (for adults and children over the age of 7), play golf and football, ride mountain bikes along amazing tracks, visit the mini-zoo ‘Noah’ with wild boar, rabbits, ponies and chickens (for the small children) and go blindfold around the Labyrinth of Minotaur.

There is also a treasure hunt where the children find coloured horse shoes, with the winner receiving a prize.

There is a beautiful lawn in the hills where an olive tree grows. Various games and contests are held near this ‘wise tree’, whilst for children under the age of 12 there is a wooden tower, called Troy. After play the children can rest on the verandah of the café with the parents.

Interactive museum Archimedes

The idea of the museum reflects modern ideas of learning through play and experimentation. There are 21 play grounds where children can learn about ancient machines and how to work them.

The goal of the museum is to entertain and teach children аnd get them engaged in science and technology. Visitors will walk around a glass and a laser labyrinth, they will pull ropes, build and walk along bridges, fly balloons and complete various quests and 3D puzzles.

The museum organises educational programmes for schools, contests with prizes, birthday parties for children and interactive presentations of scientific experiments.

The museum is open on weekends and holidays from 10:30am – 9pm, Tuesday tо Friday from 3:30pm tо 8:30pm. Monday is closed.

 

 A Holiday with Children in Cyprus: Paphos

Aphrodite Water Park

Aphrodite Water Park is one of the most interesting amusement centres for those holidaying with children in Cyprus. There are a large number of amusement rides and water slides here, various cafes offering light snacks and drinks, a museum with souvenirs, a photo studio and much more.

Entry (as at 2014): 29 Euros for adults and 16 Euros for children. There is a 10% discount on tickets bought online from their website. The Park is open from 1st May – 31st October, 10am – 6pm.

You can get to the water park by bus from the Old City and Kato Paphos (bus numbers 11 and 611), or from Kato Paphos and Coral Bay (bus numbers 15 and 615).

The Paphos Zоо

The Paphos Zoo is Cyprus’ largest, аnd a visit here is fun for both children and adults. You can see large sea turtles, albino kangaroos, a Siberian tiger and a white lion, birds of different species, reptiles and more, and also feed giraffes and watch peacocks which calmly walk around the park.

A parrot and owl show is held daily which the children really enjoy. The show takes place at 12, 2.30pm and 5pm.

The zoo is open every day. During winter (27 October – 31 March) from 9:00am – 5:00. During summer (1 April – 26 October ) – from 9am – 6pm.

Conclusion

So, if you plan a holiday with children in Limassol or Paphos you now know the best places to visit, with well organised entertainment so that everyone can enjoy their time.

Part 2