Location: Close to villages and places for active family holidays
Group of Hotels – St. Raphael 5*, Elias Beach 4* and 5* Grand Resort – located on the outskirts of Limassol, near the Amathus Archaeological Park. The distance to the centre and the old town is about 15 km so that a taxi will cost you around €12 – €15. In the immediate vicinity, there are Japanese, Chinese, European and Spanish restaurants (there is one of the best Uptown Square networks), as well as several Russian restaurants and karaoke bars. The villages of Pyrgos and Paraklisha are about 5km away, where you can stroll through the narrow streets and acquaint yourself with the traditions of the modern Cypriot community. In the village of Paraklisha is the Santa Marina Retreat, a relaxing place to go with a company or family for horseback riding, rock climbing, archery, golf and mountain biking. The children can also have fun climbing ropes in the park.
You will need to travel 1-2 km for souvenirs and essential items or go to the city centre as there is not much available nearby.
Beach hotels suitable for families with children and sport
St. Raphael 5*, Elias Beach 4* and 5* Grand Resort hotels are on a long sandy beach, awarded a “Blue Flag” for its cleanliness and safety. The length of the beach between the hotels is about 1 km. The width of the coastline is 5-10 m. The hotels’ beaches are sandy and well-equipped. Sun beds and umbrellas for the hotel guests are free of charge.
The beach is still quite shallow 1-2 metres from the shore making the beaches ideal for those with children, and at the same time offering excellent opportunities for diving and water sports further out to sea.
St. Raphael 5 * hotel features: family, fun, active
Hotel St. Raphael 5 * is known as one of the best hotels in Limassol for families with children. It has a large green area, individual children’s pools and playgrounds, a children’s club with a diverse entertainment programme that is popular even among locals – this means that the rooms at the hotel are booked well in advance of peak season.
This hotel is also one of the few in Cyprus offering its guests the option of “all-inclusive”. The difference in the cost of accommodation with meals, bed & breakfast and ultra-all-inclusive is €35 – €40 per person per day.
For a romantic evening, the Sailor’s Rest Restaurant offers beautiful views of the harbour and an excellent selection of seafood, specially delivered.
This hotel would be more suited to families with children as there isn’t a lot for young people to do and the nightlife and restaurants aren’t close. In turn, those who are looking for a relaxing holiday can find it quite noisy due to the large number of children in peak season.
Grand Resort 5 * hotel features: quiet vacation, sport and business events
Grand Resort 5 * hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Limassol, completely renovated in 2009, free Wi-Fi is available anywhere on the grounds, and the beach is considered one of the best in Limassol.
The distinct advantage of the hotel is the large green area, part of which is close to the beach, and the trees mean guests can relax near the sea in the shade.
Guests of the hotel can use the services of the sports centre for free, which offers modern cardio and weight training equipment, rooms for yoga, aerobics and Pilates, free group lessons, table tennis, squash and billiards. Special evenings with live music, folklore shows and jazz evenings are organised several times a week, and once a week a movie is screened in the open air, with unending popcorn. There isn’t, however, a lot of entertainment to keep those who are accustomed to an active holiday happy.
Grand Resort 5* is ideal for those seeking a relaxing holiday and privacy. In the hotel and immediate vicinity, there are numerous restaurants and cafes on the beach where you can spend a quiet evening and guests can stroll through the grounds of the nearby hotels. However, it may not provide enough entertainment for those who love active holidays or young people and families with children. Of course, the hotel is located close to St. Raphael, but their kids’ entertainment programme is available to guests from other hotels at an additional cost.
The hotel is perfect for business events and conferences as they have good rooms, equipped with everything necessary.
Elias 4 * hotel features: Vacation with children, diving centre and wedding ceremonies
The main advantage of the hotel is its sandy beach with a gentle entry into the sea, ideally suited for swimming with children. The hotel is entirely consistent with the stated category. It provides a sufficiently varied menu in the form of a buffet or “a la carte”. All the bars and restaurants in the lobby area have free Wi-Fi.
Vacationers have the opportunity to go diving as the hotel runs its own PADI diving centre.
Perfect for young families, the hotel also organises business events and weddings (!) There is a chapel on site, and activities are held directly by the sea.
Beautiful beaches and green areas, far from urban noise
So, to the list of St. Raphael 5*, Grand Resort 5* and 4* Elias hotels’ advantages, the provision of a private sandy beach, “Blue Flag” awarded, large green areas, conference rooms and a diverse activity programme (St. Raphael) should be added.
Limited accessibilities of the hotels, distance from the centre and the old town, as well as limited entertainment at the Grand Resort and Elias hotels, should be borne in mind.