The small beach town of Protaras is located in Fig Tree Bay near Ayia Napa. The resort is relatively young, but already has a developed tourist infrastructure and is famous for its hotels, bars and restaurants. At the same time, it remains a quiet and family place, as it is far from the most popular region among the island’s guests between Larnaca and Ayia Napa. The natural border is Cape Greco, immediately after it the resort begins. But if until recently it was truly secluded here, now there are more and more vacationers.

Just half a century ago, only fig groves grew on the site of the city, there were no hotels and even simple residential buildings. Check maternityetchic for customs regulations and visa requirements of Cyprus.

Clear blue water, soft, almost white sand, a rocky island nearby and, although minimal, but still the presence of attractions make Protaras very attractive for travelers.

How to get to Protaras

Potaras is located just an hour’s drive from Larnaca airport, where liners with Russian tourists arrive. There is no direct bus between the air harbor and the resort: you will first have to get to the center of Larnaca and change there. But if a large company has come to rest, it makes sense to take a taxi – in Cyprus it works at quite reasonable prices.

Transportation

Protaras is a small city, so many tourists do not use public transport at all within it. However, the resort has several stops where you can take buses 101 and 102 to Ayia Napa and Paralimni respectively. The fare must be paid to the driver at the entrance, the ticket costs 1.75 EUR, you can also buy a travel card. Buses run to Larnaca and Konnos. All buses on the island are owned by the OSEA company (off. site in English), painted blue, comfortable and not crowded. The only thing to keep in mind is the left-hand traffic, because of which the stops are not located on the side of the road we are used to. The prices on the page are for November 2021.

Many guests of Protaras prefer to take a taxi. Landing costs 5-7 EUR. At night, there is a special rate – 15% more expensive, you will also have to pay extra for a trip on holidays or for large luggage.

Protaras Hotels

Despite the modest size of the town, Protaras is rich in housing for tourists. There are suitable options for both those who want to relax as much as possible on a budget, and for travelers who are not limited in funds. Hotels are traditionally divided into categories of “stars”, but there are hotels without “stars”. It only means that they did not pass certification. There are also many guest houses and apartments in the resort. But there are few hostels in Protaras, just a few, and places in them fly apart instantly.

The cheapest option is to rent an apartment, it will cost about 40 EUR per night, a double room in a 3 * hotel will cost about 85 EUR, and expensive five-star hotels offer accommodation for 220 EUR per day for two. The most luxurious option is to rent an entire villa, such accommodation will empty the wallet by about 500 EUR per day.

Bicycles for rent

For those who want to explore the city and its surroundings on bicycles, local rental shops offer a variety of models. It is best to stay in the mountains, although Cyprus has good roads and bike paths are often found. But there are not enough bike racks here, “iron horses” are fastened where it is convenient. The rental price starts from 5-10 EUR per day, it is more profitable to take a bike for a long time.

• Coast of Protaras

Rent a Car

Car rental is very common in Protaras: Cyprus is small, which means that you can explore even the entire island by car. There are both international (Auto Europe, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt) and local companies (Privilegerentacar, Paphos Car Hire Cyprus, etc.). Moreover, the latter often do not take a deposit, since it is impossible to leave the island in a rented car. You should pay attention to whether insurance is included in the price (and what exactly it covers) or it will have to be paid additionally. And also, are there any restrictions on the points of delivery of cars – they are available from companies with lower prices.

On average, the rental price is about 30 EUR per day, but you can find more affordable options.

Roads in Cyprus are good, but traffic is on the left. Cypriots are patient with tourists behind the wheel. Rented cars always have red numbers; it is against the law for tourists to travel in cars with white numbers. It is forbidden to drive unfastened, including passengers, as well as to violate the speed limit.

There are practically no free parking lots in Protaras. In places marked with a double yellow line, you can not only park, but also stop. In the rest of the territory, parking costs 0.4-0.6 EUR per hour.

Communication and Wi-Fi

Mobile communication in Cyprus is relatively cheap. Therefore, for those who are going to communicate a lot with their homeland, it is most advantageous to buy a local SIM card on the first day. The most popular operator is CYTA Vodafone, it has the widest possible coverage area, so even those who are going to leave Protaras for wild corners will always be in touch. The second most popular operator is MTN.

The rates are approximately the same for both: a call to Russia will cost 0.11-0.2 EUR per minute, while their billing is per second. Another advantage is that when replenishing the balance, you can get free SMS packages, the larger the amount of replenishment, the more messages in the package. However, you should not get too carried away: all the money remaining on the card burns out after 90 days, so it is better to replenish the balance by the amount that will definitely be spent.

But with 3G coverage in Protaras, everything is not so good. The signal is unstable, it is better to rely on Wi-Fi. It is found in almost all cafes and restaurants, and of course, in hotels. As a rule, the signal is free, but protected by a password.

Cuisine and restaurants of Protaras

Food in Protaras is one of the important components of the holiday, because it is incredible here! Moreover, both in terms of quality and volume.

The classic Cypriot dish is “meze”, although it cannot even be called a dish, it is a whole series of appetizers that are taken out in turn (sometimes their number reaches 25). There are meat and fish dishes, but they always start with sauces and bread, then salad follows, and only then – main dishes.

“Meze” is a great way to get acquainted with the main dishes of Cypriot cuisine at a time, but it is better to check with the waiter the portion sizes and order one dish for two.

In addition, it is worth trying “afel” – pork stewed in red wine, “kleftiko” – lamb baked in a special way in the oven of the same name and “sheftal” – original sausages or chopped pork cutlets. Of course, you can’t help but enjoy the local halloumi cheese, which is usually served fried, and sweets: kadaifi, Turkish delight and baklava.

For food, it is best to go to a traditional Cypriot tavern, a hearty lunch with a drink per person here will cost about 20 EUR, and memories of the taste will remain for a long time. Otherwise, the establishments are ordinary: expensive restaurants with an average check of 50 EUR for two, cafes and eateries, where you will have to pay about 25 EUR for lunch, and street fast food, where you can have a cheap and quick bite to eat.