Pernera Beach Hotel

Sea-facing, family-run and established in 1976, this is a substantial hotel built around Pernera Bay rather than a small hideaway pretending to be one. The property has 233 rooms, direct beach access, several places to eat and enough going on to keep a diving couple, a mixed-age group or a family occupied between outings. It was fully renovated in 2013, with further rooms and facilities added in 2015.

The feel is organised and resort-like. You can have breakfast, walk straight down to the beach, spend the warmest part of the day by an adults-only pool and finish with dinner beside the sea. Families have a Kids Club, a children’s pool, games and a children’s menu, while adults have the Amelia Spa, fitness classes and spaces where the younger members of the party can make their own noise.

You are in Pernera, a coastal area on the outskirts of Protaras, Cyprus, with the hotel directly on the sandy Pernera Bay. The shoreline here is golden sand, and the hotel’s position gives you the useful luxury of reaching the water without packing a beach expedition. Kalamies Beach is about 0.7 miles away, while Polyxenia Beach is roughly 300 metres away on foot.

You have other bays and coastal stops within easy reach: Potami Bay Beach is about 0.6 miles away, Sirena Bay Beach about 1.1 miles, and Protaras Ocean Aquarium about 2.1 miles. Cape Greco National Forest Park is around 5 miles away by road, with nature trails and coastal excursions in the wider area. For a change from resort life, the Thalassa Municipal Museum is about 7 miles away.

Choose the room around the way you actually travel, not simply the view printed on the door. A side sea-view room keeps the sea in sight without taking you into the larger suite categories, while the Superior Sea View Room gives three people more room to spread out. For a couple who want a separate living arrangement and a proper bathroom, the Sea View Suite is the more sensible step up. Families can choose rooms arranged for two adults and two children, including a family room with a super-king bed and bunk beds.

The sharper choices are the swim-up and private-pool categories. A Superior Room with Inland View and Swim Up Pool suits you if stepping into the water from your terrace matters more than looking at the bay. The Junior Suite and Grand Suite versions add a private pool and Jacuzzi, with the Grand Suite giving you the most generous amount of indoor space. That is a useful distinction when three people are sharing, or when wet towels, beach bags and evening clothes begin competing for the same chair.

Rooms have air conditioning, a private bathroom, a furnished balcony with sea views in the sea-facing categories, a kettle and a refrigerator. There is also a drying rack for clothing, which is handy for swimwear after a saltwater morning. Soundproofing is available as part of the general room provision, and daily housekeeping keeps the return from the beach pleasantly straightforward. Flat-screen satellite television, WiFi throughout the hotel and a desk cover the quieter part of the evening.

Four restaurants give the all-inclusive plan some useful variety. Breakfast is a buffet at Priamos from 07:00, with dinner there as well; the restaurant combines international fusion cooking with a covered terrace overlooking the pools and sea. Kamares handles lunch and dinner, with a buffet, two live cooking stations and three levels of seating facing Pernera Bay. The lower level is covered but open to the sea, while the upper level is air-conditioned and framed by panoramic windows.

Thalassa is the seaside dinner venue, and Amarante brings Asian cooking close to the pool. At Thalassa, the kitchen includes hot-stone grill dishes such as aged beef, scallops, salmon, tiger prawns and sea-bream fillet. Amarante focuses on Eastern and Southeast Asian food prepared by chefs from the Far East. Evening dress is practical but not beachwear: long trousers or smart shorts with shoes are required in the restaurants.

There is one named bar, the Main Bar/Pool Bar, serving all-inclusive drinks from 10:00 until midnight. Snacks run at the pool bar from 14:30 to 18:00, which is exactly the sort of interval that matters when lunch feels too close and dinner still has a decompression stop between it and you. Special-diet menus are available on request, and children have their own meals and buffet options.

Three pools let you choose the level of activity required. Outdoor 1 is open to all guests and has a separate children’s section; Outdoor 2 is reserved for adults. The indoor swimming pool opens in April and November, giving you a useful alternative during those cooler edges of the season. Sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas, a sun terrace and garden areas make it easy to stop moving without having to retreat indoors.

The Amelia Spa offers therapies and treatments, with a relaxation area, steam room, hammam, sauna, hot tub and massage services. You can book treatments for the back, neck, feet, head, hands or whole body. The fitness centre adds Aqua Gym, stretching and yoga classes, so you can loosen up without pretending that a full training schedule belongs on every holiday.

Away from the water, the practical choices include cycling, walking and sightseeing excursions, with Cape Greco, Konnos Bay, Fig Tree Bay, the Protaras Ocean Aquarium and the Natural Bridge of Cape Greco among the listed outings. Table tennis, French bowls, darts, billiards and pool games cover the low-effort hours. Evening entertainment ranges from quizzes and karaoke to live music, Greek nights, magic shows, variety performances and tribute acts. It is a full programme, not a monastery; choose your volume accordingly.

Larnaca International Airport is about 32 miles away by road, with a driving time of roughly 53 minutes. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, either by pre-arranged taxi or minibus for groups of eight or more. Car hire can also be arranged, and the A3 motorway provides the main road link towards Protaras. Free private parking is available on site without reservation.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, and check-out from 07:00 to 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in. The front desk operates around the clock, with luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange and a wake-up service available. Free WiFi covers the hotel, and there is a supermarket and souvenir shop on site for the items that somehow remain in the suitcase even after three packing attempts.

Children of all ages are welcome. Cots can be requested for babies from birth to one year, subject to the selected accommodation, while extra beds are not available. Babysitting is available on request. The hotel has accessible rooms, step-free access to the hotel and public areas, accessible lifts and two accessible toilets in public areas. Pets are not allowed.