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The rocks of Petra tou Romiou, known as Aphrodite's Rock, rising from turquoise water beside a pebble beach on the coast of Paphos District, seen from the hillside above

Where to stay in Cyprus

Photographed in 2021. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Cyprus

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About Cyprus

Larnaca airport serves the east and the capital, Paphos airport the west, and Limassol sits between them. Kato Paphos is about 137 km by road from Larnaca airport, so choosing the base by airport saves hours in the car.

Cyprus. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airports
Larnaca (LCA) in the east and Paphos (PFO) in the west, both run by Hermes Airports. By road, LCA is about 6 km from the Larnaca seafront and PFO about 18 km from Kato Paphos harbour. Source
Tourist tax
No national per-person tax on the guest bill found. Self-catering operators owe overnight-stay fees to the local authority where one applies; Paphos charges one on self-catering bookings from 1 July 2023, rate not published. Source
Holiday rental register
A whole villa, house or apartment let to visitors must be registered with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and show its registration number in the advert and in all related transactions; platforms may not post a unit without one. Source
Entry rules
EU member, not yet a full Schengen member. A Cyprus visa covers Cyprus only, up to 90 days in any 180. Non-EU passports are stamped by hand; the EU Entry/Exit System does not run here. Source
Parking in Paphos
Municipal zones charged 06:00 to midnight, payable in the Pafos Smart Parking app: main car parks EUR 1 for 2 hours, secondary car parks EUR 1 for 3 hours, streets EUR 1 an hour. The Kato Paphos small harbour zone is free. Source
Monthly stays
Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay, paid a month at a time under a long-term cancellation policy. The Cyprus register sets no number of nights, so a month in a whole home still needs the registration number. Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Cyprus

The stone walls of Paphos fort at the end of the harbour under a clear blue sky, with moored boats and the seafront of Kato Paphos behind on the left
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Paphos

The harbour town of the west and the closest base to Paphos airport, with the fort on the harbour, the Tombs of the Kings, and the Akamas coast to the north for day trips. Kato Paphos, the harbour district, suits a beach and sightseeing week.

Paphos airport
about 18 km
Larnaca airport
about 137 km

Car and parking

Paphos charges its parking zones from 06:00 to midnight, payable in the Pafos Smart Parking app: main municipal car parks such as Karavella, Pervola and the Tombs of the Kings cost EUR 1 for 2 hours, secondary car parks EUR 1 for 3 hours and street spaces EUR 1 an hour. The small harbour of Kato Paphos is in the free zone, and a 24-hour card for every zone costs EUR 5.

A dark sand beach in Limassol in the morning, with calm water, a few swimmers and the high-rise towers of the seafront in the distance
Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Limassol

A city on the south coast with the Molos seafront, the port and a long town beach, and life all year. It sits between the two airports, which makes it the base for both ends of the south coast and the Troodos. It suits city stays and long stays more than a quiet beach week.

Larnaca airport
about 68 km
Paphos airport
about 61 km
Platres, in the Troodos
about 39 km

Car and parking

Limassol Municipality runs controlled parking with 2,016 car spaces: 16 long-stay car parks, among them Molos 1 to 4 on the seafront and one at the port, plus street spaces and meters. The page lists no prices, so ask the host whether a space comes with the flat.

The stone walls of Larnaca's medieval castle and its red-roofed building on the town beach, with palm trees and a minaret behind under a partly cloudy sky
Photo: SV1XV, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Larnaca

The shortest airport transfer on the island, the Finikoudes seafront and the medieval castle on the town beach. A practical base for the east, for Nicosia and for a short trip.

Larnaca airport
about 6 km
Nicosia, from Larnaca airport
about 51 km

Car and parking

Larnaka Municipality names municipal car parks at Mackenzie and on Tasou Mitsopoulou Avenue in its own notices, but no page with parking rules or prices was found as of September 2026. Ask the host where guests park.

Aerial view of Fig Tree Bay in Protaras, with a small rocky islet in turquoise water, rows of beach umbrellas along the sand and hotels behind
Photographed in 2018. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ayia Napa and Protaras

The resort coast of the south east. Ayia Napa is the livelier of the two; Protaras and Fig Tree Bay suit a quieter family beach holiday, with Cape Greco between them. The stays are resort hotels, holiday apartments and villas.

Larnaca airport, from Ayia Napa
about 59 km
Larnaca airport, from Protaras
about 67 km
Protaras, from Ayia Napa
about 11 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Ayia Napa or Protaras was found as of September 2026, so ask before booking whether a space is included. From Larnaca airport it is about 59 km by road to Ayia Napa and about 67 km to Protaras.

A large white church with domes among the red roofs of Pedoulas, a village in the Troodos mountains, with pine-covered slopes behind under a blue sky
Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Troodos villages

Stone villages in the pine-covered Troodos mountains, among them Platres, Kakopetria, Omodos and Pedoulas, for walking, wineries and cooler summer nights. Small hotels, guesthouses and village houses; a car is close to essential.

Paphos airport, from Platres
about 62 km
Larnaca airport, from Platres
about 104 km
Nicosia, from Kakopetria
about 60 km

Car and parking

Mountain roads can close to ordinary cars in winter: in January 2026 the police restricted the roads from Platres, Karvounas and Prodromos to Troodos to vehicles with snow chains or four-wheel drive. Check the police road announcements before a winter drive. No parking source for the villages was found.

Guides

Questions

Is there a tourist tax in Cyprus?

No national per-person tourist tax on the guest bill turned up in official sources. The Deputy Ministry of Tourism says self-catering operators owe overnight-stay fees to the local authority where one applies, and Paphos introduced one on self-catering bookings from 1 July 2023 without publishing the rate in its notice.

Which Cyprus airport is closer to which area?

Larnaca (LCA) for Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Protaras and Nicosia: about 6 km by road to the Larnaca seafront and about 59 km to Ayia Napa. Paphos (PFO) for Paphos and the west, about 18 km from Kato Paphos harbour. Limassol is about 61 km from Paphos airport and about 68 km from Larnaca airport.

How can a guest check that a holiday rental in Cyprus is registered?

A whole villa, house or apartment let to visitors must be in the Deputy Ministry of Tourism register, and its registration number must appear in the advert and in all related transactions. Platforms may not post a unit without one.

Is Cyprus in the Schengen area?

Not in full. Cyprus is in the EU and takes part in Schengen cooperation, but the Council has not lifted its border controls. A Cyprus visa covers Cyprus only, for up to 90 days in any 180, and non-EU passports are still stamped by hand instead of being registered in the EU Entry/Exit System.