Best Cyprus Beach Resorts

The 202-room Alexander the Great is an upscale resort on a crescent-shaped beach in Paphos, a UNESCO cultural heritage site on the southwest coast of Cyprus. There are multiple leisure facilities for guests, including outdoor entertainment, several on-site dining and drinking spots, and water sports (fee) on the pretty beach, which earned a Blue Flag certification (an eco-label). In addition to the sea, guests can dip into three outdoor pools and a heated indoor pool. The main pool overlooks the Mediterranean, and features whirlpools and a swim-up bar. Many of the modern and elegant rooms feature ocean views from scenic balconies, but street-facing rooms pick up traffic noise.

The first thing to note about the Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol is the sprawling 40,000-square-foot garden between the hotel and the beach. Most of the green space is a vast sunbathing lawn, punctuated by blue-and-white striped umbrellas and comfortable loungers. Two sections of private beach are separated by a rocky breakwater, with a sandy promenade running between them and plenty of sunbeds and beach umbrellas for all, especially when factoring in the lounging real estate in the gardens above. The hotel also has two outdoor pools (an adult pool and a family pool), a heated indoor saltwater pool for swimming laps, and extensive dining options (including a free breakfast buffet). Amathus' 239 rooms are modern and stylish; many have sea views and breezy private balconies.

The 100-room Alion Beach Hotel is located on gorgeous Limanaki Beach, a white-sand beach with turquoise waters. The resort itself is quiet and peaceful, but it's within a five-minute drive from the nightlife and restaurants of Ayia Napa for those in need of action. The hotel has an outdoor pool with lovely shaded seating areas and a snack bar, as well as tennis courts. Two restaurants include a Mediterranean option with flambe specialties.

One of the top hotels in Limassol, the five-pearl Four Seasons Hotel has a gorgeous location on a sandy beach in a quiet suburb, a short drive from the city center. Much of the hotel’s activity takes place in and around the two pools or down at the beach, where lots of wooden lounge chairs shaded by palapa-style parasols are set up. The main pool is a huge, sprawling lagoon-style affair with fountain features and a bridge. Excellent restaurants and multiple bars include lobby bar and poolside/beachside options, and the 296 rooms were renovated in 2016 to include tablet controls and chromotherapy showers.

Louis Ledra Beach has an excellent beachfront location in Paphos, a 10-minute drive from both the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tomb of the Kings and the Paphos Archaeological Park. Three pools include a main outdoor pool, a splash pool for kids, and a small, gorgeous indoor pool with a mosaic-tiled floor. Alternatively, guests can head straight down to the public beach adjacent to the property, where the waters are clean and generally calm enough for swimming. All sorts of activities can be found throughout the grounds, including table tennis, pool, giant chess, tennis courts, and beach volleyball. The 269 rooms here are simple and kept in good repair, and all have furnished balconies. Family Rooms have two sofa beds for children. Wi-Fi is free in the lobby but costs extra in rooms.

The 146-room Sunrise Pearl Hotel is in the heart of Protaras -- one of the main resort towns on Cyprus -- within walking distance of shops and bars. A few steps away is the beach, where guests can access water sports (through a private company), lounge in the sand, or float in the clear blue water. For those who want to stay closer to the hotel, the main sundeck is a bustling, well-designed complex of pools and bars, and the hotel’s animation team plans entertainment and activities throughout the day.

This upscale adult-only resort is located right on a sandy beach in the Coral Bay resort area on the UNESCO-protected Akamas Peninsula. The hotel's common areas and 100 rooms (all with furnished balconies) feature beautiful views of the beach, which is just downhill from the main resort. Sunbeds and a beach bar are set up on the sand, and there are also two pools -- one indoor and one outdoor. There are also two on-site restaurants, one with show cooking and themed nights, the other with a la carte fine-dining. All-inclusive rates are available.

With an excellent location right next to the beach and the boardwalk, Louis Imperial Beach is a popular pick for package tourists. The 239 rooms were all remodeled in 2012 and feature furnished balconies, many with views out over the massive pool and to the seashore beyond. There's plenty going on here, including buffet and a la carte restaurants, daytime and evening entertainment, a spa, a fitness center, and indoor and outdoor pools, including one that's strictly for adults. There's also a splash park, a kids' wading pool, and a kids' club. Note that during the busy summer months, all guests are required to book the all-inclusive option.

The 245-room Sunrise Beach Hotel -- open seasonally -- is a simply, yet elegantly designed three-and-a-half-pearl hotel on the main street of Protaras. In the heart of the city, the Sunrise Beach is near plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, and beaches, but there’s little need to travel off-site. With three restaurants and three bars, plus four nearby restaurants with whom the hotel has half-board deals for guests, dining and drink needs are more than met. The facility has a large, active pool patio that leads directly to the beach. There is squash and tennis courts, a gym, and a spa next door at the adjacent Sunrise Pearl Hotel. Rooms are spacious, simply but nicely decorated, and include balconies.