Protaras, the touristic area of Paralimni, is one of the most beautiful areas in Cyprus and is situated along the east coast of the island. Protaras is a picturesque bay with crystal clear waters, awarded with blue flags. The 10 kilometre long coast of Protaras expands from the area named ‘Kapparis’ to a seclusive bay named ‘Konnos’ .
Protaras is mainly a tourist resort which is situated on the east coast of Cyprus, about eight kilometres east of Ayia Napa. It has long sandy beaches, small coves and fishing harbours, with many hotels, restaurants and bars catering for the tourists. Protaras has clear sky-blue waters and sandy beaches, the most well-known of which is Fig Tree Bay.
The area of Paralimni was and still is a very productive area in Cyprus. Hundreds of windmills planted in the fields provide a unique picture, a fixed testimony for the way the land was used 25 years ago.
Building on the success of Ayia Napa, located about 10 km southwest, it has expanded into a modern holiday resort of considerable size with tens of high capacity hotels, hotel apartments, villas, restaurants, pubs and associated facilities. Cape Greco is a 10 minute drive from the centre of Protaras, and is considered one of the most beautiful places on the island and 15 minutes from Paralimni Town.
Paralimni is a town situated in the southeast of Cyprus, slightly inland, within the Famagusta District. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, it has increased in size and status, due to the migration of many refugees fleeing from the north. Many of the people who work in the tourist industry of Protaras and Ayia Napa live in Paralimni, which is the administrative centre of the Famagusta District and the biggest municipality of the district.
Famagusta district offers the best beaches in Cyprus, live energetic night entertainment but also interesting visits to religious sites, a few archaeological monuments and villages of their own interests. Organised excursions with official guiding can make you familiar to any other area of Cyprus, coastal or mountains, other towns or the capital.
Within the town square are three churches and an open air theatre. The most interesting church is the oldest. It is open to the public and now serves as a museum. Inside there is a collection of icons, religious robes and a few interesting old photos and portraits. The other two churches are not open to the public.
Paralimni Lake is home to the harmless Cyprus grass snake which was thought to be extinct from the 1960s. A regular local bus service runs along the coastal strip from Paralimni, through Protaras, to Ayia Napa.
Not far from Paralimni is the village of Dherinia. Apart from three interesting churches Dherinia is best known for its views of the ghost city of Famagusta – once the major tourist resort of the island, now empty and under illegal Turkish control.
At the heart of Paralimni lies a shopping centre and a small entertainment scene, including modern cafes and bars. Because Paralimni has rapidly grown in size, the island’s biggest food retailers, such as Carrefour and Metro, have built or rented branches there. There are also many local supermarkets, such as Kokkinos and others. The countryside surrounding Paralimni has rich red soil and is famous for growing Cyprus potatoes, as well as its picturesque windmills, which are used to draw water from underground aquifers to irrigate the surrounding land. Many of these windmills are now derelict, having been replaced by electric or diesel-powered pumps. Before the rise of tourism, the rich agricultural land surrounding Paralimni was the source of its wealth, and is still of great importance today.
The countryside surrounding Paralimni has rich red soil and is famous for growing Cyprus potatoes, as well as its picturesque windmills, which are used to draw water from underground aquifers to irrigate the surrounding land. Many of these windmills are now derelict, having been replaced by electric or diesel-powered pumps. Before the rise of tourism, the rich agricultural land surrounding Paralimni was the source of its wealth, and is still of great importance today