North Cyprus Holidays – Family Review of Cyprus Paradise 2026

We travelled to North Cyprus in collaboration with Cyprus Paradise. The opinions and comparisons below are our own.

Is North Cyprus Good for Family Holidays?

North Cyprus surprised us. We knew relatively little about it before this trip, and it probably wouldn’t have been the first place we suggested to a family looking for a Mediterranean holiday.

There are beautiful beaches, some very impressive hotels with plenty to keep children busy. It’s also somewhere worth looking at if you want a more luxurious holiday during shoulder season when finding warm weather can be tricky . As always, the value depends on your dates and what’s included.

We travelled with Cyprus Paradise, stayed at Grand Sapphire Resort and visited Salamis Bay Conti Resort. They gave us two quite different versions of a family holiday, and the grandest hotel wasn’t automatically the one we’d recommend to every family.

First, though, let’s cover the question that understandably comes up when you mention North Cyprus.

What booking protection is included?

Cyprus Paradise’s published package terms list ABTA membership Y2916 and ATOL 9345. Eligible flight-inclusive holidays are ATOL protected, and your ATOL certificate sets out exactly which services are covered. ABTA membership also brings its Code of Conduct and access to dispute-resolution arrangements.

Check the protection attached to your actual booking: the company specifically says that its package financial protection does not apply to accommodation-only arrangements.

Staying at Grand Sapphire Resort

We decided to visit the 5* Grand Sapphire, which was the more impressive and luxurious of the two hotels we experienced. It felt grand, polished and upmarket, and would be our starting point for a family who wants the hotel itself to feel like a treat.

There’s a difference, though, between being impressed by a hotel and knowing it will work for your particular family. The practical details still matter, especially when somebody needs a nap or has decided that walking is no longer an option.

Facilities for kids at Grand Sapphire

Grand Sapphire has definitely thought about kids, but there is still some work they can do to make the resort feel more family friendly. The traditional evening entertainment is missing, which wouldn’t bother all families, but it left us wondering what to do after dinner. That being said, the game zone and funfair are great additions to the resort and I’ll discuss them more below. There isn’t a kids club where you can confidently drop the kids off.

Game Zone

This is a great area in the main hotel building with a cinema, arcade, small soft play area and in theory, a place to sit and enjoy a coffee. I say ‘in theory’ as finding someone trained to make a Cappuccino wasn’t always as easy as it should be! There is seating for adults in there should you wish to stay, older children can be left with staff to supervise. They run an activity schedule each day with crafts and such, which is classed as the Kid Club, but this often didn’t run as planned and was aimed at younger children.

The cinema shows cartoons in the morning and a kids movie in the evening, they give out popcorn which is a nice touch. There are some pool tables, table football and air hockey for families who like to get competitive. Each child gets 5 credits for the arcade, and 5 credits for the fun fair when visiting with Cyprus Paradise. After this, it was around £2 per game, so not cheap.

The staff weren’t the typical high energy people you hope to see in a kids club. A lot of staff gave off an energy that they really didn’t want to be there, and this let the hotel down throughout. Leo is 7 and loves a kids club, but he didn’t want to be left there alone.

This space has a lot of potential. Like with any family space, you need to consider the adults, while keeping the kids occupied. With a better drinks service for the adults, and more energetic staff, this space would be excellent.

Luna Park Fun Fair

Getting to the fun fair is easy as there are shuttles running back and forth into the evening. We actually walked as it was only 5 minutes away.

This was a great thing to do in the evening and you currently get 5 free rides per child during your stay. Better still, adults didn’t have to pay when accompanying smaller children on a ride. That is a nice detail I haven’t seen before at a fair ground like this. It was a welcome little saving.

Once we had used our free tokens, the rides were reasonably priced at around £1.50 per child.

Winter opening is weather-dependent.

Visiting Salamis Bay Conti Resort

We visited Salamis Bay Conti Resort for the day rather than staying there, so this is our impression from that visit. We can’t give you an overnight verdict on the rooms or compare a full week of food and service.

What we could see was a hotel with a warmer, more obvious family-holiday atmosphere. It wasn’t quite as grand or polished as Grand Sapphire, but it had a lovely family feel, direct beach access, a waterpark, more substantial kids club and evening entertainment.

That combination makes a lot of sense for families who want plenty happening without having to organise a separate outing every day. The beach is right there, and the waterpark gives children another reason to be enthusiastic about leaving the room.

Direct beach access is a particularly useful difference. If your ideal day involves moving between the pool and the sand, Salamis Bay is likely to feel more straightforward.

Facilities and activities vary by season, so check what will be operating on your dates, especially if the slides are the main reason you’re booking.

Based on our visit, this is the one we’d be more inclined to suggest to families whose children want a lively resort with plenty going on. If you prefer a quieter holiday, ask about the entertainment schedule and room location before committing.

What else makes North Cyprus worth considering

There’s plenty to explore beyond the hotels, from ancient cities to harbour towns and long stretches of sandy coastline. If you want to break up the pool days with a few outings, these are some of the places worth looking at.

Salamis ruins for a morning of exploring

Close to both Grand Sapphire and Salamis Bay, the ancient city of Salamis is one of the most convenient trips to add to your stay. There are Roman columns, baths and a theatre to explore, giving children something much more tangible than a history lesson. Go early in summer, take plenty of water and wear shoes you’re happy walking over uneven ground in. This is definitely an outing to do before the hottest part of the day.

Kyrenia for the harbour and castle

Kyrenia, also known as Girne, combines a historic harbour with a castle right beside it. You can build a day around exploring the castle, visiting its Shipwreck Museum and stopping for lunch by the water. If your children enjoy boats, towers and exploring old buildings, there’s plenty here to work with. From the Famagusta area, plan this as a proper day trip out rather than a quick trip between swims.

Bellapais for village streets and sea views

Near Kyrenia, the hillside village of Bellapais is known for its medieval abbey and views down towards the coast. It makes sense to combine the two in one outing: harbour and castle first, then a wander around Bellapais and a café stop. This is more of a gentle sightseeing option, particularly if you enjoy old architecture and somewhere scenic to sit with a drink.

The Karpaz Peninsula for beautiful beaches and roaming donkeys

The Karpaz Peninsula stretches towards the island’s northeastern tip, with quieter countryside, long sandy beaches and some rather memorable residents: its free-roaming donkeys. They’ve become a symbol of the area, and spotting them adds something extra to a day of exploring, especially for children. Give them space, keep little ones close and enjoy watching them without chasing or feeding them.

Golden Beach is another reason to make the journey, with a sweeping stretch of sand backed by dunes. It’s a much less developed setting than a hotel beach, so bring water, snacks and sun protection rather than expecting a waiter to appear with an ice lolly. Allow a full day for exploring the peninsula, particularly if you’re travelling with younger children.

Nesting turtles and conservation-led hatchling releases

North Cyprus’s beaches are nesting grounds for both green and loggerhead turtles.

During the summer, when conditions allow, visitors can attend conservation-led hatchling releases and watch tiny turtles make their way towards the sea. It’s a chance for children to see wildlife conservation happening in front of them and understand why protecting the beaches matters.

These are seasonal conservation activities, so dates and availability depend on the turtles. We asked Cyprus Paradise support team how we could see baby turtles, and they sent us information about a free local event happening that evening!

A quick background on the political situation in North Cyprus

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with a UN buffer zone known as the Green Line separating the two sides. The Republic of Cyprus controls the south, while the north is administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey. Read the latest UK Government travel advice before booking and again before travelling.

During our trip we visited Varosha, often called the “ghost town”. Before 1974, this beachfront district of Famagusta was a thriving holiday destination, with busy hotels, restaurants and shops (see image below from before 1974). It was also home to a Greek Cypriot community whose residents fled as Turkish forces advanced during the conflict. The area was subsequently fenced off under Turkish military control, and residents were prevented from returning to their homes. Buildings that had once been full of everyday life were left to deteriorate for decades.

That history is what makes Varosha so significant. It’s a very visible reminder of the island’s division and the unresolved questions around people’s homes, property and right to return. Understanding that changes how you see it: these were places where people lived, worked, raised children and expected to have a future.

For us, visiting was fascinating but also sobering. Seeing the abandoned buildings brought the history into much sharper focus than simply reading about the Green Line. The phrase “ghost town” describes how it looks, but doesn’t really capture the human story behind it. It’s somewhere to approach respectfully, remembering that what feels like history to a visitor remains deeply personal for the families still affected today.

Booking with Cyprus Paradise

We’re usually very happy putting a holiday together ourselves, but North Cyprus is somewhere we can see real value in booking through a specialist. We weren’t sure how crossing the border would work, but Cyprus Paradise organise your private transfers, the driver took our passports and dealt with the crossing for us.

They have been arranging holidays here for more than 33 years, with a team who can help you choose the right hotel, organise flights and transfers, and explain how it all works before you book.

That hotel knowledge matters. Having experienced Grand Sapphire and visited Salamis Bay, we know that two hotels described as “family friendly” can offer quite different holidays. Being able to explain your budget, your children’s ages and what you actually want from the trip is really handy.

Their established hotel relationships can also bring added cost saving benefits and package offers, while local representatives give you someone to contact during your stay. Compare the full package and its inclusions with anything you’ve found independently; the cheapest headline price doesn’t always give you the best overall value.

For families curious about North Cyprus but unsure where to start, we think Cyprus Paradise is well worth considering. You get help with the unfamiliar bits and can concentrate on the important decisions. Mainly, pool or beach?