Kefalos Beach, a village of apartments by the sea

In the jargon of the Cypriot register, a tourist village is a cluster of apartments with hotel services around them, and Kefalos Beach is one of the big ones in Paphos. It has no stars because it doesn’t need them; it’s graded by letter, and its letter is A. Here’s what the list records, what it offers and why I think the formula works for certain families. For context, see Paphos hotels.

Confirmed licence, class A

On the August Paphos list it appears as a class A tourist village, with 259 units and 536 beds at 8 Aiantos Street. Unlike most of its neighbours it carries the L for a confirmed licence, so the grade isn’t provisional. Its website counts 249 apartments, which is why I give both numbers. If this kind of stay interests you, I compare letters and areas in apartments in Cyprus.

What it’s like

The grounds cover about 30,000 square metres on the seafront, according to the property, with sea views and western sunsets. The apartments have been refurbished and come with kitchens for anyone who’d rather cook, and there’s internet across the complex. When you’d rather eat out of the apartment there are several restaurants, from Arodaphnousa to the Italian Mamma Mia, the Romios taverna by the pool bar and Divine Breeze, à la carte, on the floor above. The same group runs another property, Kefalos Damon, with the Divine Peak restaurant on its fifth floor.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kefalos Beach Tourist Village Paphos on Expedia and filter by area before price.

With or without all-inclusive

The beauty of it is the choice. You can go self-catering, or take the all-inclusive, which covers buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with theme nights, local alcoholic and soft drinks, and snacks between meals. Excluded are fresh juices, iced tea, energy drinks, imported spirits, bottled wine and beer, and sparkling wines. If you’re a family that mostly drinks soft drinks and local beer, the package covers nearly everything; if you like a good bottle with dinner, self-catering plus the odd meal out will probably suit you better.

Neighbours

It sits in the Tombs of the Kings area, also home to the Elysium hotel, a five-star with its own cove, and the Venus Beach hotel, facing a public beach. If you’d like something smaller and family-run in Kato Paphos, there’s Pagona Hotel Apartments.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Pafos and pick one that fits your day.

My take

For a family staying ten days or more, the mix of your own kitchen, a pool and the sea inside one set of grounds strikes me as very practical, and the optional all-inclusive saves you deciding everything before you arrive. To see all the island’s accommodation types together, go to where to stay in Cyprus.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Paphos before you arrive rather than at the desk.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kefalos Beach Tourist Village Paphos on Booking.com and filter by area before price.