Cyprus has five coastal areas to stay in and one in the mountains. According to the official accommodation list of August 2026, Paphos, Ayia Napa and Protaras hold most of the beds, Limassol has a high share of five-star hotels and the Troodos is all about traditional houses in mountain villages.
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Paphos, Ayia Napa and Protaras hold most of the island's beds.
Limassol has the highest share of five-star hotels.
The Troodos means traditional houses and small hotels in villages.
Many star ratings are indicative under the new law.
I'd choose the area before the hotel. On a first visit, to see the island, Paphos or Limassol put the west, Kourion and the Troodos within reach. For beach and not much else, Ayia Napa or Protaras.
Sergio LeponeMy advice
Before you go
What I would keep in mind
01 Getting there
Paphos has the most beds
The Paphos list totals 129 establishments and about 26,000 beds, with 12 five-star hotels. It's the base for Kato Paphos, Coral Bay and the Akamas.
Choosing where to stay in Cyprus means choosing what kind of trip you want. The island is small, but Paphos and Ayia Napa are about 145 km apart in a straight line, and changing base midway saves hours of driving. To get my bearings I counted the official accommodation lists published by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, dated August 2026. Here’s what each area offers and how I’d choose. The island basics are in the Cyprus travel guide.
What the official register shows
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism publishes a general list of 729 establishments in the government-controlled area, and area lists totalling 674. They range from one- to five-star hotels to class A, B and C hotel apartments, tourist villages, villas, campsites and restored traditional houses. One important detail, many carry a P, which means their classification is being processed under the new hotel law, so the stars are indicative. All forty five-stars are listed in luxury hotels in Cyprus. There’s no recognised official register for the north, as I explain in hotels in northern Cyprus.
The west coast, Paphos
This is the area with the most beds, about 26,000 across 129 establishments, and 12 five-star hotels. It puts the Kato Paphos mosaics, Coral Bay and the Akamas peninsula on your doorstep, and Kouklia has the golf resort of Aphrodite Hills. Area by area, it’s covered in Paphos hotels, with separate guides for Coral Bay hotels and, further north, the small and quiet Polis and Latchi hotels.
The two lists add up to 225 establishments and more than 40,000 beds. This is the coast of sandy beaches and big seaside hotels, with ten five-stars in Ayia Napa and three in Paralimni and Protaras. For me it’s the best choice if the plan is the sea and little driving, and if you’d like your own kitchen, see apartments in Cyprus. Details in Ayia Napa hotels and Protaras hotels.
Limassol has only 59 establishments, but eight are five-star, the highest share on the island, and it sits mid south coast, which makes it a base for Kourion, the Troodos and Paphos, as I cover in Limassol hotels. Its best-known name, the Four Seasons in Limassol, has its own page. Larnaca, by the airport, has 101 establishments, nearly half of them traditional houses in district villages, and fewer big hotels. More in Larnaca hotels.
Nicosia is the capital and has just 22 places on its list, two of them five-star. It’s worth it for the city, its museums and walking across to the north, as explained in Nicosia hotels. One of its two five-stars is the Hilton Nicosia. In the mountains, the list records 111 places to stay, mostly traditional houses in villages such as Kalopanagiotis, Kakopetria, Platres and Lofou, all covered in Troodos hotels. Every licensed village house on the island is in agrotourism in Cyprus.
How I’d do it
For a week, two bases, one west and one east. For a beach holiday, one base on the coast of your choice. And if you like mountains, a night or two in a Troodos village changes the whole trip. What you can do from each base is in things to do in Cyprus.
Two practical points before you book. Your UK chargers fit the sockets as they are, as I explain in plugs in Cyprus. And if you’re torn between booking independently or as a package, I compare daily spending using CYSTAT figures in Cyprus package holidays.
If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Paphos: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.
Fishing boats in Ayia Napa harbour with the white chapel of Agios Georgios behind, in Cyprus
The houses of Kalopanayiotis stepped up the slope of the Marathasa valley, among trees under a clear sky
The official accommodation lists by area
Area
Establishments
Beds, approx.
Five-star hotels
Paphos
129
26,300
12
Ayia Napa
132
24,100
10
Paralimni and Protaras
93
17,300
3
Limassol
59
11,700
8
Larnaca
101
5,900
2
Polis and Latchi
27
2,400
2
Mountains (Troodos and villages)
111
2,400
0
Nicosia
22
2,200
2
Area lists from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, 4 August 2026. My own count and bed totals, rounded. Five-star Cap St. Georges appears only on the general list.
Test yourself
True or false?
0/3Pick before you peek.
Nicosia has the most hotel beds in Cyprus.
See the answer
False. It's among the areas with the fewest, about 2,200. Paphos has the most, about 26,000.
Traditional houses dominate in the Troodos.
See the answer
True. Of the 111 places on the mountain list, 84 are traditional houses.
Every star rating in Cyprus is final.
See the answer
False. Many are marked as indicative while classification is processed.
It depends on the trip. To see the island, Paphos or Limassol. For sandy beaches, Ayia Napa or Protaras. For a city, Nicosia, and for mountains, the Troodos villages.
How many hotels are there in Cyprus?
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism's general list of August 2026 records 729 establishments in the government-controlled area, including hotels, hotel apartments, traditional houses and other types.
Where should I stay to see all of Cyprus?
I'd use two bases, one in the west, Paphos or Limassol, and one in the east, Larnaca or Ayia Napa. The island is about 145 km across from Paphos to Ayia Napa as the crow flies.
Are Cyprus hotel star ratings official?
They come from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's register, but in many cases they're marked as indicative while classification under the new law is processed.
Tourism graduate with a master’s in Tourism Management and Planning from the University of Málaga, who has travelled across Europe. He writes every guide from official sources and his own judgement.
