Villa Holidays in Cyprus

The holiday market is undergoing massive changes. Traditional tour operators and travel agents are seeing their business diminish rapidly, as many people choose to make their own holiday arrangements. In addition, the type of holiday that people book is also very different to what it used to be. Gone are the days of the original ‘package holiday’ and whilst many travellers still look to hotels or small bed and breakfast accommodations, many are now booking private villas or apartments. This is particularly notable in the Cyprus market. Here, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, hotel bookings are down dramatically on previous years, while the market for holiday villas and apartments has grown to the stage where many places are fully booked months, and sometimes years, in advance. In Northern Cyprus, the Turkish part of the island, the change is greater still, as hotels are generally less established than those in the south.

This change is simple to fathom out. Renting a Northern Cyprus villa is frequently considerably cheaper than the cost of a hotel room (or rooms) for the same number of visitors. Further, villa or apartment rentals invariably offer much more spacious accommodation than an equivalent hotel or bed and breakfast. Talking about bed and breakfast obviously brings up the one disadvantage of renting a property: you have to sort out your own catering arrangements. However, this really doesn’t prove much of a hardship for most people. Tourists in any destination tend to eat out virtually all of the time, unless on an ‘all inclusive’ holiday. Breakfast is usually the only downside, but a continental breakfast is pretty easy for even the worst cook, and there is no need to have to worry about serving times either!

The vast majority of property available for rental in Cyprus is to be found in towns and villages. This means that local facilities are mostly close at hand. Some shops, restaurants and other establishments are normally within walking distance, as are places of interest. In general, villas tend to be found in village locations, whilst apartments are centred around larger towns. Each, of course, has its own advantages; villas tend to have individual swimming pools, larger gardens and more internal space. Most rental apartments in Northern Cyprus have shared pools and garden areas, though many are also very sizeable. Bear in mind too, that individual, privately-owned apartments tend to be in small, residential developments, so communal areas and pools may be comparatively little used, particularly on weekdays.

In business terms, by far and away the greatest number of holiday rental properties in Cyprus are privately owned. Sometimes, these are holiday homes and are used by their owners for part of the year and rented out for the rest to cover some expenses. Some are owned on the basis of long-term investments, so are available throughout the year. Either way, these properties usually offer excellent value and are well specified and maintained. There are a few commercial rental properties, though mostly these are developments with a number of properties on the same piece of land. These too tend to be well equipped.

If you are thinking about booking Northern Cyprus villas, there are a few obvious pointers. Firstly, flights can be difficult to obtain and comparatively costly in peak periods. You may be faced with a bit of a juggling act, tying together a property rental deal and buying flights separately. Check all the availability first and contact the property’s owner to see if they will hold a reservation for you for a few hours while you confirm your flights. Most will be very happy to do this and you are reasonably secure in knowing you have your accommodation available. In practical terms, check carefully the accommodation details with regards to sleeping arrangements. Some properties will have one or more sofa-beds, so be sure that you know exactly what you are getting before you book. Equally, check how many double and single beds are available. Fairly basic stuff, but it’s important to be sure, so you don’t end up unexpectedly sharing a double bed with a friend! Check too, what arrangements are available for local assistance. Many owners will use a local agent, who can provide other services like airport transfers. They may even be able to book local tours for you. At the very least, be sure that there is an emergency contact in case of any problems. Hopefully, you will never need this, but if there is a problem with the property while you are in it, it’s reassuring to know that it can be dealt with easily and quickly.

Whatever your reasons for thinking about it, now is definitely the best time to look at booking private villa or apartment accommodation. Prices are reasonable, quality is generally very high and space is abundant. The market is changing, so expect to see prices rise before much longer. Do it now, while you can!