1 place in Cyprus for a week in the summer, your opinions please
 

Hello
I'm considering a trip in the summer for myself, my elderly parents, and my small children. I would like to stay at one place where we can all enjoy ourselves.
We want to stay at one place and possibly take day trips.
Good beach, nice restaurants nearby, interesting city life and places to visit. Good food is a priority. Somewhere that would not be overcrowded in the summer.
Also I'm not interested in clubs but it would be nice to stay somewhere that is very lively at night. I like history, specifically interesting streets and architecture.
I would appreciate recommendations for specific hotels/resorts.

thanks so much

I'm not sure how much you know about Cyprus, but trying to find somewhere in summer that is not overcrowded but a good beach etc will be difficult to find. It is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe. The least crowded areas at that time of the year will be in the mountains, or perhaps less known areas such as Pomos but then you will not have the liveliness at night that you want. Temperatures in July/August can reach 100F. Latchi and north west corner of the island is recommended as well as Paphos. Renting a villa or apartment is a good option.

Good food is everywhere, there are plenty of historical sites, there are no interesting streets apart from the green line in Nicosia, there are interesting villages, interesting areas of towns.

It will get very hot in summer which is okay for me. I would go for just north of Paphos around St Georges Bay. Cyprus has a beautiful sea and Paphos has some interesting architectural sites but can get busy and is touristy. There are prettier Greek Islands - I think Skiathos is the best I have visited - very safe with an excellent transport system and more beaches than any other island - great boat trips.

With a mixed group across the age ranges, you certainly don't want to stay on the east coast near or in Ayia Napa. It's party central for the island and not terribly pleasant to stay in.

Looking at what you want from your destination, you really are looking at Larnaca, Limassol or Paphos as the main destinations, with Limassol being the most centrally placed geographically. Obviously that makes it easier to travel either west or East to see the island. We've only day tripped to Limassol but found it to be a very pleasant place with a nice sea front area.

Paphos is over on the West coast and has a big range of modern hotels and restaurants, as well as an older part of the town. Access for day trips across to Limassol is good with the new(ish) motorway, nice trips into the Troodos Mountains and up through the Akamas Peninsula nature reserve, where turtles lay their eggs on the beaches at the right time of the year.

My choice would either be Limassol or Paphos.

BTW, as Odin says, this is a holiday island, it's busy in the summer, but not unpleasantly so.