Travel review: Cyprus

Crystal blue waters, golden sands, quiet beaches and a little white church just metres from the beach glistening in the sunlight were among them.

It looked perfect. When we arrived at Kalamies beach in Pernera on our first day, we were met with the exact scene I'd been obsessively collecting for weeks.

Even better, our villa was just a five-minute stroll away. We cracked open the first of many bottles of Keo at a beachside restaurant and took in the view.

Beautiful golden sands, year-round sunshine and delicious, fresh cuisine make Cyprus a magnet for holidaymakers. It's a manageable four-and-a-half hour flight from Birmingham Airport, and flying that bit closer to the equator in June meant we were guaranteed sunshine – even though at 35C (95F) it was a bit stifling at times.

Pernera is a small, pretty little harbour town on the edge of Protaras, a purpose-built resort on the southeastern coast.

We were staying in a three-bedroom villa called Crystal Lagoon.

It was the first foreign holiday with our young son, and we hoped a villa would give us space and flexibility, while being close to all the amenities we needed.

With three bathrooms and a large open plan living, dining and kitchen area, it was a great base. We're not recluses, but we like to do our own thing and have our own space, so the flexibility of a house worked better for us than a hotel.

One luxury was our own private pool surrounded by lush gardens – and thanks to the baking hot temperatures, it was a daily joy to jump into and cool off. Our 13-month-old loved it too – floating around on a rubber ring, chasing a ball while on my shoulders and splashing my wife hundreds of times in the face never got boring.

The villa was on a quiet cul-de-sac but minutes away from shops, restaurants and bars. Three supermarkets are within a two-minute walk, while Farkonas pool bar – five minutes' away – serves great value meals and rather strong cocktails in a pristine setting with a huge pool and free sunbeds for customers.

• Seven nights s/c in three-bed, three bath Villa Crystal Lagoon in Cyprus sleeping up to six costs from £609 at www.5starvillaholidays.com or on 0151 494 9145. Express & Star readers can get £50 off bookings at Villa Crystal Lagoon and over 1,000 other villas in the US, Spain, Cyprus and Turkey, quote code ‘Express’.

• TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Valid for new bookings made directly with 5 Star Villa Holidays from today until December 4. May not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Code ‘Express’ must be given at the time of booking. 5 Star Villa holidays reserves the right to amend or discontinue this offer with or without prior notice.

• Monarch operates year round flights to Larnaca from Birmingham, London Luton, London Gatwick and Leeds Bradford airports with fares, including taxes, starting from £89 one way (£176 return).

Our favourite place, however, became Kalamies restaurant at the bottom of the road. Set right on the edge of the beach serving traditional Greek food, we couldn't find a better located place to eat, with the views simply breathtaking.

The bright white walls of tiny Agios Nikolaos church set against the cloudless sky and the Mediterranean is a sight we won't forget in a while.

Busier and more bustling Protaras is a leisurely 30-minute walk along a relatively new promenade which winds its way along the coastline.

We walked it twice, the second time at sunset being the most rewarding.

There are dozens of bars and open-air restaurants in the town. During the day, Fig Tree Bay is one of Protaras' main attractions, but we found it too busy and couldn't wait to head back to the quieter sands in Pernera.

One of our favourite things to do became going to the beach at 5pm, when it was still warm but the sun was going down and all the local families came out to play.

If 24-hour partying's your bag, Ayia Napa is a 15-minute drive away.

Boat trips go daily from Pernera's Golden Coast Harbour to Cape Greco, a collection of sea caves surrounded by crystal clear water, and the ghost town of Famagusta. Once one of the island's most glamorous resorts, it has been abandoned for more than 40 years after being invaded by Turkish forces.

The sight of desolate blocks of hotels, apartments, shops and homes was in startling contrast to the thriving coastline we'd enjoyed.

A short drive away are the villages of Sotira and Liopetri, offering a more authentic Cypriot experience.

We didn't hire a car but if we went again we definitely would – left-hand driving and good roads making it a much less scary experience for novice holiday drivers like me and my wife.

We visited a great restaurant in Sotira, recommended to us by a Coventry ex-pat we met on the plane, who is now living in Larnaca.

The staff at Paneri Tavern were so welcoming, and the small bowl of chips they presented to our son within seconds of us arriving kept him quiet long enough for us to enjoy our first drink and order our food in peace.

We ended the night with him on the dancefloor entertaining the diners while a local band performed.

We weren't expecting a relaxing holiday with a one-year-old in tow, but thanks to a fabulous and well-equipped villa, in a friendly, beautiful picture-postcard town, we came away after seven days feeling the most rested we'd been since becoming parents. And if you've ever spent a long time with very young children, you'll know what a bold statement that is.