Started packing for Paphos but in what area?

[Maricha]

Hi all.

We live in Denmark and have started packing to go to Paphos sometime September!
We have yet to choose our new Home, which should be in the area of Paphos! (longterm rental)
We are a family of 4 - 2 girls (6yr and 9yr) that we hope can start on the International School of Paphos.
We like warmth instead of rain and cold but we do come from the Vikings and don't like 40+ degrees why we think a bit up the mountain would do us good but not too far from the school - max 15 min drive!

We like spacious home with lots of daylight - and have been looking at Big luxurious houses around Peyia, Coral Bay, Sea Caves. I don't hear good rumours about the areas though and thought maybe you could help us out here!

I think a lot about our children - they don't speak English yet - just a bit from travels here and there. I would like neighbours as we now live very solo which makes it difficult for our girls to socialise. English speaking friends nearby would be preferable... Some Expats around would be great, but we also want to experience the warmth of the Cypriots whom we like very much! We will ofc. get intense English lessons for our girls as soon as we get there - now we just uses Learn English Apps and read books and try to change Disney to orienginal language


So question is too - where do you live? Expats around? Kids in ISOP? How far up the mountain to get less humidity?
Anything you would like to add to help us choose the area is much appreciated

Multi hugs
Ex-Viking Pia

[SWJ]

Originally Posted by Maricha

Hi all.

We live in Denmark and have started packing to go to Paphos sometime September!
We have yet to choose our new Home, which should be in the area of Paphos! (longterm rental)
We are a family of 4 - 2 girls (6yr and 9yr) that we hope can start on the International School of Paphos.
We like warmth instead of rain and cold but we do come from the Vikings and don't like 40+ degrees why we think a bit up the mountain would do us good but not too far from the school - max 15 min drive!

We like spacious home with lots of daylight - and have been looking at Big luxurious houses around Peyia, Coral Bay, Sea Caves. I don't hear good rumours about the areas though and thought maybe you could help us out here!

I think a lot about our children - they don't speak English yet - just a bit from travels here and there. I would like neighbours as we now live very solo which makes it difficult for our girls to socialise. English speaking friends nearby would be preferable... Some Expats around would be great, but we also want to experience the warmth of the Cypriots whom we like very much! We will ofc. get intense English lessons for our girls as soon as we get there - now we just uses Learn English Apps and read books and try to change Disney to orienginal language


So question is too - where do you live? Expats around? Kids in ISOP? How far up the mountain to get less humidity?
Anything you would like to add to help us choose the area is much appreciated

Multi hugs
Ex-Viking Pia

Hello Pia?

What about Troodos Mountains?

The edge of the Troodos spreads from Paphos to Limassol and you may be more suited to this area??

[Pam n Dave]

If you only want a 15 min drive to the school then you are probably looking at Tsada. Drive up the hill towards Polis and at the top turn right. I'm just hoping that you Vikings like the cold as Cypriot houses tend not to be very well insulated and it will get cold in the winter.

[Maricha]

Originally Posted by SWJ

Hello Pia?

What about Troodos Mountains?

The edge of the Troodos spreads from Paphos to Limassol and you may be more suited to this area??

Originally Posted by Pam n Dave

If you only want a 15 min drive to the school then you are probably looking at Tsada. Drive up the hill towards Polis and at the top turn right. I'm just hoping that you Vikings like the cold as Cypriot houses tend not to be very well insulated and it will get cold in the winter.

Thanks for responding!
In Denmark our winter tend to be like -15-(-25) degrees C. And our midsummer is now between 12-18 degrees C. We have meassured 1 summer day that was beyond 25degrees this year
We do like it a lot hottere! 30-38 degrees will be ok in summer but 44 degrees will be an off day
I read about Tsada in the Wikipedia and it says it's 600m above sea level and it can in wintertime go down to 0 degrees and have snow almost every year. Not what we expected I can't find an altitude map that shows the elavation of areas to exclude that high area...

I have been looking at areas like Emba, Kissonerga and Mesogi. Again the children is the most important issue - If they are extremely happy the parents are happy

I've read that in areas like Coral Bay there is nothing for the youth to do. We would certainly like a community where activities like sport, drama or even music learning for them to attend - unless the school (ISOP) facilitates such after school... And we are very social ppl so we wouldn't like to live solo again!
We are not looking for a Sleeping Village or 'dead' in wintertime. How can we tell?

About the houses:

Originally Posted by Pam n Dave

Cypriot houses tend not to be very well insulated and it will get cold in the winter.

Does that goes for newly build houses as well?

Lots to address. Unfortunately I won't have time to go Paphos myself to check the areas of, but my husband will have meetings and work a few days from the 6th aug. we have a lot to sort out here in DK and pack before the move!

Otherwise we will rent a furnished house and look for our new home when we get there.


Pia

[Pam n Dave]

If you want to be within 15 mins of the school and be up a mountain then you are restricted. If you don’t know the area then I would get temporary accommodation somewhere near the school as September is not a particularly hot month and then look for somewhere more permanent.

When you find somewhere you can always ask on here before you commit what to expect in the summer months.

The newer houses are better insulated but those that were approved before the new regulations came in seem to be built to the old rules. So you can still get a new house without good insulation.

[PeteandSylv]

From what I have read on this thread so far it seems obvious to me that you cannot make any decision on area from where you are. You have got to visit the various areas decide for yourself if they suit and if they are close enough to the school.

You are already getting wrong impressions. Yes, Tsada can get snow every year. I think it lasted for almost a whole day last winter! Peyia, Sea Caves and Coral Bay cannot be remotely described as in the hills.

To check the altitude of anywhere the easiest way is to use Google Earth.

Like many others you are asking for answers to match your lifestyle but really need to be here, travel around and see for yourself.

Pete

[Maricha]

Originally Posted by Pam n Dave

If you want to be within 15 mins of the school and be up a mountain then you are restricted. If you don’t know the area then I would get temporary accommodation somewhere near the school as September is not a particularly hot month and then look for somewhere more permanent.

When you find somewhere you can always ask on here before you commit what to expect in the summer months.

The newer houses are better insulated but those that were approved before the new regulations came in seem to be built to the old rules. So you can still get a new house without good insulation.

Not really up mountain but I guess up hill would suit us well.
For Danes the hills in Kissonerga is a mountain

We have looked further in Messogi, Tala and Emba but hasn't found the ONE as beautiful as Peyia and Coral Bay. We like it spacey - with at least 2-3 spare rooms for guests that being family or business. So 5-7 room or big 4 rooms. I wish all the rentals showed sqm for the properties! Would give a higher success rate in searching.

/Pia

[Maricha]

Originally Posted by PeteandSylv

From what I have read on this thread so far it seems obvious to me that you cannot make any decision on area from where you are. You have got to visit the various areas decide for yourself if they suit and if they are close enough to the school.

You are already getting wrong impressions. Yes, Tsada can get snow every year. I think it lasted for almost a whole day last winter! Peyia, Sea Caves and Coral Bay cannot be remotely described as in the hills.

To check the altitude of anywhere the easiest way is to use Google Earth.

Like many others you are asking for answers to match your lifestyle but really need to be here, travel around and see for yourself.

Pete

Of corse you are right! I've been driving many times from the area of Aphrodites Water Park to at least Coral Beach - And I do know Sea Caves and Coral Bay is not up the mountain - Actually I don't think any coastline near Paphos is. I haven't though on the drive noticed if it was Emba, Tala, Chloraka or Kissonerga I was in. (Some of Peyia I belive is up hill - I would say even Kissonerga in Danish term of hill) And I guess some of the areas were all abandoned because people were at work - or maybe it was abandoned?
Sorry for my bad English! I can now see the confusion of my initial post of first paragraph to end with 'up the mountain' to get less hudmidity and then start the next paragraph with listing houses in Coral Bay, Peyia... That was simply to state that these areas have lovely big houses we have been looking at with interest but I don't think it's the best area choice for the kids based on other posts on this forum. Noone really answered the questions after in the initial post. So I guess that means that everyone is too busy working to have a local social life! I didn't ask anyone to choose for me, but to tell about where, kids, school, social etc. But maybe it's too personal.
More confusions - In Denmark a hill is when rising from flat. Actually the one of the highest spot in Denmark is 170m and we have a spot 147m above Sea level which is called (translated) Heavenly Mountain That just say it - Denmark is flat!!
I used the forum to get a hint where ppl live with kids in contempt with a social and active life (in a lazy way)
No matter what, I believe that you don't know the drill in an area until you have lived there for 6 month to a year - I just thought I could make it easier to choose with your fellows remarks of experience you have made so far!
I would be sorry if we would like to move right away because the village only is populated in summertime! Just an example...

Anyway - thanks all! Even though none of you really touched the questions with your experience I have a feeling what to expect

Pia
(No offence - Humour of an Ex-Viking)

[anski]

We lived in Paphos for a year firstly in Kissonerga which I hated it was too densley populated & lots of holiday apartments.

We then moved to Kamares up from Tala which I loved it was cooler in summer & caught breezes but not as high as Tsada & Mesogi.

From Kamares it was a quick drive along what I called the high road (with the Pink House owned by Andre I think) to town or the Post Office at Annavargos.

Kamares is very pretty, has large & small villas with spectacular views, Only drawback for us was the many steps up to the villa from the garage on the roadside (49 steps not easy in the heat with all your shopping & had heart surgery & nearly 70 years old. On a hot day we used to dump the shopping in the house & strip off & jump into the inviting pool.

Another area I liked was Anarita because of situation easy drive on highway from Paphos, & sort of in between Paphos & Limmasol & near Paphos airport. We had friends there & would'nt mind living in that area when we return next year.

Of course we never had children & talking to local people there were really no playgrounds for children, there was one in Emba but it was overgrown with weeds, had little in the way for children to play on and the ground was uneven, rocky & in my opinion dangerous. Also I never saw it in use, I wonder why???

I knew a family with 5 children that lived in Kamares, then moved to Coral Bay for conveniance however now returned to UK, as so many appeared to have done with the economic woes. OK if you are retired with adequate income, or secure well paid job otherwise very precarious especially with children.

If you send your children to local school I am told better education & they pick up Greek fast. American school very expensive & very insular.

[Cleo Shahateet]

With children, I personally think you will driving too much and too far if you live in Coral Bay, Peyia or Sea Caves. All activities are based in Paphos, Yeroskipou, Kato Paphos, Chloraka and on the road up to Polis mainly.

Parks for kids are by Debenhams in town, Yeroskipou beach, Aphrodite hills and by Chloraka (on the beach) as well as some small ones harbor front by the hotels. Kids the ages of your girls do dance classes a lot, music classes, go to movies, bowling etc all of which are in or around town.

As for being cooler, even further in the hills like Kathikas my wife still finds it unbearable. When it is hot, it really is hot!! I think you need to rent first and have a good look around before you buy. That said, I can suggest some good locations with kids - Tsada as PeteandSylv have already mentioned as well as Secret Valley and Aphrodite Hills, Konia, Armou, Anarita (mentioned by Anski), Tala, and Kamares for starters.

The ISOP is a good school and they are accustomed to taking in new children that have English as second language and/or new language so they should catch on fast.