Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos
Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos is a large five-star all-inclusive on the Paphos seafront in southwest Cyprus, built around five themed lagoon pools and a show arena billed as the only one of its kind in Cyprus. Families come for the free children's clubs from six months, six restaurants and nightly live entertainment, all folded into one price, with a separate adults-only wing for couples.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who this resort suits, what the price covers and the facts to skim before the detail.
Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos is a big five-star all-inclusive on the Paphos seafront, run by the Cyprus group Kanika Hotels and built around five themed lagoon pools and a large show arena. Everything is in one price: six restaurants, five bars, more than 150 activities a week, nightly live shows and free children's clubs from six months up. The appeal is how much is included. If you want a lively, organised, entertainment-led week where the childcare, the food and the shows are all thrown in, few all-inclusives in Cyprus bundle in as much, and it usually costs less per head than the island's boutique hotels. It works for couples too, through a separate adults-only wing with its own pool, bar and restaurant. It's the wrong choice if you want somewhere small, quiet or design-led, or if a soft-sand beach is the point of the holiday, since the beach here is small and, in the reviews we read, pebbly.
Best for
You want everything included, free children's clubs from six months, plenty of live entertainment and a busy, organised resort week.
Maybe not for
You want a small, quiet or boutique hotel, or a wide soft-sand beach as the main event.
Best ages
Babies upwards. The crèche takes children from six months, and the free clubs run right up to eighteen.
What stands out
The free childcare, a themed arena with nightly shows and a guaranteed sunbed so there's no dawn dash.
What to check
Which rooms and areas are adults-only, and whether the beach matters to you.
Where is it?
On the Paphos seafront in southwest Cyprus, about a mile from the town centre and 9 miles (14 km) from Paphos airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
The setting, how it's laid out and the adults-only wing folded inside it.
Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos opened in 2011 and has 276 rooms on a single beachfront site on Poseidonos Avenue, the main seafront strip in Paphos. It's purpose-built around water: five themed lagoon pools run through landscaped gardens and lakes down to a Blue Flag beach, and at its heart is the Xperience Arena, a large indoor show venue with live performances every night. This is a big, lively, activity-led place rather than a small or boutique one. The all-inclusive price bundles in six restaurants, five bars, more than 150 activities a week and free children's clubs from six months, so your days can be as full or as quiet as you like. For the wider island, its beaches and its seasons, see our Cyprus guide.
It's a single site rather than a spread-out village of blocks, with the gardens and pools threaded between the buildings, so you can walk across it.
One feature to understand before you book is the adults-only wing, run as a hotel within the resort. It has its own lagoon pool, the Serenity Oasis, its own bar, the You & Me, and its own restaurant, Garibaldi, plus a set of adults-only rooms. Because it's set apart as its own wing, the resort works for couples and families at the same time. The flip side is that a family needs to book the right room. The adults-only categories, the Deluxe Superior Rooms, the Fisherman's Junior Suites and the Whiterose Honeymoon Suite, take adults only, and the Serenity Oasis pool, Garibaldi and the You & Me bar from 8pm aren't for children. It's easy to keep straight once you know it's there.
The resort was refreshed in 2026 under the banner "A New Standard of Stay": all 276 rooms updated, the adults-only spaces added and upgraded, the Serenity Spa renovated, the new You & Me bar added and the Grand Lobby redesigned with a 3D ceiling screen and a live piano. Olympic Lagoon Resorts, the two-hotel brand that also runs a sister resort in Ayia Napa, lists more than 100 awards, among them a 2017 World Luxury Hotel Awards win for Luxury Family All-Inclusive Resort, Europe and Global. It also holds a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice award for 2024 and a Travelife Gold sustainability award for 2025 to 2027.
Every restaurant and bar
Each dining room and bar, the à la carte booking system and what's included.
Dining runs on an all-inclusive Dine Around model across six restaurants, one of them a poolside snack spot, plus an all-day drinks-and-snacks corner. Every meal is included, and so is every drink, from soft drinks and juices to local wine, beer and sparkling wine, all waiter-served. Three of the restaurants are buffet or walk-in; the à la carte rooms need a reservation.
| Restaurant | Style | Who | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Olympic | All-day buffet, a theme night each evening | All guests | No booking needed |
| Seven Orchids | Pan-Asian à la carte | All guests | Book on arrival. April to October, weather permitting. Closed Mondays and Thursdays |
| Rock n Roll | 1950s American diner à la carte | All guests | No booking needed |
| Captains Deck | Cypriot meze à la carte, outdoor | All guests | Book on arrival. April to October, weather permitting. Closed Tuesdays and Fridays |
| Garibaldi | Italian à la carte | Adults only (18+) | Book on arrival. Closed one night a week |
| Snackeria | Poolside light bites, self-service | All guests | No booking. 10:30 to 18:30 |
The Royal Olympic is the main all-day buffet, open to everyone for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with live cooking stations and a different theme night every evening, including a dedicated kids' buffet night. It has a family section with children's animation at dinner and a separate adults-only section, so you can pick the mood.
Seven Orchids is the pan-Asian à la carte restaurant in lakeside gardens, with teppanyaki, sushi and ramen, serving dinner from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Rock n Roll is a 1950s American diner with burgers, steaks and ribs and a jukebox, open for lunch and dinner without a booking. Captains Deck is an outdoor Cypriot meze tavern with sea and garden views, serving moussaka and grilled halloumi. Garibaldi is the Italian à la carte restaurant and is adults-only, candlelit and quieter, so families with children won't dine here; dinner runs from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and it has a smart dress code, with long trousers, a collared shirt and closed shoes for gentlemen. Most other restaurants are smart casual and tailored shorts are fine. By the pool, the Snackeria does self-service salads, pizza, wraps and ice cream through the day, and the Happy Corner keeps unlimited drinks, light bites and treats going between meals.
The menus at Seven Orchids and Garibaldi were developed with Theodor Falser, a Michelin-starred consultant chef. That's a credit to the menu design rather than a star held by the kitchens here.
For younger children the buffet is the easy option: no fixed sitting, broad choice and the children's animation at dinner. If your baby needs a high chair, or you're weaning, check with the resort before you book, and pack the essentials a baby needs at mealtimes.
The five bars
There are five themed bars, all included. The all-inclusive drinks package runs until 11:30pm across the resort; the later bars keep serving after that, but drinks are then charged at menu prices. Drinks come two at a time per order, and there's no alcohol for under-18s.
The Blue Lagoon Bar is the swim-up bar at the main pool. The Grand Lobby bar is the all-day indoor and terrace bar, redesigned for 2026 with a 3D ceiling screen and a live piano in the evenings. The Xperience Arena has its own bar for the evening shows. The You & Me bar is new for 2026, with cocktails, premium spirits and live entertainment; it opens at 6pm for everyone, turns adults-only from 8pm and runs until half past one in the morning. The Serenity Pool Bar is the adults-only swim-up bar for the adults-only wing.
The drinks list runs from signature cocktails to local Keo beer on tap and Cypriot and international wines. For children there's a range of Safari Stars mocktails named after the resort mascots, like Murry the Monster, all unlimited and included.
How the à la carte booking works
The à la carte restaurants work on an allowance tied to how long you stay: a one-night stay gets none, two or three nights get one visit, four or five nights get two and six or seven nights get the full set. You book your slots once you arrive, at a digital kiosk or by scanning a QR code, on a first-come, first-served basis, rather than pre-booking before you travel. The buffet and the walk-in restaurants never need a reservation, so they're the fallback if a speciality slot has gone.
Rooms and suites
Every room type with its official size, the five pools and the Blue Flag beach.
There are 276 rooms in eleven categories, and the split that matters to a family is between the family rooms, the family-eligible Deluxe Rooms and the adults-only categories. Watch the names: a Deluxe Room takes up to three and is fine for a family, but a Deluxe Superior Room is adults-only, and the two are easy to mix up when booking. The table below is the full line-up with the official sizes; the notes after it are which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Junior Suite Sea View | 35 m² | Up to 4 | Family room. Separate children’s area with its own TV. Sea view. |
| Family Junior Suite Inland View | 35 m² | Up to 4 | Family room. Separate sleeping areas. Inland view. |
| Deluxe Room Pool and Sea View | 29 m² | Up to 3 | Family room for two adults and a child. Pool and sea view. |
| Deluxe Room Side Sea View | 29 m² | Up to 3 | Family room for two adults and a child. Side sea view. |
| Deluxe Room Inland View | 29 m² | Up to 3 | Family room for two adults and a child. Inland view. |
| Deluxe Superior Room Pool and Sea View | 29 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Serenity Oasis pool access. Pool and sea view. |
| Deluxe Superior Room Side Sea View | 29 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Serenity Oasis pool access. Side sea view. |
| Fisherman’s Junior Suite with Private Pool, Pool View | 35 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Private plunge pool and terrace. Four-poster bed. |
| Fisherman’s Junior Suite Pool and Sea View | 35 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Four-poster bed. Pool and sea view. |
| Fisherman’s Junior Suite with Private Terrace, Inland View | 35 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Private terrace with sunbeds. Inland view. |
| Whiterose Honeymoon Suite Sea View | 35 m² | 2 adults | Adults only. Four-poster bed. Sea view. |
The room built for families is the Family Junior Suite at 35 m², sleeping up to four on a double and two singles, in a sea-view and an inland-view version. A frosted sliding partition splits off a separate children's sleeping area with its own 43-inch TV, so a baby or toddler can sleep while you use the main space. The sea-view version pairs a 50-inch TV on the adults' side with a bathtub and rain shower, a twin vanity and a furnished balcony with lounge chairs and a coffee table; the inland-view version has two Smart TVs and a similarly large bathtub. At 35 m² it's compact for two adults and two children, though it's designed for the job. The step down is a Deluxe Room at 29 m², which takes two adults and one child and has no partition.
The adults-only categories, the Deluxe Superior Rooms, the Fisherman's Junior Suites and the Whiterose Honeymoon Suite, come with access to the adults-only Serenity Oasis pool, and the Fisherman's suites add touches like a private plunge pool or terrace and a four-poster bed.
Rooms share a common kit: a 50-inch smart TV, ELEMIS toiletries and bathrobes, an iron, an espresso machine, a mini-fridge restocked daily with water, soft drinks and juice, free Wi-Fi and a safety box. A baby cot is provided free of charge. A rollaway bed for an older child costs extra and is only in certain room types, depending on how full the room is. Interconnecting rooms aren't listed, so if you need two rooms that link, check with the resort before booking.
Pools and water features
There are five themed pools, all open from 10am to 6:30pm. The Blue Lagoon Pool is the free-form lagoon at the centre of the resort, the main family pool, with waterfalls, whirlpools and massage jets and daily activities around it. The Mayan Temple Pool is themed on a Mesoamerican temple and has two built-in water slides for children and teenagers. The Little Monsters Pool is the young children's pool, with water games and a pirate ship with its own slides. The Serenity Oasis Pool is the adults-only lagoon pool for the adults-only wing, with hydro-massage loungers and its own swim-up bar. The Serenity Indoor Pool sits within the spa and health club and is heated from November to April, so it's usable year-round.
There's a lifeguard at the pools. Every guest gets a guaranteed sunbed on arrival, so there's no getting up at dawn to claim a lounger, and staff bring round cool refreshments and a face spray in the heat. There's no lazy river and no separate splash pad: the water play for children is the Mayan slides and the Little Monsters pirate ship. Pool depths aren't published, so if that matters for a nervous swimmer, ask when you arrive.
The beach
The resort sits directly on the Paphos seafront, on what it describes as a golden Blue Flag beach, with free serviced sunbeds and no road to cross to reach it. This stretch of coast is known as the "Sunset Point of Cyprus", facing west for sunsets over the sea. Blue Flag status is awarded each year, so treat it as the resort's current claim rather than a fixed feature.
One thing to weigh: in the reviews we read, the beach comes up as small and pebbly rather than the wide soft-sand stretch some families picture. There's little published on the beach's length, how it shelves for small children or what water sports run from it, so if the beach is central to your holiday it's worth checking recent photos and reviews before you book.
Babies and toddlers
The crèche and clubs from six months, the daily programme and the days out beyond the gate.
Free childcare from six months is the resort's headline feature for families, and it's unusually broad. The crèche takes children from six months to three years, free of charge, six days a week, with morning and afternoon sessions (10am to 1pm and 2pm to 7pm in summer). It runs to one qualified early-years practitioner for every three children, you book a session 24 hours ahead, and you're given a pager so you can be reached. It has a Lullaby Lounge, a climate-controlled sleep room with live monitors so staff can watch sleeping babies, and a separate quiet nursery room for naps within the Little Monsters area.
Older children have the free Little Monsters Kids Club, for threes to twelves, running daily from 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 7pm and, in summer, 9pm to 11pm too, with no need to book ahead. Days are themed around superheroes, pirates and sports, there's a supervised computer area called the Surf Station, and evenings bring movie nights and mini-discos, again with a pager for parents. Teenagers have the free Teenz Club, for eights to eighteens, open afternoons and evenings with video games, an internet café and lounge space. Around the resort, five costumed mascots, the Safari Stars, appear for parades, parties and photos; one of them, Zorba the Zebra, is billed as coming from the real Paphos Zoo down the road.
There's also an Olympic Soccer Academy, coaching three separate age groups: Mini Kickers from three to seven, Junior Kickers from eight to twelve and Kool Kickers from thirteen up. It runs five days a week, not Wednesdays or Sundays, from April to October, and needs signing up for in advance. A baby cot is provided free; if you rely on a steriliser, a bottle warmer or particular weaning food, it's worth checking with the resort or packing your own to be sure.
On resortThings to do
Beyond the pools and clubs, the resort runs more than 150 activities a week, put on by its in-house Kanika All-Stars team of performers, musicians and sports coaches. The centrepiece is the Xperience Arena, billed as the only themed show venue of its kind in Cyprus, a high-tech stage with nightly live shows: a run of signature productions taking in a Greatest Showman-themed spectacular, a Queen tribute, a Grease tribute, a soul and Motown night, a magic show, a can-can inspired spectacular and a Cher tribute. The line-up rotates through the week rather than running to a fixed nightly timetable, dress is smart casual, and no booking is needed. Away from the arena there's a live pianist in the Grand Lobby, acoustic music on the lobby terrace, plus mini-discos and movie nights for children.
The Serenity Spa was renovated in 2026 and offers ELEMIS and PHYTOMER treatments, including a signature Aphrodite ritual and couples' treatments, alongside a hair and beauty salon; treatments run from 9am to 7pm, need booking ahead, and are charged separately. Full use of the health club, the gym, indoor pool, sauna, steam room and fitness classes, is included in every stay, with the gym itself open from 7am to 7pm. Digital kiosks around the resort carry the day's activities, show times, weather and restaurant bookings, and there's a wet-weather programme for days when the outdoor pools and activities are off. The daily programme includes coached sports, though the resort doesn't publish a fixed list of facilities like tennis courts or water sports, so check what's running for your dates.
Off resortThe area and days out
The resort isn't a sealed bubble. It's about a mile from the centre of Paphos, a few minutes' drive from Paphos harbour and the medieval castle, with a bus stop a couple of minutes' walk away (200 m) and the seafront strip's restaurants and shops within a short walk or taxi. Police and hospital are close too, about 2 miles (3.4 km) and 3.6 miles (5.8 km) away, which is reassuring with a baby or toddler.
For days out, central Paphos has the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO site with Roman mosaics, and the Tombs of the Kings. Paphos Zoo, home of that Zorba the Zebra mascot, and the Aphrodite Waterpark are both family days out nearby. Further afield are Limassol and Kolossi Castle at about 43 miles (69 km), the cool Troodos Mountains and Kykkos Monastery around 50 miles (81 km) and the divided capital Nicosia about 95 miles (153 km). For opening times, drive times and the detail on any of these, see our Cyprus guide.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what frustrates them, how it compares, the journey in and the weather by month.
In the reviews we read it rates consistently high. On the Beach gives it 4.8 out of 5 from 6,219 reviews (checked June 2026). It is rated on Google, Booking.com and TripAdvisor too. The entertainment and the children's provision are the two things families single out most. Scores move over time, so treat them as a rough steer and check the latest before you book.
What families love
- The entertainment and the nightly Xperience Arena shows, the most praised feature.
- The children's clubs and crèche, with the one-to-three ratio and the Lullaby Lounge singled out for babies and toddlers.
- The choice of food across six restaurants for an all-inclusive.
- The guaranteed sunbed, which takes a daily stress out of the week.
- The cleanliness and overall standard, reinforced by the 2026 refit.
- Attentive staff.
Common gripes
- It's lively and entertainment-led by design, not a choice for a quiet or boutique week.
- It gets busy in July and August, when service can slow.
- À la carte access is limited on short stays.
- The adults-only zoning takes a little learning so a family doesn't book the wrong room.
- The beach, described in reviews as small and pebbly.
How it compares
Cyprus has a cluster of smaller, design-led luxury hotels, the likes of Almyra, Anassa and Parklane, which tend to charge more per head and run childcare by the paid session. Olympic Lagoon is the other kind of holiday: bigger, busier, more entertainment, with the childcare and the shows bundled in free and usually a lower price. It doesn't feature on the boutique-focused Cyprus shortlists built around those hotels, and on one baby-and-toddler round-up of Cyprus hotels it's ranked fifth of five rather than top of the list, a sign it's a different kind of holiday rather than a lesser version of the same one. Neither is better in the abstract; they're different weeks. The nearest all-inclusive comparison in Paphos is the Azia Resort and Spa, which is smaller and quieter on the sea front, where Olympic Lagoon is larger and more entertainment-led.
Its own sister resort, Olympic Lagoon Ayia Napa, runs the same model on the other side of the island; the choice there is location, west-coast Paphos for archaeology, sunsets and a quieter town, or livelier Ayia Napa in the east. Against Ikos, the premium all-inclusive many UK families use as a yardstick, Olympic Lagoon costs less and leans on a more traditional entertainment show model, while matching the free crèche from six months.
From the airportGetting there and when to go
Paphos International Airport is about 9 miles (14 km) away, a drive of roughly 20 to 35 minutes. As an all-inclusive most families stay put, and with the bus stop 200 m away and the town about a mile off you don't need a car for the resort itself; a car or taxi is handy for the archaeological park, the harbour and trips further out. Cyprus is in the EU and UK visitors don't need a visa for a holiday, but check the current entry rules and any travel advice on gov.uk before you travel.
The full outdoor programme, the outdoor pools, the summer bars, the seasonal restaurants, the Soccer Academy and the animation, runs from April to October; the indoor pool and the children's clubs run year-round. The kindest months for young children are May, June, September and early October, when it's warm, the sea is swimmable and rain is rare, without the peak heat and crowds of July and August. Confirm the exact opening dates for your travel period when you book.
Month by monthWeather
Paphos sits on the warm, dry southwest coast of Cyprus, with more than 330 sunny days a year. The table covers the April to October outdoor season; the figures are typical monthly averages.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17.5° | 9.5° | 90 mm | 9 | 18° |
| February | 18° | 9° | 60 mm | 7 | 17° |
| March | 19.5° | 10.5° | 34 mm | 6 | 17° |
| April | 22° | 12.5° | 15 mm | 3 | 18° |
| May | 25° | 16° | 11 mm | 1 | 20° |
| June | 28° | 19.5° | 2 mm | 0 | 24° |
| July | 31° | 22° | 0 mm | 0 | 27° |
| August | 31.5° | 23° | 0 mm | 0 | 28° |
| September | 30° | 21° | 4 mm | 0 | 28° |
| October | 27° | 18° | 26 mm | 3 | 26° |
| November | 23° | 13.5° | 57 mm | 5 | 24° |
| December | 19.5° | 10.5° | 91 mm | 8 | 21° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last checked.
How soon should we book the crèche?
As soon as you arrive. It takes babies from six months but runs to three children per practitioner and needs booking 24 hours ahead, so reserve each session early. It runs six days a week, so ask which day it closes when you plan your week.
Will a short stay get us into the speciality restaurants?
Probably not much. The à la carte allowance is built around longer stays: one visit on a two or three-night stay, and the full set only from six nights. On a short break expect to eat mainly at the buffet and the walk-in restaurants, with perhaps one à la carte night.
Is the transfer long with a tired toddler?
It's short, roughly 20 to 35 minutes from Paphos airport depending on traffic, so it's an easy first and last leg. Arrange a private transfer or taxi if you'd rather not wait on a coach doing several drop-offs.
Is the beach a problem with small children?
Most families here treat the pools as their main base and the beach as a bonus. It's right on the sand with free sunbeds and no road to cross, which suits a paddle and a dig, and the five pools cover the serious water play. If a long soft-sand beach day is the point of your holiday, this isn't the spot for it.
Does the Soccer Academy cost extra?
The resort doesn't publish whether it's free or charged, so ask when you book or at the resort. Either way sign up early, as places go in advance.
Can we get an evening to ourselves?
The children's clubs run into the evening, with the Little Monsters and Teenz clubs open until about 11pm in summer. Garibaldi and the You & Me bar after 8pm are the adults-only spots to head for.
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Useful links
- Olympic Lagoon Resort Paphos: the resort's own site for rooms, dining and the children's clubs.
- GOV.UK Cyprus travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Cyprus with little ones: our guide to the wider island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 17 July 2026.
