Beaches of Cyprus
Essentials in Cyprus
Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and has a large variety of Blue Flag-awarded beaches. The Blue Flag certification recognizes the environmental quality and water cleanliness of bathing sites, and Cyprus’s beaches usually rank highly when measured against other seaside spots in Europe. You can find everything here, from dark sands and private havens, to populated strips, motionless waters and wild, untamed seafronts. In Cyprus, you can swim in 99% of the places on the coast. The only exceptions are yacht marinas and ports.
General information about the beaches of Cyprus
All beaches on the territory of Cyprus are municipal, and no matter what star hotel is located on them, access to them is free and free.
All organized beaches in Cyprus have:
- sun loungers and umbrellas, which are rented at a fixed price throughout Cyrus – 2.50 euros per unit;
- toilets;
- shower;
- taps for washing feet;
- water activities (catamarans, parachute and others);
- cafes and restaurants;
- Wi-Fi (free, the password can be obtained after paying for the sunbed, it will be punched on the check). To date, this service is not yet available everywhere.
From April 1 to October 31, from 10.00 to 18.00, a rescue service works on all organized beaches in Cyprus. Pay attention to the warning flags that are posted by rescuers for your own safety: red flag – it is forbidden to go into the water; yellow flag – you swim under the supervision of rescuers, if the signal sounds, get out of the water immediately; green flag – by analogy with a traffic light, swim, dive, do whatever you want.
Cyprus beach locations
We bring to your attention a brief overview of the beach locations from the southeast to the northwest, in the order in which they appear on the map of Cyprus. Protaras and Ayia Napa could be united in a neighborly way, but there are more good beaches there than in the rest of Cyprus, and the beach philosophy of these areas is different, so we decided to present them to you separately.
The main seaside resorts in Cyprus are:
- Protaras and Paralimni
- Ayia Napa
- Larnaca
- Limassol
- Paphos
It is believed that the best beaches in Cyprus are located in Protaras and Ayia Napa. And this is an indisputable fact.
In Protaras, you can count on a fairly comfortable beach holiday. There are two dozen small beaches at your service, as well as the long Sunrise Beach, aka Flamingo Beach, and the beautiful bend of Fig Tree Beach.
For those who like to walk along the sea, there is a walking path several kilometers long.
The beaches of Protaras are sandy with yellow-golden or gray-golden sand and water color from light turquoise to deep emerald.
Below, we have presented to you a small overview of the beaches, placing them according to a geographical principle, starting from the border with Northern Cyprus – this is Fireman’s Beach, to Konnos Beach, which is located in Konnos Bay in the Cape Greko Natural Park between Protaras and Ayia Napa.
Fireman’s Beach is a small beach on the border with Northern Cyprus. Nearby is the village of Paralimni, but the entire beach area is identified with Protaras. The beach is loved by independent travelers for its remoteness and lack of “package tourists” who usually settle in the center of Protaras. In recent years, the beach has become popular and several cafes have appeared. There is a parking lot, you can also get there by bus that goes along the route Ayia Napa – Protaras – Paralimni (№ 101) and back (№ 102). The bulk of the tourists on this beach are tourists who live in cottages and villas nearby.
Trinity Beach is located in a closed bay, so the sea is very calm here. Clean sand, gentle entry into the water. In short, this place is great for families with children. There are no hotels near the beach, and it is quite remote from the city. Those who want to relax here come mainly by car. Next to the beach is the Agia Triada Church and the pier for fishing boats.
Sirena Bay is a small, cozy beach with golden sand. Looking out to the sea, on the left side there is a narrow strip of sand under the pine trees and on top of the Sirena Bay Cafe. This beach is quite secluded, far from the entertainment and attractions of the center of Protaras. In addition to the restaurant and bar shaded by trees, other water there is no entertainment, and this is a big plus for those who want to relax away from the hustle and bustle. Suitable for those tourists who live nearby or those who travel by car. It is worth coming here for half a day, sunbathing and sitting in a cozy restaurant, enjoying beautiful views and silence.
Kalamies Beach (Louma Beach) is located in a small oval bay. Imported bulk sand, the entrance to the water is rather shallow, perfect for families with children. Near the beach is the beautiful Agios Nikolaos church and the local marina (pier), from which various boat excursions start. The place is ideal if you don’t want a crowd, but at the same time you want to be closer to the tourist attractions.
Pernera Beach is similar to Kalamies in shape, entrance to the water and color of sand and a lot of people from July to the end of October.
Fig Tree Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Protaras. Correct semi-oval, fine light golden sand and incredible emerald-colored water. This beach is perfect for families with children, and also offers everything you need for an active holiday. Right above the beach, you can sit in one of the “cafes with a view” and look at the sea for a long time.
Since this beach is one of the most visited not only in Protaras, but also in Cyprus, then be prepared for an abundance of tourists, especially with small children.
If you go to the right of Fig Tree Beach along the trail, you can go to the relatively secluded sections of the beach between the rocks. There is also a descent into the water directly from the stairs, which is very convenient for entering the water in this part of the beach. Since everyone strives for the sandy part of the beach, there are not many people here.
Green Bay Beach is located inside the Green Bay next to the Cavo Maris Beach Hotel 3 *. The nature of the beachfront creates quite pleasant conditions for families with children. Also, this beach is very popular among lovers of water sports, diving, underwater adventures. There is an underwater sculpture park created by the “Aquanaut Diving School” diving center. At a depth of ten meters more than twenty statues are flooded: Aphrodite, Apollo and other ancient Greek gods, Pegasus, animal statues, columns, remains of ancient amphorae. Besides entertainment purpose, the park also fulfills a practical task: over time, marine inhabitants settle on the sculptures, having a beneficial effect on the entire ecosystem of the bay.
Konnos Beach is lovely beach between Ayia Napa and Protaras, on the edge of the Cape Greco Natural Park. This is a beach with white sand and emerald water which is located in Konnos Bay surrounded on all sides by rocks. Sand is brought in every season, but in the case of this beach, everything is very organic and does not matter in principle. The beach is far from the hangout places of the bulk of vacationers, but is very popular with both tourists and Cypriots.
When we say “Ayia Napa” we mean beach life and a 24/7 party. This is roughly what the main beach resort of Cyprus looks like. Let’s walk along the beaches of Ayia Napa and tell in more detail about some, in our opinion, more attractive of them.
We’ll start at Limanaki Beach, which is just behind the Aya Napa Harbor on the left when looking out to sea. There are always a lot of people here. The entrance to the sea is rocky in places. This beach does not have any outstanding characteristics. It is mainly tourists from nearby hotels and apartments who rest here.
If you go further along the Limanaki beach, we find ourselves on Pantachou Beach (Pantachou Beach) with which it smoothly connects. Another name is Grecian Bay, above is the Grecian Bay Sands hotel of the same name.
Pantachou Beach (Grecian Bay) is very beautiful, with a smooth entry into the water, a sandy pleasant bottom and accessibility to the main attraction of Ayia Napa – Love Bridge. The center is also close – 15 minutes walk along the sea. If you move further in the direction of Cape Greco, you can get to the sea caves.
Sandy Bay (Vathia Gonia) is located to the right of Ayia Napa Marina, looking at the sea. In general, this is a good local sandy beach of Ayia Napa, next to the Anonimus hotel. The well-known Nissi Beach can be reached on foot along the path along the sea in 20-30 minutes, which is quite civilized with beautiful views of the coast. On the way to Nissi Beach, there are several more beaches with clean sand and clear water, where you can stop and spend some time.
Nissi Beach is the most famous and popular beach in Cyprus. White sand, beautiful sandy spit connecting the beach with a small semi-island, azure-turquoise color of the water, as if looking at a postcard.
Since Nissi Beach is so popular with both tourists and locals, it can be crowded here already in the morning. People are actively relaxing in beach bars, DJs play electronic music, in general, if you love a party or just want to cheer up, then you are definitely here.
Unfortunately, we are forced to note that being more popular does not make the beach better, they maintain cleanliness, but they are far from ideal. The large number of people who want to spend time on Nissi Beach contributes to higher prices for everything, compared to other beaches. But nevertheless, Mother Nature did her best, and Nissi Beach is unusually beautiful, especially if you look at it from a small island opposite and at the moment of low water, when you can see a sand spit.
Adams Beach is a cozy small beautiful sandy beach next to Nissi Beach, you can walk in a few minutes. It is quiet and calm here, unlike the promoted neighbor.
Landa Beach is a very nice beach, very popular with families with children, as the entry into the water is shallow, down to a depth of about 50 meters. It has a Blue Flag certificate, which indicates a well-developed infrastructure and good water quality. It is located between Nissi Beach and Makronisos. It has all the amenities of a beach holiday, and despite the sufficient number of tourists during the high beach season, it is not as crowded as Nissi.
Makronisos Beach is perhaps one of the best beaches not only in Ayia Napa, but also in Cyprus. It is located at the exit from Ayia Napa towards Larnaca, you can get here by city bus № 101/102.
The same beach infrastructure as everywhere else, sun loungers, umbrellas, shower, toilet. Very clean. White sand, amazingly colored water, good entry into the water. This beach is great for families with children, and it should be noted that there are a lot of families with children here.
Makronisos Beach is a beautiful semi-oval in shape, so it can be viewed from different angles. To the right of the main beach is the Mali Makronisos beach, behind which is the archaeological site.
Ayia Thekla Beach is located further 6 km from Ayia Napa towards Larnaca. It is quite small and got its name from the name of the old small church of St. Thekla. The beach is not crowded, as its main visitors are tourists from nearby villas and apartments. There is an islet in the bay of the beach, to which, if desired, you can easily swim. Beach infrastructure includes all components – umbrellas, sun loungers, showers booths, cafes and bars.
It is believed that Ayia Thekla Beach is suitable for romantic couples, especially in the evening at sunset, as it has the most beautiful sunsets in Ayia Napa due to the bend of the coast in this place.
LARNACA BEACHES
Of course, in terms of the natural quality of the beaches, Larnaca loses to Protaras and Ayia Napa.
The general characteristic of Larnaca’s beaches is gray-brown wet sand and for this reason a different, darker color of the water. Nevertheless, we would like to highlight two beaches in this location, which, although inferior in beauty to the beaches of Protaras and Ayia Napa, are quite competitive in terms of developed infrastructure and grooming.
Finikoudes Beach is a city beach in Larnaca, stretching along the promenade from the old fortress to the marina. A wide line of the beach, the entrance to the water is shallow, there are no stones, in the summer, the whole is lined with sun loungers. The sand is wet and dense, gray-yellow in color. Suitable for vacationers with small children, as the entrance to the water is very smooth and to go far enough to the depth of bathing. The beach has absolutely everything for a comfortable stay. And literally 20 meters from the beach along the entire embankment, restaurants, bars, cafes, taverns replace each other. If you are tired of a beach holiday, welcome to shopping – the next two parallel streets are the so-called “main shopping” streets of Larnaca.
From Larnaca Marina, Finikoudes Beach next to it and further along the sea to Mackenzie Beach, there is a very beautiful promenade. Ideal for a promenade, jogging and cycling.
Mackenzie Beach is the beach where locals or tourists from nearby aparthotels and apartments mostly relax, is located directly near Larnaca airport. This neighborhood provides an amazing opportunity to watch planes land at a very close distance. The sand here is dark golden and looser than on Finikoudes, the entrance to the water is smooth. The popularity of the beach is gaining momentum every year. The beach has a very good infrastructure. Huge parking (paid from 01.04. To 31.10.), A string of bars and restaurants by the sea, many of them have special lounge-zones that allow those who wish to sunbathe comfortably without leaving the table in a bar or cafe. For lovers of outdoor activities and thrills, there is a water entertainment center on the beach.
In the evening, especially on weekends, Mackenzie turns into Larnaca’s trendy hangout and party. Concerts and large parties are often held here.
As a beach holiday destination, Limassol is inferior to previous sea resorts.
We offer your attention several places in the vicinity of Limassol that you can include in your car route, if you decide to take one.
Governor’s Beach is an unusual beach near Limassol. The beach consists of textured white stones, the composition of the stones includes chalk or its components, which is why the water near the coast is slightly milky. There is a descent into the water – you can swim. Upstairs on the rocky shore is an expensive restaurant overlooking the sea.
Near the white stones, there are several small beaches and coves where you can retire.
Curium Beach is located in the vicinity of Limassol. Above, on the rocks, are the ruins of the Roman amphitheater Kourion, below – a long fine-gravel beach mixed with dark sand. There is no special infrastructure, it is just a wild, but very beautiful place. It is worth looking at it from above, and then go down to the beach.
Pissouri Beach is a beautiful fine pebble beach near the village of Pissouri, many consider this place as an independent resort. But if you are mobile and in Cyprus for the first time, then you can go there on an introductory basis and spend several hours there.
PAPHOS BEACHES
Paphos is another well-known resort area, in which not everything is simple with beaches. Of the obvious advantages of this location, one can note a beautiful walking path along the sea several kilometers long and a cozy embankment. On the other side, there are not many sandy beaches and beautiful coves, although there are some.
We will stop at two excellent beaches in the vicinity of the city – Coral Bay Beach and Corallia beach.
Coral Bay Beach is perhaps the best beach in Paphos. Here there is a gray-golden sand, pleasant to the touch, a smooth entrance into the water. Infrastructure – cafes overlooking the sea, toilets, car parking by the sea and a place for walking, as well as sun loungers and umbrellas that are everywhere in Cyprus.
Corallia Beach is a small beach with shallow entry into the water, which is located next to Coral Bay Beach. Here you have the same a standard set of amenities, there is a cozy cafe overlooking the sea and a small playground for children.
Not far from this couple of beaches there is an interesting attraction – sea caves, which can be seen both from the sea and land. Another nearby attraction that you might want to look at is the half-sunken ship that looks especially impressive at sunset.