Cyprus BeachesSo what's your definition of the "best Cyprus beach"?Many Cyprus beaches are crowded so for us, it has to be a place of tranquillity; a place where you can chill out and relax, a place where you can smell the rich sea air, watch the waves lapping on the shore and, preferably, have the beach completely to yourself!Sand or pebbles? We don't mind! Athough we probably prefer pebbles - the water is clearer and you don't get your feet burned when it gets really hot! Trouble is, most of the best Cyprus beaches are spoilt by tourist crowds. The idyllic sandy beaches you see in the tourist guides are always jam packed in high season, especially the popular, scenic beaches in Ayia Napa and Larnaca like Nissi beach, Cyprus. What fun is there in squeezing onto a tiny patch of beach to top up your tan with 1000s of other people sitting on your towel? There are, however, some far less crowded spots...like this gorgeous beach just 5 minutes from where I live...
Looking for a beach in Cyprus to get away from it all?Maybe just to walk by the shore looking for colorful pieces of sea glass, take a favourite book to chill out for a few hours or even to simply watch the world go by in your own little corner of paradise.Take our advice and head for the west of the island where mass tourism is absent and peace and tranquillity awaits. If you are looking for relaxing beach holidays to Cyprus, all you need to do is "Go West!" Here's our pick of the best beaches Cyprus on the west of the island:
Home to the Green Turtle, one of the few places in the Mediterranean where this turtle returns to breed, Lara is shaped like a horse shoe and is a mixture of soft sand and rocks. Proposed as a National Park, the Akamas has a wild and rugged beauty unlike anything else on the island. Lara bay sits on the Paphos side, approximately 8 km from Ayios Georgios and is accessible only by a 4x4 vehicle and a very bumpy ride! Long may it stay that way to prevent mass tourism and the concrete mixers from invading! The fragile beauty of the Akamas is forever under threat from greedy developers and hoteliers. Limited development hasalready begun on the Latchi/Polis side of the peninsula, fuelled by the building of a luxury spa resort in the late 90's. Our advice? Come and visit soon before the concrete mixer spoils this haven of natural beauty forever. Tips: Best time to visit is in spring and autumn as the beach may be restricted in high summer when the turtles are nesting. If you are here in July/August when you cannot access the beach, try driving a little further past Lara bay towards the tip of the peninsula - there are many rocky coves that are completely deserted and just waiting to be discovered.
Chrysochous Bay:
This is really one long beach stretching from the edge of the Akamas on the Polis/Latchi side to Pomos further around the bay. There is something for everyone here from Latchi bay with lots of well spaced sunbeds to more deserted sections of the beach between Polis and Pomos. Our favourite bit of the beach is at Argaka (see the picture below).
Tip: Hire a bicycle and cycle along the FLAT coast road from Polis to Pomos. When you spot a section of beach that takes your fancy, stop, grab your towel and enjoy your own "private" section of beach. There are several tavernas to keep you fuelled en route such as Santa Barbara tavern or Lisa's Place. "Relax" Beach at Pomos:
Two tavernas at either end of the bay will entice you with the fish caught that day. Mansoura beach: Our best Cyprus beach tip for truly getting away from it all. Determination is required to reach this little gem as it is situated near Kato Pyrgos at the Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot border. The long, windy, wild but spectacular road, which is the only route up and around the Turkish enclave of Kokkino, leads you to the village of Mansoura, which consists of only a couple of houses. One of these is owned by Choulla and Andreas who run the Mansoura taverna. Make the effort and you will be rewarded by the freshest fish imaginable, caught only a few hours before by Andreas. Then, just relax on your deserted beach and watch the world go by...
Tip: On a clear day, the road down to Mansoura offers spectacular views of Morphou bay and the Kyrenian mountainsin the Turkish controlled North of the island, so don't forget your camera. We are hoping that the border at Kato Pyrgos will be open, one day, allowing easy access to the North (currently the only border crossing is in Nicosia). STOP PRESS - Work began to improve the road between the border at Kato Pyrgos and Nicosia at the end of 2010 and the border is now open! And that means easy access to truly unspoilt beaches like this one in Turkish controlled Northern Cyprus:
Where is YOUR favourite Cyprus beach?
We haven't had time to visit all the best beaches in Cyprus yet. YOUR Best Cyprus BeachesClick on the links below for best beaches recommended by other visitors to Cyprus, all written by those who've been on this page.
Camp site at Polis
Petra tou Romiou near Paphos
Pachyammos Beach
Corallia Beach in Cyprus
Nissi beach at Ayia Napa
We'll keep adding to our best Cyprus beaches page so do keep checking back often. Kali Diamoni! Related pages:
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Lara bay can be found on one of the last remaining wilderness areas in Cyprus - the
This tiny Cyprus beach is tucked away in front of the equally tiny Pomos fishing harbour with its colourful fishing boats. Small but perfectly formed amid the rocks, the only other visitors you are likely to see will be a few locals outside of the busy summer months. You can truly relax here!
