Resorts in Cyprus at a glance – Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos in the south, Famagusta and Kyrenia in the north. Who each one suits and where to stay, with tips from a tour rep.
Cyprus is an island of sunshine – you can swim from May to October, and there are beaches for everyone: lively ones with music and quiet coves for families. I spent a whole season in the south as a tour rep, so I give it the most space. From the north I add what I know. If you are choosing mainly by the beach, have a look at the most beautiful beaches in Cyprus.
The busiest resort in Cyprus. Nissi Beach, with fine sand and shallow turquoise water, is one of the best-known beaches on the island – people swim here during the day, and in the afternoon and evening there is music. Makronissos on the western edge of town is quieter, with several small coves and ancient tombs a short walk from the beach.
East of the centre the sea caves begin – you will see them best from a boat trip – and from there it is a short way to Cape Greco.
Sand and a gentle slope into the sea. Sunbeds and umbrellas for a fee. Nissi Beach is crowded in high season; it is quieter in the morning.
right on Nissi Beach.
by Makronissos beach in the quieter part of Ayia Napa.
on the beach in Ayia Napa, a short walk from the harbour.
adults only (16+), close to the beach.
Ayia Napa’s quieter neighbour, popular with families with children. The main beach is Fig Tree Bay, with light sand, an islet just off the shore and the fig tree that gave it its name.
Between Protaras and Ayia Napa lies Konnos Bay – a shallow cove surrounded by rocks in the Cape Greco national park. The resort stretches along the coast, and the beaches are close by wherever you stay.
Fine sand, a gentle slope into the sea and usually a calm sea. Sunbeds for a fee. At Konnos Bay you walk down from the car park – in season, arrive early.
right on the beach in the centre of Protaras.
a more luxurious hotel with direct access to the sea.
on the beach in Protaras, with sea views from the rooms.
an apartment hotel about 200 m from Fig Tree Bay.
opposite the Tsokkos hotel, a short walk from the beach.
by the fishing harbour about 5 km from the centre – for peace and quiet.
a very good hotel with good service at the end of Protaras.
Larnaca is the closest resort to the main airport – from the airport you are in the centre in a few minutes. In town there is the long Finikoudes promenade with palm trees, cafés and a town beach; further south, near the airport, is the livelier Mackenzie beach with bars.
If you are not on a package holiday, you can book a transfer from Larnaca airport to your hotel in advance through Suntransfers.
The Lordos and Golden Bay hotels stand east of the town on a quieter stretch of coast with a view over the whole of Larnaca Bay. In town, the Church of St Lazarus is worth a visit.
Town beaches with darker sand and a gentle slope into the sea, sunbeds for a fee. Larnaca is a good choice if you want both the sea and the town.
on the beach east of Larnaca, with a spa.
a large hotel by the beach on the same stretch of coast.
The island’s second-largest city, with a long seafront promenade, a castle in the old town and a new marina. Beaches run along the whole city – a popular one is Dasoudi, with trees by the beach in the tourist area of Germasogeia, where most of the hotels are. West of the city stretches the long Lady’s Mile beach.
If you want peace, you can head to Pissouri, halfway to Paphos – and from there it is a short way to the rock of Petra tou Romiou.
Mostly sand with pebbles, sunbeds for a fee. The town beaches are well equipped; in places the way into the sea is stonier.
on the beach in the tourist area of Germasogeia.
by the beach in the quieter part of Germasogeia.
in Pissouri Bay between Limassol and Paphos.
Paphos combines a seaside holiday with sightseeing – the archaeological park with its Roman mosaics and the Tombs of the Kings are on the UNESCO list. The main beach is Coral Bay, about 10 km north of the town, with light sand and calm water.
On the way to Limassol stands the rock of Petra tou Romiou, where, according to legend, Aphrodite was born. In the north begins the Akamas peninsula with Lara Bay, where sea turtles lay their eggs in summer.
Coral Bay has sand and a gentle slope into the sea and suits children too. Petra tou Romiou is pebbly – bring water shoes. Lara Bay is a protected beach with no facilities, reached by a dirt road – check whether your hire company allows it.
right above Coral Bay beach.
a five-star hotel by the sea next to the Tombs of the Kings.
on the coast between Paphos and Coral Bay.
for couples only (18+), on the coast in Paphos.
Of the northern beaches, I know Famagusta personally. The beaches of new Famagusta are accessible, and you can swim with an unusual view of the abandoned hotels of the ghost town of Varosha. Entry to the closed parts of Varosha is forbidden and guarded.
After a swim it is worth walking along the walls of the old town with the Cathedral of St Nicholas, today the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. Ancient Salamis lies a short way from Famagusta.
Sandy beaches with a gentle slope into the sea. For the north you need an identity document (we recommend your passport), and you pay in Turkish lira, often in euros too – more in the comparison South or North Cyprus?
people most often go to the north on a package holiday – the tour operator arranges the flight and the transfer across the border.
Kyrenia is above all known for its picturesque harbour with a Venetian castle and a trip to Bellapais Abbey. For swimming, people go to the beaches around the town and further east to the Karpaz peninsula, with long wild beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs in summer.
The beaches on Karpaz are remote and have no facilities – bring water and food. With a hire car from the south, expect that at the border you can only buy compulsory third-party insurance (more in the article Driving in South Cyprus).
High-factor sun cream and a hat are a must – in summer temperatures stay above 30 °C. On most beaches you pay for sunbeds and umbrellas; for the smaller coves, bring your own.
Sea turtles: do not disturb the nests at Lara Bay and on Karpaz, and do not go onto the protected beaches at night.
Hire car: on dirt roads and to the north only if the hire company and your insurance allow it. More in the article Driving in South Cyprus.
Trips I recommend as a tour rep. You book through GetYourGuide and the guides mostly speak English.
It depends on what you are looking for: Ayia Napa is for fun, Protaras for families, Larnaca is close to the airport, Limassol is a lively city by the sea and Paphos combines beaches with sights.
Protaras, with its quiet coves and gentle slope into the sea; in the west of the island, the area around Coral Bay near Paphos.
In Ayia Napa – the beach bars on Nissi Beach and the nightlife in the centre. Limassol is lively too.
Larnaca – from the airport you are in the centre in a few minutes. Ayia Napa and Protaras are about an hour from Larnaca, and Paphos has its own airport.
Yes, if you are looking for peace and lower prices – for example in Famagusta or Kyrenia. People most often go there on a package holiday; for the north, take an identity document (we recommend your passport).
Cyprus has beaches for everyone – from lively Ayia Napa to quiet coves near Paphos. Whichever resort you choose, the sea here stays warm well into autumn.
