15 of the Best Beaches in Cyprus

Surrounded by the blue, mythical waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus has many wonderful beaches to match and complement the crystal clear, deep blue waters and the bright Mediterranean sun.
The Municipal Beach at Latchi, Polis Chrysochous Most of the beaches in Cyprus are organized, with easy access and many amenities on and around the beach. There is no entrance fee at any beach in Cyprus. They are all open to everybody and nobody can tell you that you cannot use a beach.

Many of these beaches are awarded the Blue Flag, which means that they meet certain strict criteria. These criteria include clear waters that are checked frequently by independent laboratories, accessible beaches to everybody, and amenities on the beaches like toilets, change rooms and lifeguards. Each and every beach is thoroughly checked every year, and the blue flag is only awarded for one year and renewed, provided that the beach still meets all criteria. All Blue Flag awarded beaches in Cyprus (65 beaches in 2019) can be found on the official website of Blue Flag Foundation.

By trying to just mention the 10-15 best beaches in Cyprus, we leave so many wonderful beaches behind. But here is our selection, starting from Protaras to the east and crossing all Cyprus, until Polis to the west:

Fig Tree Bay beach, Protaras

Fig Tree Beach is one of the best beaches in Cyprus and not only. It has received many international recognitions. Among them received the third place among the 50 best beaches of the world for 2019 according to Big 7 Travel and received the award Best of the Best for 2020 from Trip Advisors’ Travelers’ Choice. It is a wonderful sandy beach, with crystal clear waters and many amenities like restaurants and cafeterias nearby and lifeguards during the summer months. There are also water sports available on the beach. With such a reputation, it is natural to be overcrowded during the summer. Even this way, a wonderful beach to enjoy.

Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa

A very beautiful beach with fine, white sand. It is about 3 km from Ayia Napa. It is a Blue Flag beach, with very clear waters and necessary amenities. It is very popular among younger visitors, so the beach is usually overcrowded with youngsters partying all day long. There are water sports and many events taking place on the beach, attracting both locals and tourists. A must visit if you like a happy and noisy day on the beach!

Finikoudes Beach, Larnaca

Finikoudes Beach is at the heart of the city of Larnaca. Finikoudes name (the Greek word for palm trees), comes from the palm trees that mark and give the name to the area. The sandy beach is like an extension of the Finikoudes Square, where one can find many restaurants and other amenities.

Akti Olympion, Limassol

A long beach in the hard of Limassol, stretching for more than 2 km. With all the amenities of Limassol available, very easily accessible by bus or on foot, and clear waters, this sandy beach has many fanatic friends.

Kourion beach, Limassol

A very long sandy beach, about 10 km outside Limassol towards Paphos, it is not as crowded as other beaches. The ancient theater of Kourion lies on the hill just above the beach, and it is a very good opportunity to combine a visit to both of them. There are restaurants and amenities near the beach.

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Aphrodite’s Rock beach, Petra tou Romiou

Petra tou Romiou is about 12 km from Paphos towards Limassol, near Kouklia village. It is a very beautiful area, and the myth has it that Aphrodite, the ancient Goddess of Love, was born here, raising from the waters. For this reason alone, it is worth taking a bath here. The beach is with pebbles, the only one on our list that is not sandy, with crystal clear waters. It is accessible via a tunnel below the road, starting from the convenient shop at the parking place.

Coral Bay beach, Pegeia, Paphos

A fantastic, Blue Flag beach about 12 km from Kato Paphos. Stretching for almost a thousand meters, consists of fine, golden sand, and the waters are usually calm because of the protected bay. In addition to the amenities found right on the beach, there are many restaurants, pubs, and cafeterias in the greater area.

Lara Bay beach, Akamas Peninsula National Park

Akamas peninsula is a virgin area with no buildings at all, and so is the Lara Bay beach. A very big sandy beach, with no amenities at all. What makes this beach unique is the fact that it is one of the sandy beaches that prefer the turtles for laying their eggs. Please walk carefully on the beach, to avoid stepping on one of the turtles’ nests and destroy the eggs. For this reason, bringing umbrellas and chairs on the beach is prohibited.

Latchi Municipal beach, Polis Chrysochous

Another fantastic organized Blue Flag beach, it stretches for more than 2 km. The fine golden sand and the deep blue waters of the sea make this a unique beach. Latchi used to be (and it still is) a fishing village. There is a small fishing port here and many of the restaurants in the area offer fish.

Other nice beaches around Cyprus

There are, of course, many other wonderful beaches to discover and enjoy. The Cyprus beaches below are all highly recommended but ask for other beaches as well. There are many tiny beaches waiting for you to enjoy!

Konnos bay beach, Makronisos beach, and Ayia Thekla beach at Ayia Napa, Kapparis beach and Kalamies beach at Protaras are fine beaches as well and are not the only ones in this area which is blessed with some of the very best beaches.

At Larnaca, visit the Mackenzie beach as well, while in Limassol enjoy the Lady’s Mile beach and the Malindi beach near Limassol Marina.

At Kato Paphos visit the Municipal beach in the heart of the tourist area, Rikkos beach and Faros beach are also excellent beaches, easily accessible.

Kato Paphos beaches - where to swim in Kato Paphos area