Do you dream of traveling south, to (really) warm climes, guaranteed sun, and the most beautiful sea to swim in? Then Cyprus may be just the thing for you. In the summer of 2020, we traveled to Cyprus for 2 weeks and here are our 11 best suggestions on what you should see on your trip to Cyprus.
They had just said “go” for traveling to Cyprus when we, in the corona summer of 2020, booked our first flight tickets to Cyprus. We had anticipated the opportunity for the country to open, so in no time at all, we had our tickets for a hot summer, wonderful beach days, and plenty of sun.
As mentioned, it was our first trip to Cyprus and if it hadn’t been for corona, I don’t think we would have given the island a second thought. We knew that the island is normally a magnet for a lot of tourists and that the island is flooded with them every summer. We suspected that this probably wouldn’t happen this summer due to corona – which we were right about.
Traveling to Cyprus in corona times
The trip to Cyprus was our first real experience with face masks and corona passes. To enter the country, we had to present a corona pass at the airport. In addition, we had familiarized ourselves with the country’s restrictions and handling of corona. From the moment we entered the (somewhat empty) airport in Billund until we arrived at our hotel at night, we had to wear masks.
It quickly became clear to us that Cyprus was heavily affected by corona. In a completely different way than we had experienced it here in Denmark. It was clear that Cyprus lived off tourism, the many tourist streets, tourist shops, and many restaurants, cafes, and ice cream bars were built to accommodate large hordes of tourists. But due to corona, almost all of this was deserted. A few shops, cafes, and restaurants were open and many were closed, packed away – or had gone bankrupt.
We experienced whole towns that were deserted. Towns that once lived and breathed for hordes of tourists who invaded the island every summer. Hotels were abandoned, and even the most famous beaches had empty vacation homes with rustling leaves at the bottom of the dried-up swimming pools. In the evening, the music still sounded loud from the empty cafes, like an echo of a party that never really got started.
It sounds a bit sad… but we didn’t actually experience Cyprus that way. Quite the opposite.
A glimpse of a neglected country
Amidst the sad circumstances brought about by the coronavirus, and the many fates that were affected that year, I believe we experienced a rare quiet summer moment in the country. We felt very honored to have the opportunity to experience the country in this way, and I think we have seen Cyprus in a way that few who have traveled there before can recognize.
Traveling in Cyprus during the corona gave us an honest insight into what the country is like when we tourists step back. We experienced how the locals took their place on the beaches with family and friends, where the sunbeds would otherwise be occupied by tourists. We experienced and saw attractions with space and time and without long lines and swarms of tourists.
Traveling in Cyprus during the corona gave us a perspective on how hard-hit a society can become – and how much our travel behavior (or lack thereof) can impact the countries we visit. It provided food for thought, both about the consequences of our travel behavior but also the responsibility that our travel behavior gives us – and how much it affects the countries we travel to.
Traveling in Cyprus during corona became a gift for us because we love solitude and few tourists and we got to experience this in Cyprus that summer.
Here are our top 11 suggestions for what you should see on your trip to Cyprus
Our 2 weeks in Cyprus started in Larnaca. Here we rented a car and drove across the island to Pafos, where we stayed and took our trips around the island from there. Here is our take on what we found most exciting and recommend you to see:
1. Larnaca
We landed in the middle of the night in Larnaca. From the airport, we took a taxi into the city, where we had pre-booked a rooftop apartment right down to the beach. The first thing we did when we woke up was to put on our swimsuits and head down to the beach to swim in the crystal clear, bath-warm sea. On a regular summer day (without corona), I imagine the beach would have been tightly packed and the water filled with playing children and adults. We didn’t have the beach to ourselves, but there weren’t many of us.
Just below our hotel was a long promenade, which stretched from the harbor and southward. Normally, you could sit here and get an ice cream, a beer, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But this year, many of the restaurants were empty. We walked around the city a bit, found places to eat, went to the harbor, and ended our first day in Cyprus on the rooftop terrace with views over the twinkling promenade and music from the beach.
2. Frolic in Cyprus’s Green Waves
Reason no. 1 for our 14-day trip to Cyprus was undoubtedly the dream of swimming all day in warm, crystal clear waves. We have traveled a lot with Sebastian and many of our trips have not always been very swim-friendly. In particular, our previous summer trip to Morocco, had made us hungry to give our son the ultimate beach vacation.
The beaches in Cyprus are very different. We discovered that there is a big difference in the beaches depending on whether you are on the eastern or western side of the island. Towards the east, the current is not so strong, more child-friendly, and much warmer. Towards the west, the beaches (those we experienced) are more raw and with stronger currents.
Below we have written a little about the beaches we visited and can recommend. We also mention a few beaches that we do not recommend. Note that the assessments were taken during corona times, so we have had the beaches to ourselves (except for a few, which we mention in the list below). Also check whether the beach has hoisted a green, yellow, or red flag. A green flag indicates that you are allowed to swim, yellow warns of strong currents – a red flag indicates that it is dangerous to swim. Read more about safe swimming in Cyprus – and about the yellow/red flags here.
First, the list of beaches we visited and recommend:
- Finikoudes (Larnaca): Fine sandy beach, delightful, crystal-clear water. Child-friendly.
- Aphrodite Beach (near Aphrodite’s rock): Beautiful beach with lovely turquoise sea. We didn’t swim here, but we saw others bathing.
- Coral Bay (north of Paphos): Cozy bay with sandy beach, delightful water, and lovely waves. Whenever we visited the beach, we could see that it was heavily used, which gave it a vibrant atmosphere.
- Potima Beach (north of Paphos): The most beautiful stretch of sand with stunning turquoise waves (we didn’t swim there as the current was too strong that day).
- Latsi Beach (north of Polis): Child-friendly sandy beach with delightful, crystal-clear water.
- Polyxenia Beach: (Protaras area, where we stayed the last few days): Quiet, local bay with lovely sand, cliffs, and calm, crystal-clear water. Very local and charming.
- The Blue Lagoon (Cape Greco): Beautiful lagoon with beautiful, crystal-clear, turquoise water. We didn’t swim there as we had to turn back due to lack of time and drinking water (don’t forget the water!).
- Nissi Beach (Nissi Bay, Ayia Napa): Very touristy, but don’t miss the absolutely fantastic crystal-clear water.
Beaches we don’t recommend spending time on
We visited several beaches, but not all of them were to our liking. Here are a few beaches we don’t recommend:
- Fig tree Bay (near the Protaras area): Very popular and often recommended beach. The beach was unusually crowded, and as we experienced it, without regard for COVID-19 restrictions. The situation may have changed since then.
- Lighthouse Beach(near Paphos): Rocky beach, lots of seaweed (which may have changed), and well… a rather dull experience for us. However, we made the most of it by sitting at the beach bar and enjoying some refreshments.
3. Paphos and the Tombs of the Kings
Even though we aimed for the ultimate beach trip, we also wanted to experience something beyond the beach visits. Therefore, we rented a car in Larnaca and drove across the island to the city of Paphos, where we stayed for about a week.
In Cyprus, they drive on the left side of the road, unlike back home. Fortunately, we were prepared for this. Peter took on the driving duty, and I was completely free from driving responsibilities. From the airport, we quickly got onto the highway, where it’s a bit easier to practice left-hand driving compared to navigating the narrow streets and one-way roads of downtown Larnaca.
Although we drove to Paphos, we didn’t spend much time in the city itself, as we were interested in exploring the natural areas of the west coast. However, we did visit the city for a day. The city center was filled with empty shops that had been forced to close down due to the lack of tourists. We were practically the only tourists in a city center that clearly used to be frequented by many visitors. Many restaurants and cafes were empty or completely closed. The suburbs, where the locals live (and where we stayed), were different. There was life and more normal conditions, not particularly marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We stayed close to the “Tombs of the Kings,” which we visited one day. The “Tombs of the Kings” is a large necropolis (a designed burial ground with elaborate tomb monuments) located approximately 2 km north of Paphos Harbor. The underground tombs are carved into the cliffs and were used for the city’s aristocrats and high-ranking officials until the third century AD. Despite the regal name, no kings are buried here; the name is more an indication of the grandeur of the tombs.
The tombs are spread out over a quite large area, and you can walk around and see them all, even going down into them.
We arrived at the “Tombs of the Kings” around noon, and the sun was shining directly overhead. There were about 5-10 tourists scattered throughout the vast area, so we enjoyed the tranquility and silence of the site.
It was fun to explore the tombs with Sebastian, who found them fascinating. We had many discussions about burial customs, royal tombs, Egypt’s pyramids, and not to forget our own royal tombs in Denmark.
4. Experience Petra tou Romiou and witness Aphrodite rising from the sea
One place we absolutely recommend you to visit is the beautiful cliff formations on the southern side of Cyprus: Petra tou Romiou, also known as “Aphrodite’s Rock.” The area is exceptionally stunning.
The impressive sea stacks (vertical columns near the coast formed by wave erosion) stand magnificently with the wildest turquoise sea surrounding them. Moreover, there is a mythical aura to the place when you know that according to mythology, it is believed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite.
The first time we saw Aphrodite’s Rock (or the sea surrounding it) was when we were driving on the highway from Larnaca Airport towards Paphos. We had just passed through a small mountain pass when suddenly we saw this completely turquoise, beautiful water on our right side. It made my heart skip a beat, and we promised each other to come back to the place and see it properly.
A few days later, when we arrived at the beach, it was even more stunning than we had dared to hope. Due to the pandemic, there weren’t many tourists who had made their way there. We parked the car on the other side of the road and walked through the tunnel underneath the road to get to the beach. There, we arrived at the most beautiful beach, with the most gorgeous sea and stunning rocks in the water.
TIP: At the tunnel leading down to the beach, you will encounter a sign where you can download an app on your mobile phone. By using the app with augmented reality, you can see Aphrodite rising from the sea at various mythical locations. It’s a great idea and highly recommended to give it a try.
5. Edro III Shipwreck
One of the more peculiar sights we encountered on our trip to Cyprus was the Edro III Shipwreck, located slightly north of Paphos. The shipwreck is positioned very close to the shore, and raging waves crash against it day in and day out.
It was fascinating to get so close to the shipwreck, but due to the strong wind that day, Sebastian wasn’t comfortable being on the steeper and slippery cliffs. Fortunately, the shipwreck can also be easily observed from a greater distance.
A brief history of the shipwreck: The Edro III was en route from Limassol to Rhodes when it ran aground on December 8, 2011, during rough seas. The nine crew members were rescued and airlifted to safety by a British helicopter. The ship remains there, and there are no current plans to remove it.
6. Polis and Latsi beach (+Akamas National Park)
Polis is a small town located on the western side of Cyprus. The town features many charming and beautiful houses, and outside of the pandemic period, it has numerous cafes and restaurants.
A little north towards the coast, you’ll find Latsi Beach, which is a lovely child-friendly beach. We discovered a small fish restaurant there with tables right by the beach, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of fish meze.
To the west of Latsi Beach, you’ll find Akamas National Park, which we had planned to visit. Unfortunately, we never made it there as we realized it required a four-wheel-drive vehicle to navigate without damaging our rental car. However, even though we didn’t make it there, I can confidently recommend that you visit the park. It is said to offer some of the best nature experiences you can have in Cyprus.
7. Avakas Gorge
One of the things we knew in advance that we would experience on our trip to Cyprus was Avakas Gorge. Avakas Gorge is a truly beautiful natural formation, more specifically a deep ravine, located in the southern part of the Akamas Peninsula (northwest Cyprus).
The hike to Avakas Gorge was incredibly hot, and the sun was directly overhead, but it was unbelievably beautiful and peaceful. We chose to park our car at the first parking lot and walked the entire hiking trail, which led us through stunning nature filled with juniper trees, cypresses, oak trees, wild fig trees, and beautiful plants and flowers. On the mountain slopes towering on both sides of us, we could see and hear wild goats leaping around.
The passage through the gorge involved very wet and slippery sections, so we were grateful for our sandals and clothes that were okay to get wet.
The 3-kilometer-long Avakas Gorge was created by a former powerful river that has carved through the landscape over thousands of years, forming walls reaching heights of up to 30 meters. Avakas Gorge is filled with large and stunning rock formations. One particular rock formation caught our attention – a gigantic stone wedged between the cliffs of the gorge, looking quite menacing.
8. Experience the Divided City of Nicosia
We had been looking forward to visiting the city of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. Nicosia serves as Cyprus’ economic, political, and cultural center, making it a very intriguing place to explore. During the Cyprus crisis in 1964, the city was divided into two parts, separating the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities into the northern and southern parts. This division involved a militarized border between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus, following Turkey’s invasion of the island in 1974 and its occupation of the northern part, including northern Nicosia. You can read more about Nicosia’s history for further details.
We visited the city on a day when the thermometer reached 40 degrees Celsius, which was extremely hot for a day in a bustling city. We walked through the streets, heading towards the border that cuts right through the city. It reminded us somewhat of how Berlin might have been divided in the past. The border is marked by walls cutting through buildings and properties, and the crossing points are guarded by military personnel.
During our visit, crossing the border was not possible due to political unrest, so we had to stay within the enclosed area. Under calmer circumstances, it is possible to visit the northern part of the city, but remember to bring your passport if you wish to explore that area.
9. Experience an Enchanting Meze
If you enjoy delicious local dishes and tapas, I believe a meze is just the thing for you. But what exactly is a meze?
A meze is a selection of small dishes, similar to Spanish tapas. Mezes come in various variations depending on where you are on the island. A meze can consist of small salads, pita bread, sardines, squid, halloumi cheese, purees, pickles, nuts, small pieces of meat, eggs and fish, hummus, falafel, tzatziki, and much more.
While we were in Cyprus, we ordered meze twice. However, they are not exactly cheap. The first time we ordered a meze was for lunch in Nicosia. The second time was an extravagant seafood meze that we ordered on our last evening at a beachfront restaurant on the coast of Protaras. The meze we had in Nicosia was delicious and delicate, but the seafood meze was unparalleled. It consisted of freshly caught fish, squid, shrimp, prawns, and all sorts of exciting sea creatures whose names I don’t know.
10. Go on a hiking, cycling, or diving trip to Cape Greco
Don’t miss out on Cape Greco, which is a national park on the eastern side of Cyprus. We only managed to get there briefly to enjoy the view from the cliffs because we had forgotten to bring water and were thirsty. If I go to Cyprus again, I would definitely allocate more time to enjoy Cape Greco. I would go there early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so intense. I would explore the island on foot, perhaps go cycling, and definitely bring my snorkeling gear.
Cape Greco is renowned for its beautiful nature, stunning limestone cliffs, captivating waves, and diving opportunities (with visibility of up to 40 meters on good days).
11. Find bliss in Cyprus’ beautiful sunsets
Cyprus blesses you with the most stunning sunsets! They certainly captivated us. Every evening, we were enchanted by the seamless transitions from the blue sky into all shades of pastel colors, eventually deepening into the richest reddish-orange hues.
Here you will find the mentioned places in Cyprus
