The most beautiful beaches of Cyprus

Ranking of the beaches

en/When rating the beaches, we were not guided by recommendations from TripAdvisor or other forums, but by the feeling they left in us. We took into account the cleanliness, beauty, colour of the sea and the number of people. We are not fans of crowded beaches and fully support the regulation of visitor numbers as a form of sustainable tourism. For example, Nissi Beach, which is considered by many to be the most beautiful, has two different faces. It is really beautiful in the morning, but from 11:00 until the evening it turns into a crowded and cheesy attraction.

During our stay we visited 22 beaches, both the better known and the lesser known ones. And we missed a lot of beautiful beaches. It was very difficult to determine the first places as many of the beaches were really beautiful and you could say that the first 10 are on the same level, but each one offers a slightly different scenery.

The most beautiful beaches in Cyprus

1. Konnos Beach

Konnos Beach is located south of Protaras. Apart from the beautiful sea colour and fine sand, the beach also offers a natural scenery. Instead of hotels, the view is of the rocks. Right next door is Turtle Bay, where you can walk for 5 minutes and swim with the turtles.

2. Nisia Loumbardi Beach and Παραλία Βυζακιά

Nisia Loumbardi Beach and the neighboring beach with only a Greek name are the most beautiful beaches we found on the island. They are a short walk from Protaras and surrounded by a lot of greenery.

Its fine sand, beautiful colours of the sea and rich underwater life made it fun for children and adults alike. Between the beaches there is a bar with parking, but there are not many hotels. Because of this, the beaches were emptier and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the place to the fullest.

3. Makronissos Beach

Makronissos Beach is located a short walk from the famous Nissi Beach near Ayia Napa. Offering fine white sand, turquoise sea, warm water and everything you need for a day of beach bumming. Although the beach is less crowded in the morning, it fills up around lunchtime and by the afternoon it's crowded and there won't be any umbrellas available. Kids will appreciate the fine sand, or the opportunities to play with a ball in the shallow water. As with Nissi, we headed away from this beach around noon due to the mass of people.

4. Landa Beach

Landa Beach lies between Nissi and Makronissos beaches in Ayia Napa. This beach is perfect and offers a complete idyll. You'll find plenty of umbrellas and sun loungers, but they are never all occupied and unlike the neighbouring beaches, it also has fewer visitors. Maybe due to the fact that there are no hotels directly on it. The walk from Makronissos is only 10 minutes, so it's the perfect choice when you start to mind the crowds. It's smaller and more compact, but that doesn't detract from its beauty. Its fine white sand, turquoise warm sea, shallow water and surrounding greenery will make for a great day out.

5. Alagadi Turtle Beach

Alagadi Turtle Beach is a beautiful beach, or rather two huge beaches located in Northern Cyprus. Away from the hotels and the hustle and bustle of the city, they offer the perfect relaxing beach experience. As the name suggests, the turtles come here to lay their eggs, making it the ideal choice if you want to swim with these beautiful animals. For a long stretch, the water is shallow so you have to walk quite a distance from the shore. We even met a baby turtle on this beach.

Despite its isolation, there is also one restaurant with a large parking lot. 😊 And spoiler, it's the warmest sea in the whole of Cyprus.

6. Nissi Beach

Nissi Beach is unfortunately a victim of its own popularity. This beautiful beach is located right by Ayia Napa and offers a wonderful setting. Fine white sand, turquoise sea, plenty of water activities and an island you can reach without swimming. Nissi is paradise, but only in the morning. From 11:00 you won't find a place to lay down. Every corner is packed with tourists. There's head-to-head on the beach. People are crowding like at the airport to get to the island and it spoils the whole atmosphere of the place. If you come here before 9:00 you will experience paradise, if in the afternoon you will experience hell. Nissi is really a beach of two faces and it's up to you which one you want to see

7. Blue Lagoon Akamas

On the west coast in Akamas National Park is the beautiful Blue Lagoon beach. It does not offer a beach in the traditional sense. You lie variously on rocks or small stretches of black sand. This lagoon is known for its incredibly clear and clear water, which shimmers in different shades of blue and turquoise thanks to the sun's rays. Be it by boat trip or a rented ATV, the beach is definitely worth a visit.

8. Zapallo Beach

Zapallo Beach is a beautiful bay consisting of two beaches. It lies a short distance from Limassol and offers fine sand, beautiful sea colour and complete seclusion. Apart from the army helicopters and falcons circling over the cliffs, you'll hardly meet anyone.

But it takes its toll. As the beach is unorganized, you have to make a 20-minute walk down the hill and then an arduous journey up. Sun is very harsh and so the walk back is quite exhausting.

9. Canyon Beach

This small and almost unknown beach is only accessible if you decide to explore the Akamas National Park by land. But it stands out for its appearance. A narrow strip of sea between two high cliffs and next to it a cave that opens directly into the sea. So you can choose a rather unconventional but magical entrance. Exploring the cave or wading through the shallow water to the end, where the turquoise sea opens up, will grab you by the heart. Maybe the beach wasn't as nice as others, but it was definitely original and will stay in our memory.

10. Governor's Beach

Governor Beach can be found a short walk from Limassol towards Larnaca. It leads out to the white stones and resembles the Scala dei Turchi. Its fine sand, calm sea and magnificent limestone cliffs make for a perfect day at the beach. You can lay down on one of the two organized sections or on one of the mini beaches between the cliffs. Both have their own charm. Although the sea doesn't have a turquoise hue, it makes up for it with scenery. This one is fabulous.

11. White River Beach

White River Beach is located a short walk from the famous Coral Beach near Paphos town and offers a unique atmosphere. Characteristic of the beach are the pebble towers created by visitors. There are thousands of them. But that's not all. Its white cliffs offer a beautiful backdrop and the sea beckons for swimming. Here, the waves are a bit bigger, which is especially appreciated by families with children. And to make matters even better, this beach is one of the best for watching the sunset.

12. Fig Tree Beach

Fig Tree Beach in Protaras offers fine sand, beautiful sea colour and a slowly sloping sea like other beaches in the area. Thanks to its popularity with tourists, the beach is also quite crowded. Most of the beach is occupied by hotels, but there are also places where you can rent a parasol.

Fig Tree was pretty full and there are many similar beaches nearby with fewer visitors. We preferred to take a different option after 3 hours, as even the kids didn't like the fact that they couldn't even throw a ball in the sea.

13. Coral Beach

Coral Beach can be found north of Paphos, the closest nice beach to the town. It features fine sand and beautiful sea colours. Although the water is slightly colder than around Ayia Napa, it is still very pleasant. Families with children in particular will appreciate the gradual descent of the seabed. However, swimmers will also find it interesting. It is not as slow as the beaches in the Ayia Napa area.

14. Aphrodite's rock and Beach

Aphrodite's Rock is surrounded by two beaches. First one, the one you will find at the end of the tunnel, is pebbly and not very nice. On the other side of the rock, however, there is a beautiful sandy beach with slightly wild waves. Be sure to wear your swimsuit when you stop at Aphrodite's Rock and become a love goddess for a while. Swim to the rock and come ashore as the goddess herself once did.

15. Maraş Plajı

Famagusta's beaches lies in Ghost town, which is guarded by the army. Before the Turkish invasion in 1974, this beach, together with the town, was an important tourist centre, known for its luxury hotels and shops. After the invasion, however, the beach and the entire town remained deserted, and entry to the area was banned for decades. Today, the beach is still a peaceful place where you can enjoy the view of the empty buildings and ruins of the former hotels that stand in the background.

16. Pisouri Beach

Pisouri Beach is a large beach on the south coast between Paphos and Limassol. This beach is pebbly and you won't see many tourists here. However, the sea was noticeably colder than the sandy beaches and there wasn't such a long stretch of shallow water. Also, the beach consists of an organized section and at the back under the cliffs is an unorganized section that was almost completely empty in high season. If you prefer pebbles to sand, this beach is the perfect choice.

17. Manolis Bay

Manolis Bay is a beautiful bay in Akamas Park. Unlike Canyon Beach, this "beach" is more accessible from the boat. To get to it from land, you have to climb over the rocks to the nearest rocks to the sea, where you can lay down. Thus, it lacks the traditional access to the sea.

But this is compensated by the beautiful colours, underwater life and the minimum of people swimming with you. It's not a beach for the day, but if you do visit the Blue Lagoon, you'll appreciate a bit of privacy and an escape from the cruise ships.

18. Vathia Gonia

Vathia Gonia Beach is a short walk from Nissi in Ayia Napa. We thought it would be less busy, but it wasn't. It is narrow and very similar to the others in the area, but due to the number of hotels and smaller size, the beach is quite crowded. Also, there are larger rocks in the sea right at the entrance so you have to be careful not to trip over them. What is nice about it though is the coastline. It's surrounded by cliffs and there are big waves crashing and you can take a walk along them.

19. Amphitheatre Bay

Amphitheatre Bay lies in Akamas National Park a short walk from the Blue Lagoon. Although the beach does not offer a turquoise hue, it does offer a beautiful natural scenery. Surrounded by lots of greenery, the beach and the sandstone rocks in the sea create a wonderful colour contrast. Also, the underwater life here is quite varied. Entrance consists of a combination of sand and gravel but if you want to go both swimming and exploring it is better to have water shoes, because of the rocks in the sea.

20. Mackenzie Beach

Amphitheatre Bay lies in Akamas National Park a short walk from the Blue Lagoon. Although the beach does not offer a turquoise hue, it does offer a beautiful natural scenery. Surrounded by lots of greenery, the beach and the sandstone rocks in the sea create a wonderful colour contrast. Also, the underwater life here is quite varied. Entrance consists of a combination of sand and gravel but if you want to go both swimming and exploring it is better to have water shoes, because of the rocks in the sea.

21. Fontana Amorosa

Fontana Amorosa is the last of the beaches you can reach in Akamas National Park. It has perfect references so we were very excited to come here. However, the beach was nothing special. The combination of sand and pebbles and the usual shade of blue didn't wow us. It was not only the weakest beach of Akamas for us, but also the weakest beach of Cyprus overall.

22. Mauralis Beach

Mauralis Beach is very popular, especially among locals who come here for picnics or barbecues. Nestled in the north near the town of Polis, the beach offers gentle waves, plenty of turtle egg sites and small pebbles that cover the entrance to the sea. In the water, the pebbles give way to sand. If you're lucky, you might even see turtles here in summer.

In addition to the beach, there are several stone barbecues waiting for you to prepare lunch or dinner right by the sea.