Being an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, you’d expect Cyprus beaches to have wonderful beaches and amazing coastal views – and you’d be right. The island has a wide range of beaches to visit, all with stunning views and great water. While we didn’t get to visit all the locations we would have liked, we still got to see a fair bit, and they all offered something a little different. It was great to finally get to a beach. It was really our first opportunity since we’d left Florida.
7 Must-Swim Cyprus Beaches
Pissouri Beach
Pissouri Beach was the first of the Cyprus beaches we visited. The homeowners of our house sit were meeting up with friends and they asked us if we’d like to come along. They had decided on Pissouri because of a restaurant they liked as well as the ability to avoid the supposed crowds of Kourion Beach.
The beach here is very rocky. We would have liked to have had water shoes – the homeowners did. But aside from that, it was really quite nice. Cliffs stood out against the sea as gentle waves came ashore.
The water was nice, with only a gentle swell and little to no current. You could easily spend hours floating in the water. It was also nice that once you made it about ten feet out, the large stones and pebbles made way for sand and easier walking.
Alykes Beach (Pafos Waterfront) and Municipal Baths
Alykes “Beach” we visited several times, though never actually got in the water. The first time was on my birthday when we decided to go to Pafos to celebrate. We walked past the beach and discovered that it’s really hard to call it as such. There is no shore to speak of here, but that doesn’t stop hundreds of tourists and locals from enjoying the water.
Lounges and chairs line the waterfront. Ladders and small platforms allow you to enter the water.
As these are also municipal baths, you find well equipped changing rooms and bathrooms right next to the water as well. The water seemed to be a little rougher here than at Pissouri, but if one was searching for calmer waters, there were walled off sections that could easily be used for younger kids or lap swimming.
One thing that is certain though, is that the water is crystal clear.
Kourion Beach
Our visit to Kourion Beach was the wind down to a long day trekking the Kourion ruins on the above cliffside with my parents. The beach was certainly a bit more crowded, but when we went all the way down to the end of the beach, we found some more private areas to swim, and enjoy a meal at a local restaurant (the best squid I’ve ever had).
Kourion, like Pissouri, is primarily smooth pebbles and rocks that gives way to sand once out in the water. Gently sloping, with easy waves, it is an enjoyable beach with great views of the surrounding sea cliffs.
Lady’s Mile Beach
Lady’s Mile Beach is just south and very near to the new Limassol Port. The beach, like the previously mentioned, is primarily a pebble beach. The water is very shallow though, so you can easily wade out into the water without it coming up high on you. The water is normally pretty calm here and can offer you a nice relaxing place to watch the local birds and cargo ships come in.
The road is a little rough though, so if your car is low-riding or not in good shape, you may not want to try this one out. If you have a 4 wheel drive though, you should have no problems at all.
If you drive far enough, you’ll eventually find a sandy beach – but we stayed close to the start because of the rough roads.
Molos (Limassol Waterfront) Beach
A few miles further north along the shore from Lady’s Mile is a nice beach called Molos Beach. This beach is a well-manicured park, that stretches for several miles along the Limassol waterfront. Here, a grassy, shady park lines the shore.
The beach itself is a soft sand, and as such attracts many locals and tourists. Most likely, it will be busy.
We didn’t get out into the water because we were visiting a cat cafe at the time, but we could see the water was protected with stones a few hundred feet out, to make for a nice and calm swimming experience.
Finikoudes (Larnaka Waterfront) Beach
The sandy Finikoudes Beach can be found in Larnaka just past the Tomb of St. Lazarus. A picturesque beach, filled with tourists and locals alike, you’ll find that there are many restaurants, cafes, and shops that line the waterfront.
As well, you can visit the Larnaka castle which sits right on the beach.
The water itself gently slopes and remains shallow a fair ways out. You can easily take a stroll in the water without worrying about getting soaked if you don’t want to.
Petra Tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock)
Get In
Down the coast, about twenty minutes from Pafos lies the mythical Petra tou Romiou, also known as Aphrodite’s Rock. According to myth, it is the place that the Greek Goddess Aphrodite was born – emerging from the sea foam.
It is said that if you swim around the rock, you will be granted with youth and graceful aging. We decided to not test this superstition. The water here is pretty rough, and we didn’t want to get thrashed against the rocks.
Instead, we elected to have a picnic on the beach with pita, hummus, yogurt, and wine.
Getting down to the beach can be a little bit tricky, as the tunnel which takes under the road and onto the beach isn’t obvious at first. The entrance is next to the restaurant with the same name.
The beach itself is very much a rocky beach, with stones, pebbles, and boulders primarily being present. Not the greatest place to layout, but the location is very scenic and quite iconic.
Dive In
The water here is far rougher than the other beaches as it sits on a point of land that juts out. Strong currents, cold water, and a steep, immediate drop off make this beach not friendly for young or weak swimmers. However, it’s awesome for one key feature: the jumping rock.
About fifteen feet into the water sits a large rock mount. As we witnessed – you can climb it and jump off into the waves. Some of the people were really risky and making huge dives just barely skimming the rocks. Meanwhile, others were showing off with flips.
I decided to jump too, so I followed someone’s lead on climbing the wet, vertical, and sharp rock. It was a little difficult at first to climb, the rock was very slick, sharp, and quite literally vertical. But once about ten feet up, the rock began to slope and it was far easier to climb. It was fun to climb and jump from – I do regret only doing it once.
Honorable Mentions:
There are many, many more Cyprus beaches that we simply didn’t make it to for whatever reasons. Check out the key beaches that we wish we had made it to here. We really wish we could have got to Ayia Napa:
7 Must-Swim Cyprus Beaches – Pin It!
