In the Ayia Napa region of Cyprus, you’ll find two beaches – Limanaki Beach and Konnos Beach. Both with pristine waters, beginning clear then gradually turning gorgeous shades of aqua and blue as you look further out to sea. These two beaches are both gorgeously stunning and although in the same region, they offer something entirely different from the other.
Limanaki Beach, located in Ayia Napa’s bustling town center is not known as a family destination and is more fitting for those searching for a whole lot of entertainment, as the streets in this area are bursting with bars, clubs and numerous restaurants to match party-goers of all sorts, whether you’re into the pubs, karaoke, a place that’s over the top with a theme or a chic bar.
Brace yourself for a night of booze, if you’ve woken up in a in a mouth of a dinosaur don’t be alarmed, you’ve only woken up at the Bedrock bar or think somehow you’ve crossed the ocean and into the borders of Mexico, nope you’re still Ayia Napa’s town center. With establishments to suit party people of all kinds, let’s not forget the beach, which is amazingly beautiful and where you can find daily boat tours or water sports that can be enjoyed, that's if you’re not too hung over from the night before, otherwise lounging around on the sunbeds all day is not a bad deal.
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| Limanaki Beach |
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| Ayia Napa Harbour |
With restaurants to eat at every turn in the Ayia Napa Town Center, a couple of good places to try are Ocean Basket (Address: 1st October Street Nr 15, Ayia Napa), that is a popular venue for seafood platters and freshly made sushi. Or Jello Café (Address: 43, Archiepiskopou Makariou III Avenue, Ayia Napa ) with a groovy atmosphere and a full range menu of delicious salads, wraps and sandwiches to burgers, fish and steak - make sure you’re hungry, because the servings at Jello Café are generous and the drinks are a hit too.
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| Ocean Basket Restaurant |
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| Jello Cafe |
On the other hand to Limanaki Beach, lies a quiet and relaxing beach, also within the Ayia Napa region, called Konnos Beach. Dazzling and romantic from the hilltop looking down, it is a tranquil cove, popular with those looking for a peaceful stretch on the soft sandy beach. There are no streets lined with restaurants and bars here, but there is one kiosk that will have all the needs for the day. If you feel like riding the waters, there are water sports too.
Here you can hire a beach lounger, looking something like a banana, which also doubles as a floaty so you can take it into the water and continue relaxing in the sea… Perfect! A couple of hotels are located a steep walk up from Konnos Beach or if you decide to base yourself somewhere with more civilisation, Ayia Napa town center is only a 15 minute drive away, that way you could have the best of both worlds.
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| Konnos Beach |
If Ayia Napa town center is your base location, a well situated hotel is Napa Plaza Hotel, with everything you would need outside your doorstep. Limanaki Beach is a short 600 metre stroll down the street. The hotel rooms are comfortable and clean, plus with just a little extra you can have one with a balcony overlooking the fabulous outdoor pool. This hotel also has full amenities with a gym, indoor pool, spa, buffet breakfast, restaurant/bar and even a laundry room, however there are a couple of minor downsides, those being that the safe box and wifi access for your room comes at an additional charge, no biggie though as free wifi is available in the comfortable lobby or poolside.
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| Napa Plaza Hotel |
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| Superior double with inland (pool) view |
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| Napa Plaza Hotel pool |
Another beach is Sunrise Beach, connected to Fig Tree Bay in the Protaras region. The beaches here are best suited to families with young children and the more mature, as it’s on the calmer side, compared to Limanaki Beach. Also accessible are the many hotels, restaurants and shops, so you can be sure to find everything you need without the hustle and bustle or beats of the clubs to disturb your peaceful moments.
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| Sunrise Beach |
In the Larnaca region, which is only 9 km from the airport, you can find Foinikoudes Beach and the Larnaca Marina. With an abundance of hotels and restaurants along the main street and its beach spread with countless beach beds and umbrellas, it’s a busy beach where you will find all kinds of crowds from young, mature and families. The scenery of the beach and the touch of the sand is nowhere near as nicely attractive as the beaches you would find out on the Southern East end of Cyprus and mentioned above, but nonetheless it offers more to do and see in and around the area.
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| Larnaca Marina |
A 5km drive away from Larnaca, is MacKenzie Beach. Here you will find restaurants, bars and fashionably modern clubs playing upbeat tunes, right beside the sands edge. This beach is also located in the vicinity of the airport and I mean it’s pretty much at the end of the runway on the other side of the fence, so you’ll see many flights come and go rather close to the ground. The aircraft engine noise may drive you berserk or you could get so use to it and not even notice.
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| MacKenzie Beach bars and clubs |
So weather you’re looking for a peaceful romantic holiday, time with the family or a party with your friends, there is a beach in Cyprus for all occasions and people. Or you can simply experience it all, by hiring a car and cruising around the island, even without a GPS you can’t get too lost – explore and see more.
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