Explore / Beaches
Beaches of Cyprus
Every beach worth knowing, region by region. Blue Flag status, sand type, and who each one actually suits, from famous white-sand bays to wild turtle beaches.
Every beach worth knowing, region by region. Blue Flag status, sand type, and who each one actually suits, from famous white-sand bays to wild turtle beaches.
Cyprus has some of the cleanest swimming water in Europe. In 2026 the island was awarded 56 Blue Flag beaches and two Blue Flag marinas, and Cyprus has ranked first in Europe for bathing water quality in the three most recent European Commission assessments. The swimming season is long too: the sea is comfortable from May to November, warmest in August, and plenty of locals swim right into December.
Below is the honest tour, east to west. Blue Flag status shown is from the official 2026 award list (announced June 2026). Last checked July 2026.
The family champion. Calm, shallow, fine golden sand, and more Blue Flags than anywhere else on the island: 18 in the Paralimni-Deryneia municipality in 2026.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Fig Tree Bay (Protaras) | BLUE FLAG | The east coast pin-up. Fine sand, a tiny islet you can wade to, water like a swimming pool. Arrive early in summer, it fills fast. |
| Konnos Bay | BLUE FLAG | A pine-backed horseshoe between Protaras and Ayia Napa, inside the Cape Greco area. Sheltered, gorgeous, brilliant for snorkelling. |
| Kapparis | BLUE FLAG | Quieter local favourite north of Protaras. Small sandy coves, good tavernas nearby. |
| Ayia Triada | BLUE FLAG | Small, sheltered and shallow, next to a little whitewashed chapel. Very toddler-friendly. |
| Pernera | BLUE FLAG | Compact sandy bay with a small harbour feel and plenty of facilities. |
| Vrysi A, B & C | BLUE FLAG | Three linked stretches along the Protaras strip. Sunbeds, watersports, easy access, all the trimmings. |
| Louma | BLUE FLAG | Wide, sandy and organised, right on the main Protaras front. Good all-rounder. |
| Others on the 2026 list | BLUE FLAG | Nissia Gardens, Nisia, Vyzakia, Lombardi, Mina, Vrysoudi, Skoutarospiloi, Armyropigado, Glyki Nero and Potami. You genuinely cannot go far wrong here. |
Famous for the nightlife, but the beaches earned the reputation first: 15 Blue Flag beaches plus a Blue Flag marina in 2026.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Nissi Beach & Nissi Bay | BLUE FLAG | The postcard: white sand, shallow turquoise water and a walkable islet. Party crowd and music in high season, blissful in May, June and September. |
| Makronissos | BLUE FLAG | Three connected sandy bays west of Nissi with ancient tombs cut into the headland. Calmer than Nissi, great for families. |
| Landa (Golden Beach) | BLUE FLAG | Between Nissi and Makronissos. Same golden sand, fraction of the crowd. |
| Pantachou (Harbour Beach) | BLUE FLAG | The long organised stretch by the harbour. Handy, sandy, full facilities. |
| Ayia Thekla | BLUE FLAG | West of town by the little chapel and sea caves. Popular with locals, lovely light in the evening. |
| Konnos | BLUE FLAG | Shared with Protaras (listed under Ayia Napa in the 2026 award). See above, it is a stunner. |
| Others on the 2026 list | BLUE FLAG | Louma, Ziatzi, Vathia Gonia, Katsarka, Loukkos tou Manti, Glyki Nero, Ammos tou Kampouri, Limnara (Kermia) and Pernera. |
City beaches you can walk to from a cafe table, plus quieter strands down the coast towards Pervolia.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Finikoudes | BLUE FLAG | The palm-lined city beach along Larnaca's promenade. Grey-gold sand, calm water, cafes ten steps away. Easy and sociable rather than wild and beautiful. |
| Mackenzie | BLUE FLAG | South of the centre near the airport, famous for planes landing low overhead. Lively bar and restaurant strip, shallow water, big with locals. |
| Kastella | BLUE FLAG | Between Finikoudes and Mackenzie. Quieter, family-paced, same easy access. |
| Yiannades (Voroklini) | BLUE FLAG | Up the coast towards the hotel strip at Voroklini. Organised and unhurried. |
| Faros (Pervolia) | Popular | By the lighthouse at Cape Kiti, south of the city. Breezier, so a kitesurf and windsurf favourite. On past Blue Flag lists, not on the 2026 award. |
Darker volcanic-tinged sand in the city, dramatic white cliffs and ancient ruins either side of it.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Governor's Beach (Pentakomo) | BLUE FLAG | Dark sand against chalk-white cliffs, about 20 minutes east of the city. Small coves, good tavernas above the beach, very photogenic. |
| Kourion (Episkopi) | BLUE FLAG | A long, breezy pebble-and-sand sweep below the ancient Kourion theatre. Swimming with a Greco-Roman backdrop; popular with kitesurfers when the wind is up. |
| Pissouri Bay | BLUE FLAG | Halfway to Paphos, a broad shingle-sand bay under the village. Relaxed, uncommercial, lovely for a long lunch and a swim. |
| Parekklisia Community Beach | BLUE FLAG | East of the city near the tourist area. Organised and family-friendly. |
| Lady's Mile | Popular | A flat 5 km stretch on the Akrotiri peninsula. Shallow for hundreds of metres, beach bars at intervals, brilliant for small kids and long walks. |
| Dasoudi & Akti Olympion | City beaches | The in-town eucalyptus-backed beaches. Fine for an after-work swim. Limassol and Amathus municipalities did not apply for Blue Flag in 2026 after pollution reports in 2025, worth knowing, though water quality is monitored. |
Fourteen Blue Flags across the district in 2026, from town beaches to Coral Bay's famous golden crescent.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Coral Bay (Peyia) | BLUE FLAG | The west's best-known beach: a sheltered golden crescent with soft sand and full facilities. Busy in summer, and deservedly so. |
| Laourou & Kafizis | BLUE FLAG | Peyia's quieter neighbours around Coral Bay. Same coastline, fewer people. |
| Alykes (Alikes) | BLUE FLAG | Handy town beach near the Kato Paphos hotel strip. |
| Municipal Baths & Faros | BLUE FLAG | Small, central and convenient, by the harbour and the lighthouse headland. More dip-and-lunch than all-day beach. |
| Vrysoudi A & B, Pachyammos 1 & 2, Geroskipou Public Beach | BLUE FLAG | The organised run of beaches east of the harbour through Geroskipou. Reliable sand and facilities all the way along. |
| Kotsiatis (Sandy Beach) & Palaiokastro (Venus Beach) | BLUE FLAG | North-west of the town towards the Tombs of the Kings and beyond. |
| Aphrodite's Rock (Petra tou Romiou) | Iconic | The mythical birthplace of Aphrodite. Pebbles, strong currents and no facilities, so it is a photo stop and a brave dip rather than a beach day. Unmissable anyway. |
The wild end of the island. Protected coastline, turtle nesting beaches and the famous Blue Lagoon.
| Beach | Status | The honest version |
|---|---|---|
| Lara Bay | Protected | The turtle beach. A wide, wild arc of sand inside the Akamas protected area where green and loggerhead turtles nest in summer. No sunbeds, no bars, rough track access (4x4 or a walk). Respect the marked nests; it is one of the Mediterranean's special places. |
| Blue Lagoon | Boat trip | Not a beach so much as impossibly clear water off the Akamas coast. Reached by boat from Latchi harbour, or on foot or by 4x4 for the determined. Best swum from a boat ladder mid-morning before the crowds. |
| Polis Chrysochous Municipal Beach | BLUE FLAG | Shaded by eucalyptus by the town campsite. Low-key, local and lovely. |
| Latchi Beach | Popular | Long pebble-and-sand stretch by the harbour, with excellent fish tavernas at one end. The natural base for the Akamas. |
| Baths of Aphrodite coast | Wild | Pebbly coves along the trailhead coast west of Latchi. Bring water shoes and pick your spot. |
The Blue Flag is an international award run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). A beach must meet 33 strict criteria covering excellent bathing water quality under European standards, safety (lifeguards in season), cleanliness, facilities and environmental management. It is re-assessed every year, which is why the list changes: Cyprus had 64 Blue Flag beaches in 2025 and 56 in 2026, mainly because the Limassol and Amathus municipalities did not apply this year.
A beach without a flag is not necessarily dirty, and some of the island's most beautiful spots (Lara Bay, the Blue Lagoon) will never have one because a Blue Flag requires facilities, and wild beaches are wild. That is rather the point of them.
Sources: official Blue Flag Cyprus 2026 award list (announced June 2026); European Commission bathing water assessments. Last checked July 2026.
When is the sea warm enough to swim?
May to November comfortably. August is warmest; October is the locals' secret, warm sea and empty sand.
Are sunbeds free?
No, organised beaches charge per sunbed and umbrella (typically a few euros each per day). You can always lay a towel on the sand for free.
Are there lifeguards?
Blue Flag beaches have lifeguards in season, usually with flag systems for swimming conditions. Wild beaches have none, swim sensibly.
Which beaches are best for small children?
Protaras is the standout: Fig Tree Bay, Ayia Triada and the Vrysi beaches are shallow and calm. Lady's Mile near Limassol is shallow for hundreds of metres.
Can I see turtles?
Green and loggerhead turtles nest at Lara Bay in the Akamas in summer. Nests are marked with protective cages, look, do not touch, and never use lights on the beach at night.
