In this guide, you’ll discover the ‘must-see’ Paphos beaches. From organized sandy beaches to more secluded beaches with crystal-clear waters, there is a beach for every type of visitor in Paphos. Paired with great local food, cultural landmarks, and good nightlife, these beaches make Paphos an excellent coastal destination to explore.
Paphos Beaches Map
Located in the Western coastal zone of Cyprus, Paphos is a picturesque town and a large district combining seaside and mountainous zones.
Paphos district has a large coastline with plenty of beaches to offer to the visitor.
Paphos beaches are beautiful from every angle and it’s no wonder that more than 30K tourists from abroad flock to Paphos every summer.
Here’s a Map of the Best Paphos Beaches
Blue Lagoon Beach / Blue Lagoon Bay
Blue Lagoon is one of the best beaches in the district, located on the rocky Akamas peninsula.
It’s not technically an organized beach, but a fairly shallow boat trip area where people can freely swim from their boats or through the distinct rocks that merge with the coast.
Boasting the clearest waters of the Paphos district, Blue Lagoon is an ideal destination for small boat day tripping and swimming.
The bay is semi-shielded due to the several rocks enveloping the bay at different heights and the waters are warm during most hours as a result (you’ll even find people swimming in the Blue Lagoon in winter in Cyprus).
It also has a reef that is perfect for diving and snorkeling and you will be able to see fish and sea flora even without diving to great depths.
The beach may not be as easily accessible as others through a private vehicle and the distance to reach it from the Paphos center is more than an hour.
However, if you don’t mind the rocky roads, it is worth the hassle.
There are also no amenities close to the beach but if you book an organized boat trip from Latchi or Paphos harbor, you will be able to enjoy extras like food, drinks, and entertainment.
Most boat trip excursions to Blue Lagoon last typically three to six hours and offer at least an hour of free time for swimming and diving (optional).
The prices for single-day boat trips to Blue Lagoon range from €15-25 in total.
It’s a bumpy and dangerous road to reach the Blue Lagoon.
However, if you don’t want to go there by boat, you can rent a jeep, baggy, or 4-wheel motorcycle. You’ll find people free camping in spring and summer along the ridge above the water.
Where to Eat
Although there are no restaurants or bars available near the region, if you have your own vehicle, you’ll only be 3-5 miles away from these restaurants:
- Aphrodite’s Baths Restaurant is a traditional and rustic Cypriot restaurant offering fresh meat and seafood dishes.
- Kouppas Restaurant/Tavern is another great traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna with a castle built where you can enjoy fresh meat or fish on the grill or fried.
Lara Beach/Lara Bay Beach
(in Akamas Peninsula) and home to colonies of sea turtles.
If you’ve been to the crowded beaches along the southern coastline of Cyprus, you’ll know what a treat it is to see a large stretch of untouched wild coastline!
The Akamas Peninsula is, in my opinion, the most beautiful and unspoiled part of Cyprus.
At the far southwest end of the Akamas Peninsula, just past White Beach, you’ll come to Lara Beach.
It’s so pristine that it’s one of the few places anywhere in the world that turtles like the Loggerhead Turtle and the Green Turtle use as a hatchery.
It’s been a protected hatchery since 1971 and you can’t drive on the beach in June and July and you can’t put up umbrellas, tents, etc.
Coral Bay Beach
Coral Beach couldn’t be missing from our list as it’s a very popular beach – perhaps the most popular among the sandy beaches in Paphos and one of the best beaches in the Paphos district.
It’s my favorite swimming and snorkeling beach close to Paphos town.
Sandy Coral Bay Beach is found in the beautiful Peyia village which is the only place in Cyprus with planted banana trees.
The banana trees and palm trees that surround the region paired with the bright sun give Coral Bay a more tropical vibe compared to other beaches in the district.
The soft sand beach stretches approx. 600 meters and consists mainly of fine golden sand bookended by two high stone headlands.
Unlike other beaches, there is minimal seaweed once you get into the waters and the waters are generally clean.
However, there are a few random spots with flat or anomalous rocks on the surface which may bother some so be careful where you step.
There are also more than 40 double sunbeds with umbrellas available which cost currently €2.5/each.
Coral Bay is an organized beach with all the basic amenities you’d expect from an organized beach like water sports, toilets, locker rooms, and a side-walk café/snack bar. It also has a two-level parking lot which is currently free and accessible by most private vehicles (you can see from the pic above that it’s a dirt/sand car park.
Coral Bay Beach is also accessible with a wheelchair.
Where to eat
There are several restaurants, bars, and cafeterias to go to for food or drink in the Coral Bay area such as:
- Corallo restaurant is a stone-built restaurant with plenty of local and international dishes.
- Phidias Tavern, a local Greek-Cypriot taverna offering mainly meat dishes but there are also vegan and fish options.
Geroskipou/Rikkos Beach
Geroskipou beach or Geroskipou municipal beach/Rikkos beach which is just less than fifteen minutes from the Paphos center and approx. 7 minutes from Kato Paphos.
The Geroskipou municipal beach is one of the main sandy beaches on the western coast and is linked to a second beach (Rikkos Beach) in the Eastern zone.
The main beach boasts a 400-meter coarse sandbed with a few pebbles and stones scattered mainly towards the sides of the beach. The second (Rikkos) beach is more of a pebble beach with coarse sand.
It also has a lined tree plantation and grassy spots that add a refreshing green vibe to the beach. The trees also offer subtle shading and make the sun less strong, especially during the hot noon hours.
The waters are fairly clean yet diverse with a mixture of coarse sand, pebbles, and large rocks.
The temperature of the waters ranges from lukewarm to slightly cool but since the beach is moderately shaded, the waters tend to be lukewarm after 4:00 pm (you’ll find swimming during Christmas time in Cyprus when it’s snowing in the nearby Troodos mountains!)
Both the Geroskipou municipal beach and the second beach are very family friendly and consist of basic amenities like sun lounges, a beach bar/restaurant, toilets, showers, and locker rooms in between.
The beach is easily accessible by most types of vehicles and by bus. Jump on Bus lines 611 or 631 which start from the Paphos harbor bus stop.
The beach is also accessible through a floating wheelchair path for disabled persons.
Where to eat
The beach itself has two beach bars that also offer food and coffee.
- Riccos Beach Bar is a small beach bar with a tropical island vibe offering coffee, drinks, sandwiches, snacks, and seafood dishes.
- Thea By The Sea, an upgraded beach bar/restaurant with distinguished Mediterranean fusion cuisine and a good variety of drinks available.
Sea Caves Bay
Sea caves, just like their name suggests, are in a natural bay ringed by sea caves, cliffs, and stones of varying heights.
The bay is found in the Peyia region, approx. 6 minutes by car from Coral Bay and 25 minutes from the Paphos town center.
Although not technically a beach, Sea Caves Bay is a magnificent bay with breathtaking views and a small area you can access to get into its crystal-clear waters.
Go with proper footwear if you decide to swim or dive in as the rocks inside are sharp and slippery.
However, many tourists choose to enter the waters because they are believed to have mild healing properties as the surface features clay and minerals along with sand and rocks.
There are also ponds and pools of warm water inside the caves that make the whole experience of diving more relaxing.
Sea Caves are hardly accessible for people with special needs but if you are visiting just for taking pictures or for fishing, you can find a more safe spot from a distance.
The bay has a lounge café-bar very close with a grassy area overlooking the rocky bay setting and the famous Edro III Shipwreck a few minutes away by private vehicle.
You can also rent an off-road vehicle and get to Lara Beach, a famous turtle nesting beach, twenty to twenty-five minutes away from Sea Caves.
Aphrodite’s Rock (Petra Tou Romiou)
Aphrodite’s (Venus) Rock, Aphrodite beach, or as it is known by the locals “Petra Tou Romiou” is a historic monument and rocky shore in the Paphos area with a legendary past.
According to legend, this is the birthplace of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite (Venus) who rose from the waves of the sea shore, naked, floating on sea foam, just like in the famous painting of Botticelli.
It is said that whoever swims in the beautiful waters of the shore, will be granted eternal beauty.
The second local name of the shore “Petra Tou Romiou” is derived from a more recent Byzantine local legend and means “Rock of the Greek/Roman”.
The shore features a large rock and a few other smaller rock formations on the sides, with plenty of coarse sand and pebbles between them.
The rock formations and the altitude of the area provide plenty of shade if you are not a fan of direct sun exposure.
The shore has breathtaking views and you will notice many seabirds and gulls flying over the spot, especially during the early morning and late afternoon hours.
You can go to Aphrodite’s Rock by car through the Paphos/Limassol highway which is approx. 20 minutes from Paphos center and 30 minutes from Limassol city.
Alternatively, you can go there by the 630 bus that starts from the Paphos center and takes approx. 44 minutes to reach Petra Tou Romiou.
Where to Eat
It’s best to take a picnic to Aphrodite’s Beach. In the car park beside the tunnel that goes under the road and leads to the beach, you’ll find a small snack bar that sells some food, cold drinks, ice creams, hats, sun creams, and lots of tacky souvenirs. (Cyprus is very good at selling tacky souvenirs.)
SODAP/Vrysoudia Beach
SODAP/Vrysoudia Beach is one of the most popular and best sandy beaches in the Kato Paphos area, just a few minutes away from Paphos harbor.
This Paphos municipal beach is sandy for the most part but diverse as it combines fine and coarse sand with gravel stones and dried algae.
It is a clean beach with pristine waters and has been awarded a blue flag for this reason.
The beach area with sun loungers is less than 100 meters in length but since the beach is not regularly packed, the space is enough for couples and small families to sunbathe and play games.
The waters tend to be on the cooler side and you will find plenty of algae floating around so it’s best to go there during the early morning or late afternoon unless you’re there to sunbathe.
The beach comes with basic amenities like toilets, changing rooms, showers, and a recently revamped beach/café and bar.
The accessibility of this beach is fairly high as you can access it by car or by bus line 611 starting from the Paphos harbor bus stop.
Where to Eat
Among the best restaurants and bars you will find near SODAP beach, try:
- Antasia Beach Club is a boutique beach club restaurant and bar with sushi, Mediterranean dishes, and a wide range of drinks to choose from.
- Suite48 Grill & Lounge Bar, a striking deck grill, cafeteria, and lounge bar that offers drinks, brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Venus/Golden Sandy Beach
Venus Golden Beach is a mid-size and newly formed beach belonging to the Venus Beach Hotel with two sides.
This relatively small beach consists of a body of coarse sand, algae, and a few gravel stones and the waters are moderately clean and lukewarm during most hours.
The western side of the beach has sun loungers (from the hotel) while the second eastern beach is a free space where people of all ages and types can freely lie with their stuff.
The beach is not very organized as it lacks amenities other than sun loungers and a free parking spot but it’s still very family and couple-friendly.
If you visit the beach, don’t forget to visit the ancient Tombs of the Kinds a couple of minutes away by car.
The beach is approx. eight minutes away by car from Paphos Center and six minutes from Kato Paphos.
Where to eat
There are several bars, restaurants, and shops nearby in the greater Tombs of the Kings area. Try:
- Oceanos Fish Tavern offers a great selection of fresh food and sea
- Hickory Restaurant, is an all-day restaurant, café and snack bar with Mediterranean and Western dishes.
Faros/Lighthouse Beach
Faros Lighthouse Beach is a Paphos municipal beach and one of the best beaches in the Paphos region near the harbor with a distinct and natural vibe.
Just like its name suggests, there is an iconic lighthouse overlooking the bay painted in Greek-island-style white and blue hues.
This wonderful beach features a coarse golden sandbed with random green spots and plantations throughout its surface.
It is a smaller beach and low-profile beach compared to others, making it ideal for sole tourists and couples.
The beach is overall clean with quality waters and is a blue flag beach.
The beach has a few sun loungers, a beach volleyball net, toilets, and changing rooms available during the high (warm) season between April and the 31st of October.
There is also a lifeguard on duty during peak hours (11-5:30 p.m.).
There is a beach bar/restaurant where you can eat on the beach as well as several other places in the greater Paphos harbor that you can reach by foot from the beach along the Paphos coastal path.
The beach can be reached easily by car, bike, or motorcycle and is only a couple of minutes’ walk from Paphos harbor and approximately eight to ten minutes from Paphos Center.
6 more of the best beaches in the Paphos District:
1. St. George Beach
(near St. George beach hotel)
2. Toxeftra Beach
(in Polis/Akamas Peninsula)
3. Pomos village Beach
(in Akamas/Polis)
4. Polis Municipal Beach
(in Polis municipality)
5. Laourou Beach
(Laourou Beach is in the Peyia village area)
6. Alykes Beach
(near Paphos harbor and baths)
7. Sandy Beach
(near Kissonerga village)
Final Thoughts
I can’t recommend Paphos highly enough. It’s my perfect combination of sandy beaches and mind-blowing ruins. It’s full of castles, catacombs, Roman mosaics, and underground burial tombs.
Aphrodite’s Beach and the Blue Lagoon are very special places to visit and after all that adventure, the food and wine are stunning.
