10 places in Cyprus you must visit

10 places you can't miss out on when you visit Cyprus

Hello again, everyone! I told you earlier about my first day in Cyprus, specifically the route we took to the beaches of Ayia Napa. You can read this post if you want to follow this whole chapter and not miss a single detail. As I was saying, on the first day we didn't see much, except for a nice beach that we discovered just by chance. On the contrary, the rest of the days were all amazing. Every new place we visited left us gobsmacked. So even if the first day was a little disappointing, the rest of the days that followed made the trip very worthwhile. Because of this, today I've gathered together the 10 places on the island of Cyprus that I think are unmissable. Being an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, most of these places are on the coast, as you can probably imagine. So, without further ado, here they are!

Sea Caves

This place is found near the area with the beaches that are popular amongst families, just after the party neighbourhood It's one of the most touristic points of Cape Greco. Ángel and I went there first thing in the morning to avoid the throngs of people we definitely did the right thing. Even though the sun wasn't at its highest point in the sky, the sea was crystal blue and glistening, which left us feeling awestruck. It was one of the most amazing landscapes I'd ever seen.

As the name implies, "sea caves" is home to little caves that meet the sea. These caves are accessible to the public. Accessing these caves can be a bit complicated, it's true. You definitely need comfortable shoes. To get down, you have to climb over stones. As a recommendation, I would advise you to climb down the most easterly part, where there are benches from which you can admire the landscape. When you climb down the stones, you'll find a simply magical place. It's a type of window that is incredible. I was in darkness but in front of me I could see light reflecting off the blue sea To get a photo without anyone in it you'll have to go very early because later on, tourists will start to arrive in their droves. It's 100% certain you'll have to wait a long time in the queue then. I'll leave you these pictures I love. They're my favorite ones I took of this place.

A word of advice, a geologist told me that where I'm standing is very dangerous as those rocks are in the process of eroding. Honestly, there was no sign of danger or the rocks crumbling or anything like that here, but when you touch the rocks with a little bit of force, you'll notice that it falls apart in your hand, almost unintentionally. Lots of people visit this make-shift window and nothing bad has happened so far. But perhaps we should be a little more cautious.

After visiting this place, we went down to the caves. I recommend you bring boots because they're best for walking over the rocks. These rocks obviously didn't cause too many problems as they're not too pointy, but as a rule of thumb, it's best to wear boots on this part of the island. We were walking in the shade as the sun still wasn't shining and we were walking along the edge of the lower part of this cliff type thing. It was odd because the tide was just about at the same level we were walking at, so the rocks we were treading on were covered in water. We could see loads of caves reaching into the distance, although we only went to investigate one. We spent the rest of the time swimming in the water, the temperature was perfect. It was brilliant because we were the only ones there and we could enjoy the whole place at our own pace. We left our bags out of the way in the shade, and we swam for a good while until we reached a place where the water was so crystal clear, more so than normal, and we went diving. As the morning went on, more tourists and visitors appeared, so we decided to leave and continue along our route.

It is worth mentioning that we visited this place the day before on a boat ride that we took all along the coast of Ayia Napa. I have to say these caves didn't impress us as much from the boat as they did when we saw them from above or when we were up close to them like we were this second time we went. In short, I don't think Sea Caves needs any further explanation because the images speak for themselves. As I said, it's one of the best places in Cyprus. Don’t miss out on it.

Love Bridge

This is just back from the Sea Caves, close to the area with all the hotels. In fact, you can see some of the hotels' gardens from here, that's how close they are. When we arrived at this place, we expected to see a lot of tourists, but we were practically alone actually. Once again, I was surprised at how people prefer to lie in a sunbed all day, on a beach where all you can hear is the distant chatter of other people or the sound of music, instead of being in a place like this, wild and natural where all you can hear is the sound of the sea. Once again, amazing places like this are better for me, because I can enjoy them on my own.

As you can see in the photos, Love Bridge, as the name suggests, is a stone bridge that has been formed as the years have gone by thanks to the movement of the sea. I would imagine that, like Sea Caves, it's also in the process of erosion and is dangerous to approach. Still, Ángel and I walked beneath it. The first time we went, we were on the tour boat. The captain explained that when we sailed underneath it, we should make a wish. According to legend, this wish will then come true. The second time we went under we were swimming. It's so impressive, especially if you think about how incredible it is and how it could fall down at any moment really. Just like what happened with the Azure Window in Malta, which was completely destroyed after a strong storm.

The next way to get your adrenaline rush is to throw yourself off the bridge, cliff jumping style. I think jumping into the water here is a little risky because there's so many rocks under the surface, so there's barely room to jump in. I wouldn't do it, but you do see a lot of people much braver than me who dare to jump from here more than once.

The coolest thing about this area is that it isn't just the bridge that's interesting. If you swim and explore around it, you'll find really deep caves which are, in my opinion, more impressive than the Sea Caves. They were so deep that there were times I could barely see anything and I didn't dare to swim any further because I was a little claustrophobic and it made me nervous when I wasn't able to see what was around me. The darkness was absolute. It's best if you have a water-proof phone with a flashlight to light up the dark interior of these caves. I would recommend it, it's one of the best parts of Cyprus.

Here are some pictures we took both from the water and from above it all, where you can perfectly see the arch that forms the bridge. We visited this place on the second day and it's one of my favorites.

Cape Greco

This cape is in Ayia Napa, just before Protaras. Here you'll find the two places I mentioned before: Sea Caves and Love Bridge. Of course, there are loads more beaches and hidden corners that I'd encourage you to explore. We've been to different places that don't have names themselves as they're not as characteristic of Cyprus as the Sea Caves or the Love Bridge. But they were very nice for both climbing rocks and relaxing on the beach. Cape Greco is one of the best parts of southern Cyprus, no question. Furthermore, the entire territory is equipped for cars with car parks and generally good roads. You can also find restaurants or ice cream vans.

Agioi Anargyroi Chapel

This name (which sounds so weird the first time you read it) refers to a little seaside Chapel, like you can see in the photo. To be honest, most churches and chapels found in Cyprus have similar architecture and colors. Small, white and blue. It reminded me a little bit of the famous Greek island of Santorini because it's famous for its little white houses that are all crammed together, as well as for its church with a blue dome. As you know, Cyprus and Greece have a lot in common so it's not a surprise to hear that many aspects such as culture, food, architecture are practically identical.

Something that surprised us about this place, is that it was full of cats, that were relaxing and snoozing in the shade. They must have been used to people because they let you pet them no problem, Only some got a little annoyed. We had a good time with the ones who were guarding the church. The church could be accessed simply by opening the door, but they asked you to kindly close it on your way out. Inside the church there were people selling glass depicting religious scenes, some kind of altar and there were portraits on the walls. It was tiny.

But the best thing about this area is that, as the captain of our tour boat said, it's the best place to practice cliff jumping, as you can jump off the cliffs. It's the perfect place because its waters are very deep and there are hardly any rocks around. This is where I broke my record. It was only a laughable four meters, but I'm afraid of heights so it took a lot of guts for me to jump. Here are the photos of the place just a few meters from the chapel.

There were stairs which helped you get to the rocks and although it seems like quite a peaceful place, there are a lot of holiday makers in the summer who walk around here to take photos. These people were probably in Konnos Bay, a place I'll talk to you about in the next post. This is a bay that is very close to the Agioi Anargyroi Chapel, so many people decide to take a walk there. They spend a while there, and then they go. We, on the other hand, stayed there a long time, watching the boats pass by while eating Greek yoghurt. It was great. It's not the most impressive place, nor one of the one's you simply can't miss out on, but I loved it all the same. I recommend it.

Stone Arch (Kamara tou Koraka)

The Stone Arch is found very close to here. It's similar to Love Bridge, although not as impressive. It's a stone arch, which I imagine doesn't have many years left until it collapses. This geological formation is surrounded by signs, fences and posters that warn you that it's dangerous to approach it. Even so, lots of people decide to walk over it, something I think is very risky. Love Bridge is so much better because it goes directly over the water, but this one is over the ground, so there isn't really much to do here. If lack of time meant I had to remove a place from this list, it would be this one. Still, it has good sea views and is a quiet area. There's also a car park where you can leave your car to enjoy the area. It's a good idea to leave the car here and walk to Agioi Anargyroi Chapel, which is very close.

The rocky point at Cape Greco

This rocky point is found on Cape Greco. It's a rock that juts out, making it stand out. You wouldn't regret making the climb to the top. You can drive or walk, depending on how much energy you've got and the time you have. The views from up there are mind-blowing. You can see the horizon to your right, and you can even see the northern part of Cyprus, which is currently occupied by Turkey. This is the main source of conflict within the country.

Cyclops Cave

This is a cave that is very close to the sea. To get there, you have to go on a nice walk in the Protaras area. More precisely, it's very close to Konnos Bay, in Famagusta, and despite the fact it's a little difficult to find it because its entrance is at sea level and you can't see it from the ground, you will find it eventually. It's quite strange and I recommend you pay it a visit. We could also see this bay when we took the boat tour. Because of this, it was much easier for us to find the path to get into the bay.

Kyrou Nerou

This area was super quiet. It's about a kilometre away from Love Bridge and it's great because there aren't as many hotels around, instead, there are a lot of little houses facing the sea. Along this walk, you'll find a lot of sandy beaches, some have deck chairs and a calm, relaxing atmosphere. It's nothing like the super touristy area of Ayia Napa, where the beaches are crowded with a party vibe and alcohol and water sports everywhere. This is a more family-based area, and you can tell this place is often visited by Cypriot locals.

Just down the road, we found these little cats and their wooden house which was under some plants with their bowl of cat food next to it. Something that stood out to us was the little house had a notebook where people noted down the day and time that they fed them.

So, if someone who passed by saw that they hadn't been fed for a long time, they could leave them some food or, on the contrary, if someone sees they've been fed recently, they know that they don't need to give them food. I thought it was a great idea for those two cats and their babies, who were sleeping inside their little home. I loved this area, and I love the pictures we took. We weren't so fussed about the sandy beaches, so we walked around here for about thirty minutes and then decided to head back to the Love Bridge area to end the day submerged in its crystal clear waters, with the rocks, exploring on our own.

Blue Lagoon

We had the pleasure of visiting Blue Lagoon twice. The first time was on our second day on our boat trip. The boat had organised to stop there so the crew could bathe. As it was our second day and it was the first time we were in the area, we went crazy over the waters here. It's some of the cleanest, purest, most turquoise water I've ever seen. People jumped out of the boat to plunge into this magical water. We decided to do some snorkel diving with the equipment they had on the boat and it was the best decision we could have made. You appreciate the clarity of this place most from under the water. You can see the sea floor very clearly. You can even see the perfect outline of your shadow on the sand. In addition, you can see all the different types of fish there are and fortunately, most of them don't get scared or dart away when you pass by them. It's like a dream. We spent about 30 minutes here, chatting with the other crew members of the boat and the two captains.

After a while, we decided to continue on our route. The good news is that when we were on our way back to Ayia Napa Harbour, the ship's captain decided to stop here again for a second bathing session. It was quite a surprise for us, but as we all had liked it so much, we didn't think twice about getting back into the water. I'll leave you the pictures we took there. They're amazing! You constantly heard the phrase "Oof, look at the water!"

Since Blue Lagoon was one of our favourite spots, we decided to go back on our last day, so that we could leave Cyprus on a high. The last time we went, we drove and went to the rocks. The day was a little cloudy and the sun didn't shine as brightly so the water didn't have that bright color. However, this place still retained its magic. Ángel jumped off one of the cliffs, quite a high one, and I just dived and watched the little fish swimming around me. There were also a lot of yachts that decided to stop there for an hour or two. A lot of people were sleeping so it was a super peaceful place.

Something that surprised us is, all of a sudden, a massive boat filled with families turned up: Mums, dads and kids. The ship's host was talking through a microphone connected to loudspeakers so we could hear everything he said perfectly. He spoke in English and we understood everything perfectly. He started saying that the boat was approaching Blue Lagoon in search of mermaids, and told the children that they had to keep an eye out because they could appear at any moment. We didn't understand what was going on until we saw, in the distance, two mermaids sat atop a rock in the middle of the sea Obviously, the mermaids' tails were fake and everything was staged. The boat company pays these two girls to sit there and wait for the boat. Immediately, when the kids spotted them, they started to smile, shout and wave back to the mermaids. To be honest, it made me freak out about the extent tourism can go to. I couldn't help but wonder. The most surprising part was when they gave all the kids life jackets to float in the water, and the host told them they could swim with the mermaids and take pictures. The two mermaids jumped off their rock in the sea and started swimming towards the boat, whilst showing off their green tails and splashing them out of the water. It seemed like an idyllic situation, it reminded me of when girls and boys meet Father Christmas or something, but the aquatic version. In addition, the boat played Disney music through its big speakers, so I imagine this whole experience had to be perfect for the little ones. They were in the water for about half an hour taking pictures until the boat finally left. It was one of the most surreal moments of the whole trip. I think about it and it seems unreal to me, but I have to admit, that moment was fun.

As a final note, I have to say that if you go to Cyprus, bear in mind that there's another Blue Lagoon near Pafos. This one isn't the one in Ayia Napa. We thought that it was near Pafos and were expecting the boat to go there, but then we found out that it was a different Blue Lagoon in this area, and it was highly recommended. Now I realise it looks like every island has a Blue Lagoon. There's the one in Malta, Iceland, and one in Cyprus. Do you know of any others?

In short, it's one of the best places we could have visited. 100% recommend.

Governor's Beach

The tenth and last place I recommend you from Cyprus. This place isn't found in Ayia Napa, but instead it's closer to Lárnaca, one of the most important cities on the island, along with Nicosia and Pafos. We decided to go here on the last day and we had to drive about an hour, just under, to get to this beach. It's a really unique beach, as you can see in the photos that I'll leave for you below. The rocks that make up the beach are very white in colour, that's what makes the beach so original.

It's strange because the texture of the stone is very similar to chalk. Everything we carried with us was stained: our backpacks, towels and swimsuits were stained white. We were able to walk all over the beach which is really quite long. It has parts which are really untouched, but there are also other parts were you can find the typical Cypriot beach sunbeds, the ones you'll more likely than not have to pay for if you want to use one.

This beach got its name "Governor's beach from a British governor that used to spend a lot of time here, which isn't hard to understand given that it's one of the strangest beaches I've been to. The only difference is that here the sea is not as blue or crystal clear like the ones in Ayia Napa. This is because the color of the sand is dark grey, almost black. Even so, if you don't mind driving and you want to see a slightly different place, Governor's beach will make your trip to Cyprus something different. The landscape is different to anywhere else.

And that's it for today's post. It's very long and comprehensive, but I really wanted to tell you everything I knew about these places. I hope you liked it and that it's awakened your travelling spirit a little. Thank you for reading this post, and I'll see you soon for more.

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