Table of Contents
How to get to Paphos
Before you start visiting all the beautiful beaches in Paphos, you first need to get there, right? 😁 Well, you’re in luck -there are low cost flights to both Larnaca Airport and Paphos Airport. If you do land on Larnaca Airport – don’t worry. It’s just a 1.5-hour drive to Paphos, definitely not that long. Bear in mind that the prices of airport transfer can be quite high – a return journey might actually be about the cost of a rental car!
When is the best time to visit Paphos
Cyprus has good weather all year round. However, it does get painfully hot during the peak summer months – July, August and the first half of September. My suggestion is to pick May, June, October or November. We went in November, off-season, the rental cars and accommodation were incredibly affordable, plane tickets as well (ours were 70 EUR pp round trip WITH a large cabin included!)
How to get around Paphos and Cyprus
The best way to get around Cyprus is by far a rental car. Yes, there are a couple of buses you can use, but they don’t reach some of the most beautiful points and are not too reliable. Off-season prices are amazing – you can get a decent vehicle for as little as 30-40 EUR per day.
You might not know this, but in Cyprus they drive on the left side of the road. Yikes! That was definitely a huge turn-off for me. Even though I’ve been a driver for 15+ years, even the idea of driving on the left made my skin crawl. WELL, I’ll be perfectly honest – it’s not that bad. I didn’t expect it, but I managed to even get comfortable with driving on day 3. All you need is 30 minutes to 1 hour and all of your stress will subside. Trust me, I was definitely more scared than you are 😁
Where to stay in Paphos
Paphos is full of options for accommodation – for every budget and for every taste. Of course, the closer you are to the sea, the more expensive it gets. However, if you visit during off-season, the prices will be much, much better and you can get a good seaside villa or hotel cheaply.
I’m personally not a huge fan of AirBNBs. First off, they’re getting more and more expensive – right now some hotels are cheaper (not just in Cyprus but all over the world). Secondly, they give more chores than my mom does, which is not what I really want when I go on vacation. However, as they can be a little more convenient at times, I can’t skip them as accommodation options, so here is what I would recommend:
Apartments/AirBNBs in Paphos
- Budget: Eden Heights Sea View Apartment 203, Booking.com rating: 9.4, price per night: 40 EUR
- Luxury: Phaedrus Living: Seaview Gold Flat Lighthouse 48, Booking.com rating: 9.0, price per night: 170 EUR
Hotels in Paphos
- Budget: Tasmaria Aparthotel, Booking.com rating: 8.0, price per night: 30 EUR
- Luxury: Elysium Hotel, Booking.com rating: 9.4, price per night: 170 EUR
Beaches in Paphos – North
1. Sandy Beach
Swimming: not allowed
Activities & amenities: beach bar
Length of beach: 70 meters
Sandy beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Paphos, but it’s also one of the most dangerous. In general, most of the beaches in the North are pretty rocky, but this one also has a risky dead sea current. You’ll even see signs warning you not to swim, but also what to do if you’re caught in a dead current. However, there’s a very, very nice beach bar, as well as thick parasols and cozy sun beds. It’s absolutely worth a visit, even if it’s just for a couple of hours. It’s not too crowded off-season and you’ll also find plenty of parking spots.
2. St’George Beach
Swimming: not allowed
Activities & amenities: hotel bar
Length of beach: 50 meters
St’George Beach is mostly private – the highly built sandstrip with parasols is for hotel guests only (you’ll find that this is common practice for Cyprus, unfortunately). It’s also very risky to swim here. So why visit? Well, you’ll see St’George’s statue as well as the huge monument. If not for beaching, please do visit at sunset, it’s stunning!
3. Dimma Beach
Swimming: allowed but with caution
Activities & amenities: N/A
Length of beach: 15 meters
This rocky beach in has a tiny sand strip – only 15 meters. But it is one of the most instagrammable beaches in Paphos! First off, this is one of the places to best enjoy the Shipwreck of MV Demetrios II – one of the few unfortunate ships that found Cyprus as their resting place. Bear in mind that this ship is a bit far, so you need a telephoto lens in order to capture it. As for swimming – Dimma Beach is a bit safer than the previous two, but you should watch out for underwater rocks. Don’t try to swim if you see that the sea is rough.
4. Vrexi Beach
Swimming: not allowed
Activities & amenities: none
Length of beach: 2 strips – 56 meters total
In order to get to Vrexi Beach, you have a couple of options. Firstly, you can follow the Google Maps dot, park your car near the road and then walk for 5-10 minutes. Secondly, you can take the dirt road from the North of the beach (you can spot it on Satellite view of Google Maps). Vrexi is one of the more remote beaches in Paphos. It’s quite small, but also quite beautiful. This is another location where you can enjoy the view of Shipwreck of MV Demetrios II, so you can imagine the waves can get pretty bad at times. You’ll also see a small sea cave, which is very gorgeous and instagrammable.
5. Venus Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach sports center
Length of beach: 170 meters
Venus beach is one of the larger and more popular beaches in Paphos. It has a pretty large beach strip, compared to most beaches in the North. The easiest way to get there is actually to forget about Google Maps (as you often should do in Cyprus, unfortunately), and take the dirt road opposite of Lidl, which is right above Venus beach. It’s not far at all and you can leave your car very close to the beach.
One of the best things about Venus beach is that there are breakwater dams built, so even if the sea is rougher than usual, the waters around this beach should be calm and very pleasant for swimming. The beach is very close to the curious sightseeing spot – Tomb of the Kings, so you can visit before or after your pleasant break by the sea.
6. Chrysi Ammos Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach sports center
Length of beach: 70 meters
Chrysi Ammos Beach is actually part of Venus beach, mentioned above. The main difference is that Chrysi Ammos has parasols for rent, while Venus itself is a free zone. If you’ve brought your own sunshade, no need to pay for it – just put yours on the right of the paid ones. You’ll also likely spot an awesome ice cream truck. Yep, these are still all around Paphos and Cyprus in general 😍
Beaches in Paphos – Central
7. Lighthouse Beach (Faros Beach)
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: water sports,
beach volleyball, beach snack bar
Length of beach: 200 meters
Lighthouse Beach quickly won my heart upon my visit there. It’s not just one of the larger beaches in Paphos – it’s the one with the most activities! There are two volleyball nets, water sports options and even a snack bar. This is a place where you can absolutely spend your whole day, all in the company of Paphos’ beautiful lighthouse. Even if you get bored, which is not likely, you can explore the nearby Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos, where the lighthouse is actually located.
There is also a spot called “Rocky beach” in the North part of Lighthouse beach. This place is perfect to enjoy the sunset, and even more so if you’re a landscape photographer. When the sea is rough, the waves go above the long rocky hedges – sometimes with black rocky splashes. Pretty amazing to watch!
8. Municipal Baths
Swimming: allowed but with caution
Activities & amenities: viewpoint, benches, snacks
Length of beach: 20 meters
Even though the beach strip itself is only about 20 meters long, this is a gorgeous place to swim or even snorkel right at the heart of Paphos. You should be careful, though – don’t go inside if you see that the sea is rough. You’ll see a couple of staircases that go inside the sea, so use those to go in and out of the Mediterranean. In addition, even though we went off-season, there was an ice-cream truck nearby! Obviously, I didn’t resist 😁
9. Alykes Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach bar, sunshades for rent
Length of beach: 30 meters
Fancy a boat trip? You’re in the right place! Alykes is one of the most gorgeous beaches in Paphos – palm trees all around and amazing blue water. However, it’s not just about beauty – you can take advantage of “Pafos watersports” and make it an active vacation day in the sun. You can also pick a boat trip and enjoy the gorgeous coast, maybe even find new beaches to visit!
Alykes beach is at the heart of the central part of Paphos beaches. Despite the fact that the beach strip is small, you can either rent a parasol or you can put your towel on the ground nearby. The prices are not too bad, so if you plan on staying longer than an hour or two, it would be worth it.
10. Alexander the Great beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: hotel bar
Length of beach: 25 meters
Alexander the Great beach is a hotel beach. It has an elevated zone with grass, sunbeds and parasols, but these are for hotel guests. However, you can use the beach itself or even put your towel on cozy grass under a palm tree – there are lots around!
11. Vrisoudia ΙΙ Beach
Swimming: allowed with caution
Activities & amenities: near Alexander the Great hotel
Length of beach: 20 meters
Vrisoudia II beach is not too sandy, but one of the charming beaches in Paphos. There is a lifeguard post here – swimming is allowed but you must be cautious. Check the flag of the post and don’t even think about going in if it’s red – just enjoy it from afar. It’s a good sunset point, but for actual sandy beach time – better head to the nearby SODAP beach (below).
12. SODAP Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: sunbeds, parasols, beach bar
Length of beach: 150 meters
SODAP is a pretty large and attractive – one of the great beaches in Paphos to spend more than a couple of hours. There is also a large beach bar with a curious statue on top of it. If you walk a bit further to the South of SODAP (close to the beach bar), you’ll find another sandy strip which is smaller. This is a great option if the main beach is full. You can bring your own parasol here or you can rent one – they’re not too expensive.
13. Municipal Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: watersports center, beach bar
Length of beach: 60 meters
Even though Municipal beach is not a huge one, it’s absolutely free and you can enjoy an active day. Octopus waterports is located right here – paragliding, parasailing, jet skis or even a simple boat trips – these guys have it all. There is a nice and large sandy beach nearby – Pachyammos, so see more below.
14. Pachyammos
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: watersports center, beach bar
Length of beach: 170 meters
The watersports center is actually between Municipal beach and Pachyammos, so you can still take advantage of it and enjoy the large sandy strip before or after. The gorgeous and thick parasols available for rent are my favorite kind – they are the best in peak season and when it’s the hottest. Don’t forget your sunscreen, though.
Beaches in Paphos – South
15. Barbara Bay
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: diving center
Length of beach: 90 meters
Barbara Bay is definitely one of the charming (but still larger!) beaches in Cyprus. The strip is a bit narrow and there are sunshades for rent. However, there is still ample space for you to put your towel and your own parasol. In addition, there is a diving center nearby (Kalliopi Dive College), so you can enjoy the underwater world from up close. As usual, there is a designated spot for hotel guests only – on the grass right above the beach. Bear in mind that some hotels absolutely forbid outsiders at their amenities, but if you go off-season you might have some luck.
16. Pioneer Beach – for hotel guests
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: for hotel guests only
Length of beach: 100 meters
Pioneer Beach is cozied up between Barbara Bay and Papludimys. It honestly looks pretty amazing, despite the fact that it’s small. However, you’ll see signs that the parasols, sunbeds and showers are for hotel guests only. There is almost no spot for you to put your own sunshade, so I’d advise you to choose on of the two nearby beaches. It’s still worth visiting though, if even for a peek or a couple of photos. There are no signs that you can’t take an instagrammable shot here 😁
17. Papludimys
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: N/A
Length of beach: 100 meters
Papludimys is quite hard to write, but not too hard to pronounce, hehe. You can find the sunset point of Cyprus here and a small chapel. In addition, there is an archaeological dig here and you’ll see “no entry” signs around them. I’d say these two are nothing too spectacular, but it’s likely that this beach won’t be very crowded. Make sure to bring your own parasol if you plan on staying longer.
18. CTO Plage
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach bar
Length of beach: 180 meters
CTO Plage is very cute. There is a strip of green grass, as well as lots of palm trees. In case the two beaches below are very full, try this smaller one – chances are it will be less crowded.
19. Rikkos Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach bars and restaurants
Length of beach: 550 meters
Welcome to the largest of all the beaches in Paphos! It is extremely instagrammable and has amazing atmosphere – there are palm trees all around, the sand is soft, the waters are calm, and there is one important thing most other beaches are missing – space. Naturally, as it is the largest beach, it is also the most visited. However, it is a bit wider than Yeroskipou beach. You’ll find paid parasol spots, as well as ample free ones, colorful flower arches in restaurants, blue and white colors… An absolute dream!
20. Yeroskipou (or Geroskipou) Municipal Beach
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: beach bar, off road adventures
Length of beach: 500 meters
Yeroskipou, which you can also encounter as Gerospikou at the traffic signs when driving around, is located right next to the amazing Rikkos beach. This makes the total beach strip length of over 1 kilometer! The beach strip here is a bit more narrow, the sand is a bit rockier, but I think that’s the beauty of it. This all-natural beach is pretty and it also has ample parking spots – just enough so that the beach is not too crowded.
If you’re in the mood for something different after the beach, you can try an off-road adventure – Quad/UTV Safari! It’s so much fun and lasts about 1.5-2 hours. You get to explore the roads less travelled, as well as remote beaches and spots. Don’t miss it if you have the time!
Bonus beach outside of Paphos – Coral Bay
Swimming: allowed
Activities & amenities: hotel bar, parasols
Length of beach: 320 meters
Coral bay is outside Paphos, but it’s so beautiful that I can’t skip it in this list! You can reach it by car and the view from above is just mesmerizing. When the sea is calm, the color of the water is incomparable – blue mixed with turquoise. In case you have snorkeling gear – bring it, it’s worth exploring the crystal-clear waters. Be careful when the sea is rough, though, and don’t go in if you see a red flag at the lifeguard post.
Other things to do in Paphos and Cyprus
1. Enjoy Scuba Diving
You can book a fun scuba diving experience – the west coast of Cyprus, where Paphos is, is a great place to do that. Explore the underwater world and and fall in love with it. There might not be as many fish as in the Maldives or Seychelles, but hey – with these shipwrecks all around, you might spot a hidden treasure 😁
2. Explore the Northwest part of Cyprus
The Northwest hides a couple of true gems. Unfortunately, if you’ve gotten a small rental car, you will probably not be able to reach the gorgeous Blue Lagoon. It’s best if you visit it by boat, to be honest! So in order to visit it, I’d recommend a guided tour. The one I’ve noted includes other interesting things – the Edrio III Shipwreck, Baths of Aphrodite, Botanical Garden and Latchi. But the best part? You’ll also enjoy a boat tour with free time for swimming in these amazingly blue waters 💜
3. Check out Limasol and the Rock of Aphrodite
If you have a rental car, you can absolutely take your time and go to Limasol and the Rock of Aphrodite on your own. However, the guided tour I’d recommend includes a tour guide (and it’s so, so affordable!). I love exploring with a tour guide when I get the chance, I always learn so much (even about my hometown when I had the chance to go around with a guide). Both options are great – go at your own pace or go with a group and learn more about the places you’ll visit. If you do go alone, try to visit Limasol first and then catch the Rock of Aphrodite at sunset. You’ll instantly fall in love with the place 💜
4. See the Adonis Waterfalls
If you’re staying at a hotel and don’t have a rental car, ask them if they can arrange a tour to this place. If you have a car – go for it! It’s only about 15-20 minutes from Paphos (and then about 15 minutes on a dirt road), so it’s not far at all. You’ll see many signs “The road is good for all cars”, and to be honest – it is. It looks steep and scary, but even though we went after a heavy rain the previous day, it was fine and not slippery. You can also take a walk (it will take about 1 hour each way) and skip driving on the dirt road.
The entrance fee to the Adonis Waterfalls is 10 EUR per person. I was surprised to see a restaurant and even a small museum at the end of this dirt road, but there they were. You can see two waterfalls and even take a dip in them – the water is quite warm! Also, the guy at the entrance warned us: “Don’t touch the statue of Adonis.. because you will get pregnant!!” 🤣 We laughed and laughed, then we saw photos of multiple mommas that had a baby after their visit, hehe. The only one that touched the statue was actually my husband – I’m quite happy that HE will be the one carrying our second child, whew! 🤣
5. Dare to “Taste” Cyprus
You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that Cyprus is famous for not just its food.. but also its wine! You can go on this tasting tour from Paphos and enjoy it. We didn’t manage to go, but it’s on my list for next time for sure.
6. Off-road Adventure with UTV/Quad
As I mentioned in the section about Yeroskipou beach, you have the opportunity to explore some more of the area South of Paphos. Find remote beaches and hard-to-reach spots with this unforgettable adventure.
