From pathos to Lara beach. Lara beach in Paphos. Changing privacy settings

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It was decided to start this day from the “turtle” beach - Lara. The guidebooks unanimously stated that it can only be reached by an all-wheel drive SUV, along the impassable roads of the Akamas Peninsula. There was no SUV, but a white Micra, and yet it was decided to try and get to this mysterious place.
From Paphos we moved towards the popular Coral Beach, but did not visit the beach itself, leaving it for the next few days.

A few kilometers later, near the village of Peyia, we saw a small picturesque temple.

The Church of St. George stands on a high bank, below you can see a small port covered by a stone pier.

Opposite the temple, an island rises in the sea.

A picturesque road winds along the seashore to the beach. Despite the warnings from the guidebooks, I note that the road is quite passable, even in a small car.

Sometimes there are signs confirming that we are moving in the right direction. Near the beach, on the mountain, there is a cafe, from which, going down the stairs, you find yourself on the famous beach.

Looking ahead, I will say that Lara turned out to be the dirtiest beach on the island that I have ever visited.

The only reminders of turtles are the nesting sites marked in the sand.

Not particularly impressed by this place, we moved in the opposite direction to the rocks of Aphrodite.

Church of Panagia Catholics, on the way to the “Greek Rock”.

“The Saracen Stone”, according to legend, thrown into the sea by the legendary ancient Greek defender of the island Digenis Akritis. He lived in the Byzantine era and guarded the island from the Saracen conquerors, rolling huge boulders into the sea, destroying enemy ships.

To the right of the Saracen Stone you can see the rocks of Aphrodite; according to legend, it was in these places that the goddess of love came ashore from the foam of the sea.

Then we went to Limassol, but more on that next time.

To be continued...

We arrived at Lara Peninsula a few days after visiting Avakas Gorge. Although they are located only a few kilometers from each other, we decided to postpone our walk along the peninsula to another day. In addition, we planned to review the beaches of Cyprus, and a visit to Lara Beach was also part of our plans. Well, we just wanted to wander around new places on foot. So that's where we have to go today.

We previously outlined a stopping point near the fork in two roads, and the navigator did its job - it took us where we needed to go. We left the car and went to discover the expanses of Lara.

It was decided to go around the peninsula counterclockwise. We had a small device with us - a GPS tracker that remembered the path we had taken. Then the route could be downloaded to a computer and placed on a map. It is, of course, advisable to wear the device so that nothing interferes with its ability to see the satellites.

But since it was simply lying in his pocket, his route ended up being somewhat squiggled. Nevertheless, everything can be understood. Looking ahead, we will show what happened in the end.

From the stopping place we walked along the lower road and after some time reached the southern beach of the peninsula. It turned out to be very sparsely populated, but picturesque, especially if you look to the right. It feels like white tongues of rocks are stretching towards the sea.

If you dare to approach the edge of the cape, you can capture picturesque shots, for example, this one.

The surface of the peninsula is flat, partially covered with small bushes. The color of the soil here is reddish. In addition to Akamas, we also saw the same color in another part of Cyprus, beyond Larnaca closer to Ayia Napa. Excellent potatoes grow in such soils! But this is still a nature reserve, and Lara is doubly so. I'll tell you why a little later. In the meantime, let's look at a couple more photos.

At this point we have walked about halfway and are at the leftmost point of our route. May in Cyprus is quite a summer month, so we were already dreaming of being immersed in water, cooling our bodies heated under the sun... But we still had to walk, although at that moment we didn’t really imagine how long. We even turned off the road once and tried to make our way to the sea, but quickly realized that we were going the wrong way and returned back to the road. On the route, a sort of “nod” to the left is clearly visible.

While we are walking, it’s time to talk about what else is remarkable about the Lara Peninsula.

This site is one of the last remaining breeding grounds for green and loggerhead turtles in the entire Mediterranean. It is here that on moonlit nights, having traveled hundreds of miles, they swim to lay their eggs in the warm coastal sand. In recent years, Mediterranean sea turtles have been endangered. And this is due, first of all, to the increase in the number of tourists and the development of almost all sandy beaches, which previously served as natural incubators for turtle eggs. Fortunately, turtles still lay their eggs in one of the secluded places of Cyprus - in the Lara area.

The sign lists various restrictions on what not to do in the area. In particular, put sunbeds and umbrellas. In other words, these beaches are not threatened by civilization.

Turtles are turtles, but we are pretty tired. It’s time for the sea to show up... and it finally showed up. The long-awaited you are ours.

But we still had to go to the center of the beach to find a normal descent to the sea. By the way, we also noticed a parking lot there. If desired, you can drive almost close to the beach. Besides us, there were two other Russian-speaking families on the beach. Well, that's it, I'm already in the water, but Lena isn't there yet. It is necessary to make a control measurement of the depth. After that, she too can go into the water.

While taking this shot, for some reason I thought about turtles again. But we still found an egg... a stone one, though.

So, we continue our story about. Today we will tell you about one of the most popular beaches in Antalya - Lara Beach. Let us recall that in the previous part we wrote about the tourist center of the resort -.

When we went to Antalya, we had no idea what we would do there and planned to get our bearings on the spot. As a result, the day of arrival was spent exploring Kaleici, and on the second we decided that it would be nice to get acquainted with the Antalya beaches. Because Lara Beach was the closest to where we lived, so that’s where we went.

Lara Beach in many guidebooks is called the best beach in Antalya - “blue flag” for cleanliness, that’s all. Ok, soon we will find out the whole truth, we will show what is hidden.

Lara Beach on the map of Antalya

How to get to Lara Beach

From the city to the beach you can take buses No. 06, 07, 08. From Kaleici, from Ataturk Avenue there is bus No. 38. The road from the center of Antalya to Lara will take about 30-45 minutes. The fare is something like 2-3TL. Almost all routes will have Lara Beach as their final stop.

You can get there faster and with greater comfort by ordering. This is more suitable for those traveling with children. If necessary, you can be provided with a child seat.

1) Well, we are going to the beach on the bus.

Lara Beach

In general, Lara Beach is very long - about 10 kilometers in length. The part of the beach closest to the city is, in fact, municipal, and therefore free. You will see an overview of this part below. Then begins a string of various cafes for tourists, with paid sun loungers, and even further, somewhere around the last 3-4 kilometers of Lara beach, hotels occupy. This part of the beach is the most comfortable, so if everything described below seems a little wild to you, then your best bet is to just book one of the hotels on Lara Beach, with its own designated area, where everything will be clean and well-groomed.

2) Having landed at the final point, the first thing we saw was not the beach, but a rather extensive park area.

3) The park, however, is more like a public open-air crematorium. The huge area is lined with small stoves made of brick or cast concrete. Turks fuss around them, coming here for picnics with whole families. The approach to barbecue cooking is certainly original. We don't remember seeing this anywhere else.

4) Take a good rest. Half of the apartment is being taken out into nature. Including grandfather and his favorite mattress.

5) But in general, considering that the heat at that moment was about 40 degrees, it all looked “a little” strange :) Here, even without stoves, you can fry anything, you just need to lay it out in the sun.

6) The grannies decided to get busy.

7) Immediately behind the park, approximately 1.5 kilometers to the east, there is a paved path along which, on one side, lies the beach, and on the other, there are various cafes, showers, changing rooms, etc. This part of the beach is absolutely free.

8) If you wish, you can use beach accessories for money, and if you don’t have such a desire, put a towel on the sand and there are no problems.

10) Most of it is in those places where there are no sunbeds and where, most likely, little attention is paid to cleanliness.

11) The trash cans are overflowing, but no one is in a hurry to empty them.

12) The first 500 meters of the beach are maximally filled, mainly with Turks, and then the number of people for every 100 meters decreases exponentially.

13) But these half a kilometer, it’s such a pure Turkish hell, where everything is mixed - children, grandmothers and bathers, mothers wrapped from head to toe in rags...

15) Thin and fat, but equally gloomy hairy men...

16) Gerard Depardieu? 😀

20) Considering that Lara beach, minus the territory occupied by hotels, is several kilometers long, it is not entirely clear why the Turks so persistently huddle in a crowd on this small heel at the very beginning. Well, we make our way through the crowd to an empty part of the beach.

21) Someone laid down bricks right in the middle of the beach. Literally.

22) Having reached the 1 km mark from the beginning of the beach, we finally came across a place that seemed suitable for us to relax.

24) This part of the beach is located opposite the Red & White restaurant. Here you can sleep like on regular sun loungers for 10TL/piece.

25) So it is on super-turbo VIP trestle beds for wealthy gentlemen.

27) There are practically no people!

28) And the beach is much cleaner. Not perfect, but almost.

29) Snorkeling on Lara is a pointless activity; we didn’t find anything interesting in the water. So, small gray fish and that’s it. Dragging and surfing on Lara is a pointless activity; we never caught a pipe in the water. So, small muddy waves and that’s it.

30) Lara beach itself cannot be said to be bad. Such a strong middle peasant. The surface is coarse sand, sometimes with pebbles. The entrance to the water is moderately flat. We were on the beach 2 times, in the morning and in the afternoon. The second time the waves were noticeably more noticeable and the water became more cloudy. But no garbage was noticed in it. The temperature is more than comfortable.

31) Planes come in to land over the beach every few minutes. Not as low as in St. Maarten, after all, the airport is not close to the beach, but 5 kilometers away, but still cool.

Lara Beach is located on the northwestern coast of Cyprus near the city of Paphos on the Akamas Peninsula. This is a unique natural reserve of Cyprus, and the entire Mediterranean coast. Breathtaking scenic views, the amazing sound of the sea, the roar of fast waves and the desolation of this place create the feeling of a paradise with an incredible ecosystem. Two rare species of sea turtles have lived on the beach for many centuries: the vulture and the giant green.

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Photos

Description of the beach

The Akamas caves are home to monk seals, which are an endangered species. You can also meet the ghost crab, which chooses only clean water to live. Lara Bay is often called Turtle Beach; from May to August, marine inhabitants, after whom the beach is named, lay eggs in the sand, carefully protected by workers of the Lara Bay Turtle Conservation Station research center.

Lara Bay Beach is called a very cozy and beautiful place in Cyprus, but it is not easy to get to. The only way to the coast from Paphos is by SUV or by sea on a boat.

Swimming on this beach and in the area can be a little uncomfortable. Due to constant fast and high waves, sand and a large amount of algae rise from the seabed. Although the water is crystal clear and the entry into the water is quite gentle. But walking along the shore along the soft, fine light yellow sand and admiring the local beauties is unforgettably wonderful.

There is no developed infrastructure on Lara Bay, there are no showers or cafes around, so it is recommended to bring drinking water and food with you. Although admission is free, in summer, when turtles lay eggs, access to the beach is allowed only with excursions. Overnight camping is not permitted. There is little shade on Lara Beach, however, the installation of beach umbrellas and the use of sun loungers is prohibited.

When is the best time to go?

The holiday season begins in Cyprus at the end of April, when the water in the sea warms up enough so that it is not cold to swim in it. June is the most comfortable month for relaxation: the temperature is pleasant, up to 26 to 30 degrees, the sea breeze refreshes and tones. In July-August the island becomes too stuffy and hot, but in September-October comfortable conditions return.

Weather in Lara

Helpful information

Visa information

Citizens of Ukraine can stay in Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days. Citizens of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan can enter Cyprus without a visa only if they already have a Schengen visa type C or D. In other cases, it is necessary to obtain a “provisa” - a document that will allow you to obtain a visa when crossing the border, but it is necessary comply with several conditions: you can use it to travel to Cyprus once; You can only fly directly from your own country, and not from other EU countries; You can only fly to airports in Larnaca and Paphos. You can apply for a visa online.

Trips

beautifulbeaches , clean sea water, many resorts likefor families with children, and for youth And extreme lovers.

Many of the island's beaches have been awarded "Blue Flag" of the European Union- an international award, which is awarded for the cleanliness of the beach and sea, as well as for developed infrastructure.

It is not surprising that a huge number of tourists come here. It is worth noting that the tourism industry in Cyprus is the island's main income provider. Most of the population works in this sector.

Over the past few years, the number of tourists has increased by almost 30%, and income by 40%.

There are several large resorts in Cyprus. Among them: Larnaca, Paphos, Limassol, Ayia Napa And Protaras.

Most of the beaches in the Republic of Cyprus are municipal, and there is a separate fee for renting sun loungers and umbrellas.

Where are the best beaches in Cyprus: Paphos town

Aphrodite's Stone (Petra tou Romiou)

The beach near the rock Aphrodite's Stone boasts clear water and surrounding rocks.

The beach itself consists of pebbles and sea stones, which gives it an unusual color - a mixture of orange, pink and red. Some believe that Aphrodite's stone is a distant rock, others believe that it is a dark stone that stands approximately in the middle of the beach.

Read also: 10 most beautiful and serene beaches in Europe

The beach is located between Paphos and Limassol. You can find it easily if you pay attention to the signs that say "Petra-tu-Romiu". On the way to the beach there will be beautiful views of nature and the coast.

To get there, you need to stop either by the road or find one nearby parking. You will reach the beach through underground passage under the road.

White cliffs and hidden Governor's Beach

Governor's Beach is located between Limassol and Larnaca. Here you can find fish restaurants that very popular among locals.

This beach stands out for its beautiful sea views. Here you can admire the high, sheer white cliffs that surround dark sandy shores, and are washed by blue sea waves. It's also very dense greens trees and bushes.

Read also: The best beaches in the world

This place is very popular among photographers who often set up at this place photoshoot. You can get to the beach by car.

It is worth noting that the white cliffs are the result of limestone deposits. There are several such places in the city.

Coral Bay Beach, Peyia Municipality

It is worth highlighting the affectionate and warm waters of coral bay, and also the bottom is not too deep. Also here perfect created infrastructurefor relax, for example, many restaurants and shops.

The bay is located 6 km from the town of Paphos, which is very popular among tourists due to its clean beaches with very fine sand, as well as crystal clear water. Coral Bay Beach is located just 12 km from the city center.

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Thanks to the shallow bottom, this place ideal for families with small children. On the beach you can find many cafes and small shops.

If you like active recreation, then there is a place for this on the beach - there are many water activities here, because no one will be bored.

What are the best beaches in Cyprus: the resort village of Protaras

Fig Tree Bay Beach

The small resort village of Protaras is located in the southeastern part of the island of Cyprus. It has become famous for its clean beaches and ideal conditions for families with children.

The beach located in Fig Tree Bay Beach is the best in Protaras and therefore the most popular. This place is visited not only by tourists, but also by local residents.

You can come here with small children, as the beach has gentle descent into the sea. light sand, clean beach and clear sea water make your stay on this beach unforgettable.

It is worth noting that the beach was named so because ancient fig grove located nearby. The embankment at Fig Tree Bay is very picturesque - it blooms in spring.

You can get here by car, taxi or public transport. The bay is located in the central part of Protaras.

Flamingo Beach

Like most Protaras beaches, this one is designed for families. "Flamingo" is the central beach of the resort town. It is nice here developed infrastructure and plenty of entertainment.

Since the descent into the sea is gentle and the sea is quite warm, children can safely swim here. Besides this, the beach is very clean and sea the bottom also consists of sand.

There is a large amount of different vegetation along the shore and you can relax not only under an umbrella, but also under the trees. On the beach there is fresh water shower, which is free to use.

They swim near the shore pleasure catamarans and boats, which you can also ride. In addition, a stylized pirate schooner has been made for children, and for the whole family you can take a boat ride steamboat with a transparent bottom so that you can observe the inhabitants of the underwater world.

For lovers of active recreation, there are various attractions, both on the shore and in the water, as well as jet skis, "banana" And paraglider, attached to the boat.

Sirena Bay Beach

This beach is quite small, but on its territory there is a restaurant with a magnificent view of the sea, natural green roof and wooden tables, where you can taste traditional Cypriot cuisine.

Sirena Bay is located along the road separating the area of Agia Triada and Pernera.

Finding this place is not easy and, as a rule, they hear about him through rumors, and not in travel agencies. But once you get there, you won't want to leave this place.

Konnos Bay Beach

You can also find another beach in Protaras, which is unlikely to be suitable for a family holiday. It is very rare in such places to find wild beaches, where there are no amenities familiar to us.

But if you want to relax in a quiet, uncrowded place, then welcome to Konnos Bay beach, which is located in a bay 2 km east of the center of Protaras. This beach is located between Protaras and Ayia Napa, and next to it is hill decorated with greenery.

In some places the shore is covered golden sand, becomes rocky. The water here is clear and the depth is decent.- so diving enthusiasts will appreciate it.

Nearby is the Cavo Gkreko National Park, where you can go on an excursion, having agreed right on the beach. Since this is considered a protected area, the cleanliness of the beach is carefully monitored. No wonder he was even awarded "Blue Flag"(International Prize for Clean Sea Water, Beaches and Infrastructure).

You can get here by car or public transport, and admission is free.

Beautiful beaches of Cyprus: Limassol city

Paramali Beach

©THPStock

Like the previous beach, Paramali is little known. However, it is very beautiful secluded beach next to tangerine and lemon gardens.

You can often see here windsurfers And kiters. There are also two mobile schools on site.

Simply put, this place for extreme sports enthusiasts, since strong winds blow here and rise big waves.

Curium Beach

In the center of the beach there is the Chris Blue Bech Cafe restaurant, around which the entire beach infrastructure is built. There is 2 large dirt parking lots with plenty of seating, and there is a small paved parking lot next to the restaurant.

Winds often blow in this place, creating waves that can sometimes reach the front line of the sun loungers and then flood them a little.

Because the coastal part here is shallow, children can safely swim in the warm sea. Adult depth begins only after 30 meters. There's plenty of room for everyone, even during peak season.

The sand here is very pleasant and children will love to play in it, so take shovels, a bucket and other suitable toys with you.

Where are the sandy beaches in Cyprus: the resort town of Ayia Napa

Nissi Beach / Nissi Bay

Nissi Beach is perhaps the most important attraction of the entire resort town. During the day you can relax on pure white sand and swim in crystal clear water, and in the evening have a nice time in bars, where they often host various competitions for adults.

The name of the beach comes from a small island, which is connected to the shore by a rather narrow sandy isthmus. This island is called ΝΗΣΙ (read as "nisi") and is translated from Greek as "island". During high tides, it can be completely submerged.

After sunset, the sandy beach turns into outdoor dance floor. Foam parties are held here.

There is also entertainment for children here. To begin with, it is worth mentioning that the beach is very comfortable and gentle entry into the sea, fine sand and very clear water. Also on the beach there are scooters, motor boats with "bananas", everything for a beach volleyball And football, and many other entertainments.

The fewest tourists relax in the morning on the left side of the beach, but by noon you can forget about privacy. Extreme sportsmen can jump off a cliff into the water.

If it is important for you to relax in silence, then you can move to a quieter place, for example, Makronissos.

Makronissos Beach

This beach is considered the most beautiful, clean, calm and comfortable in Ayia Napa. It has many positive features: it has parking, it has been awarded "Blue Flag", the sand is fine and clean, gentle entrance to the water without stones and shells.

The beach is ideal for families with small children - long coastline, fine and soft sand and warm shallow water, and lots of entertainment.

It will be interesting to note that on the eastern side, on the way to Ziatchi beach, you can find ancient tombs belonging to the Hellenistic and Romanesque periods.

Landa Beach

The length of this beach is 400 m and the width is 50 m. It is covered with fine golden sand and is located between the beaches of Makronissos and Nissi Bay.

Fans of active recreation will find nearby sports equipment rental various water and beach sports. Sun loungers and umbrellas are also provided here.

There are hotels and restaurants near the beach, so vacationers can have a bite to eat without going far from the beach. There is also picnic area- you can safely take food with you and relax by the sea.

You can get to Landa Beach by car, bicycle, or on foot.

Holidays in Cyprus: Akamas Peninsula

Lara Beach

This beach is one of the most secluded and deserted on the entire coast of the Akamas Peninsula.

The hidden Lara Beach can be reached either independently or as part of an Akamas tour. There is a lot of greenery and the views are incredible. beautiful panoramic views to the western part of the island.

If you decide to come on your own, it is better to do so on an SUV, as you will have to overcome dirt roads and rocky terrain, and stones and hard tree branches can scratch your car.

It is worth noting that Lara is one of the rare places in the Mediterranean where people swim in the summer rare sea turtles(Green and Hawksbill turtle) to lay eggs.

Sandy beaches of Cyprus

Mackenzie Beach, Larnaca city

This versatile beach is located close to city airport. The water here is clean, and the beach itself is considered one of the best in the world, being awarded "Blue Flag".

If you like active recreation, then here you will find a huge amount of entertainment: from jet skis, boats And water skiing, before windsurfing, parasailing and even diving. Also this place is perfect suitable for families with children, as the beach here is flat and shallow.

Not far from the beach there is a huge parking lot where there is room for every car. On the coast there is many taverns where you can enjoy fresh seafood.

Louma Beach, Paralimni

This beach is one of the most famous in all of Paralimni. It is also called Kalamis. In fact, "Luma" is small artificial bay covered with light fine sand.

The beach is surrounded by rocky spits, the water is crystal clear, A entrance to the water is gentle, so children will love swimming here. There are almost no waves here. It is worth noting that the beach was awarded "Blue Flag"- international quality mark.

To the left and right of the bay you can find berths for marine entertainment. Here you will find catamarans And water skiing.

Despite the fact that the beach is not very large - its length is about 400 meters, it has all the amenities: showers, toilets, changing rooms and lifeguard stations.

Near the beach there is a small and cozy Church of St. Nicholas, and behind it is pier for boats and yachts, where you can rent the vessel you like.

In addition, nearby is supermarket, restaurant, playground with many attractions, as well as a large car parking.