From pathos to Lara beach. Virtual visit to the turtle beach Lara Beach. Sandy beaches of Cyprus
Lara Beach belongs to the Cypriot resort of Paphos. But it is not located in Paphos itself, but away from the noisy resort area, on the Akamas Peninsula. The peninsula is overgrown with juniper bushes - being here is very useful for urban lungs tired of polluted air. Visiting the beach is free.
Lara Bay Beach is located in a bay framed by a long cape. There are practically no strong waves here. The water temperature in Lara Bay is always a couple of degrees higher than in Paphos itself. The entrance to the sea is gently sloping and sandy. Due to all of the above factors, Lara Beach is one of the best places in the vicinity of Paphos for a secluded holiday and a holiday with children. You can snorkel at the rocks of the cape that frames the beach - the water here is the clearest. Lara Beach should not be confused with Lara Beach on the coast of Northern Cyprus.
There are no hotels on the beach itself or in its surroundings. The nearest town with hotels is Peyia. There are several small villa hotels there. Nearby is Coral Bay, a secluded resort area of Paphos. But if you are planning to rent a car, then you can safely stay in Paphos. The journey from Paphos hotels to Lara Bay will not take more than an hour.
Infrastructure
In the photo of Lara Beach you can see a vast deserted strip of sand. The beach area is a protected area. Commercial activities are prohibited here. You cannot install your own beach equipment (sun loungers and umbrellas). There are no hotels, bars or eateries on Lara Bay Beach. Be sure to bring snacks and water with you.
Not far from the parking lot there is a tavern “Lara Beach Restaurant”, where you can have lunch. But the prices are quite high. To visit it, you will have to leave the beach area and walk about 2 km along a path along the rocks - not the most convenient option, given that there is nowhere to take a shower after the beach.
Turtles on Lara beach
Every year, females of the rarest hawksbill and green turtles swim to Lara Bay beach. They lay eggs in local sands. The staff of the reserve fence nests with clutches of eggs with metal mesh. Tourists can witness the hatching of small turtles - the babies hatch 7 weeks after laying eggs. Grown-up males leave Lara Bay forever, and females return after 15-20 years to leave new offspring.
There is a scientific station on the territory of the reserve, whose employees are happy to communicate with tourists. You can learn more about local turtles from them. At Lara Bay Turtle Conservation Station you can see turtles in aquariums and read information about them on special stands.
Reviews
In reviews of Turtle Beach in Cyprus, tourists admire the privacy and cleanliness of the water. However, the local dirt road evokes negative emotions - the road is very dusty and bumpy, and travel is problematic for low-slung vehicles. The disadvantages also include the inability to take a shower after salt water (there is no fresh water on the beach) and the lack of toilets. Also, there are no places with shade on the beach; due to the lack of personal beach umbrellas, tourists have to spend the day under the sun's heat.
Panoramic view of the bay from the top of the cape
How to get to Lara Bay beach in Cyprus
The journey by car from Paphos will take the E701 highway (in the direction of Peyia). Then you need to turn onto road F706 and follow the signs to the entrance to the protected area. After entering the reserve, you need to drive 10 km along a dirt road and leave your car in the parking lot at the Lara Area sign. Wooden walkways and stone steps lead to the beach. In total, the journey from Paphos takes 40-50 minutes.
Map of the road route from Paphos to Lara Beach
Tourists without a car can visit the beach as part of a tourist group. In the summer season, tour operators in Cyprus organize jeep tours or quad biking on the Akamas Peninsula. Swimming on Lara Bay beach is usually included in the program of such tours.
By public transport you can get from Paphos: first by bus No. 615 to Coral Bay, then by bus No. 616 to the turn to Avakas Gorge - you need to ask the driver about the stop in advance. From the stop to Lara beach - 2 km on foot.
A taxi from Paphos will cost 20-25 euros. Mobile taxi services are not available at the resort, but cars with private drivers are ubiquitous. Trips are paid either by meter or by prior arrangement.
Video about Lara beach and the road to it
On both sides the horns of Lara 28 kilometers north of Paphos is located along the beach with the same name “Lara” (north and south). Thanks to this position, no matter where the wind blows, you can always swim on one of these beaches.
On the northern beach of Lara there is a station that deals protection of green turtles and turtles and carriages that come here in the summer to lay eggs. To prevent tourists from accidentally crushing the eggs, they are fenced off, and from September to September in the evenings the passage to the beach is blocked. Lara is also known as the “turtle beach”, although turtles also swim to nest on nearby beaches.
Because of the turtles prohibited on Lara put umbrellas, sun loungers, you cannot drive any type of transport and swim to the shore in boats, fish, collect crabs, litter, light fires, stay overnight (you should leave the beach an hour before sunset). Near Lara there is a small museum with photographs turtles born here.
Nearby attractions: Avaka gorge
Useful information about Lara beaches in Cyprus
Equipment:
Two small cafes nearby
Location:
West coast of Cyprus; north of Paphos
Title in English:
Lara Beach
Name in Greek:
Παραλία Λάρας
How to get there:
Only by car (due to bad roads, preferably all-wheel drive)
Coordinates:
Northern:
34.957672, 32.310252
GPS: 34°57’27.6″N 32°18’36.9″E
Southern:
34.947943, 32.312712
GPS: 34°56’52.6″N 32°18’45.8″E
Sand:
Yellow sand
Water:
Waves
Rescuers:
No
Size:
Each is about 500 meters wide, maximum width is 35 meters
Price for entry or sunbed:
The entrance is free; sunbeds and umbrellas are prohibited on the beach
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.
In Cyprus there is a unique place where rare species of turtles are born - this is Lara Beach. Green Mediterranean and loggerhead turtles hatch here. You can not only watch the birth, but also see the adults that swim to lay eggs on this beach. On a 70-meter sand spit, each clutch is marked with a special basket with an approximate hatching date. It is strictly forbidden to touch them because of the crabs that are waiting for the still defenseless turtles. Babies can also be seen, they are usually kept for about 5 days in an aquarium, and then released into the wild. If the belly is white-green, it is a representative of the green Mediterranean, and if it is dark, then it is a bighead.
Beach view
Swimming and sunbathing are allowed on Lara Beach, but placing umbrellas in the sand is strictly prohibited. There are virtually no people in this place, so you can admire the rare turtles to your heart’s content and also relax peacefully.
Egg laying sites
How to get there
You can only get there by car, and it would be better if it was an SUV. From Paphos you need to move towards Peyia until the fork on the E701 road, and then along the F706 highway to the entrance to the reserve, where you will have to drive another 10 km.
Time and cost of visit
You can come here at any time and stay for free. But there is nothing to do here in the late evenings and nights.
Lara Beach is a unique place on the Akamas Peninsula Nature Reserve in the Paphos region. Deserted wild beaches with clean sand and clear water - this place is famous for the fact that it is one of the last places in the Mediterranean where Mediterranean turtles come ashore to lay eggs...
Lara Beach is located on the western coast of the Akamas peninsula-reserve. The path here will be no less interesting than visiting the beach itself. The dirt road runs along the entire western coast of Akamas and many kilometers of amazing beaches. The coast has a different topography and clean sandy beaches give way to rocky cliffs, on which the waves of the Mediterranean Sea crash with a roar. It is worth traveling to Lara Beach either by rented car or with safari excursions. Walking will be quite tiring, and given that the nearest large settlement (the village of Peyia) is located 10 km from the entrance to the reserve, it is not at all feasible. However, it is the inaccessibility of these places that makes this beach so amazing and deserted.
The beach itself is located in a small bay formed by a protruding cape of the coastline. There are no hotels, shops, crowds of tourists or roads nearby. Nothing disturbs the tranquility of this place. The water in the bay is always calm and clear, even if the sea is turbulent and only smooth small waves reach the shore. The depth in the bay is shallow and swimming here is very pleasant, since the water here is much warmer than on other beaches.
Mediterranean turtles and green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on this beach. Turtles lay eggs from early June to mid-August. They are very careful and wait for the safest moments to go ashore. This usually happens at night, so seeing them can be considered very lucky. Having laid their eggs, the turtles return to the sea, and after 7 weeks, small turtles only 5-7 cm long hatch from the eggs and rush to the sea. In Cyprus, turtles and their nests are protected by the state. A turtle station was established on Lara, which protects egg laying with special nets that allow the offspring to safely go to sea without becoming victims of foxes.
Guide for road travelers: To get to the west coast of the Akamas Nature Reserve, you need to get to the village of Pegeia. You can get there by taking the E701 road, which runs from Paphos along the coast past the famous CoralBay beach. Before reaching the village of Peyia you will come across a large fork, at which you need to follow not to Peyia, but to a branch on the F706 road in the direction of CapeDrepano and the church of AgiosGeorgios. This is a nice, fairly wide road that ends at the cape. When you reach the end of the road, you will see a narrow asphalt path 1.5 cars wide. There will be banana farms to the left of the road, and several residential buildings to the right. Follow this path to the end and in 10 minutes you will see the Akamas Nature Reserve in all its glory. There you will see information stands and will be able to go down a steep road into the bowels of Akamas. There is a parking lot to the right of the road. Then the asphalt ends and a rather hard dirt road runs along the entire coast of Akamas. Attention! If you rented a passenger car, then you proceed further at your own peril and risk, since insurance on Akamas is not valid for such cars and in case of damage to the car, you may be required to pay repair costs. This also applies to scratches that can be obtained from hard roadside bushes and chips from road stones on the bumper. If you have the foresight to rent a crossover SUV, then go ahead!
The path to Lara Beach, which is approximately 10 km from the entrance to the Akamas Nature Reserve, will take approximately 30 minutes by car, since the road along the coast is unpaved and winding, not allowing you to accelerate above 40 km/h, and sometimes forcing you to sneak on uneven roads . To avoid driving past Lara, follow the sign to the left of the road. This is the brown "Lara Area" sign. In front of it, a path goes to the left, following which, in 5 minutes you will find yourself at the beaches of Lara. Park the car and go down the wooden walkways to the beach.
After swimming and enjoying the beauty of the beach, be sure to take a walk further along the road to the cape. The path runs between low-growing bushes. You can only get there in a tall SUV, so it’s better to walk, it will take you 10 minutes at most. The headland has interesting rock formations and grottoes, and also offers panoramic views of the bay.
If you have time - you can follow the large dirt road further along the coast and visit some more beautiful and absolutely wild beaches. The road from the LaraArea sign goes further along the coast for another 17 kilometers. Unfortunately, the road will not allow you to get to the westernmost point of the island - Cape Akamas, but you can make this trip when you visit the eastern coast of Akamas (look for the article Akamas and FontanaAmarosa)
Place type: BEACH, RESERVE Availability: BY CAR Site equipment: NO Fees and fees: NO
