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Agia Napa’s beaches are among the finest in southern Cyprus – and the liveliest, with activities ranging from water-skiiing to bungee jumping and quad-bike riding. Nissi is the closest to town, and gets busy in high summer. Makronissos, longer and less crowded, is 5 km (3 miles) from Agia Napa proper (see Agia Napa).

“Fig Tree Bay”, this resort’s favourite beach, has fine white sand and tropical turquoise sea, and is usually a little less hectic than the youth-orientated strands at Agia Napa, only 5 km (3 miles) away. In Protaras itself a range of watersports are available (see Protaras and Fig Tree Bay, Protaras).

Protaras

A string of small bays of black sand offset by white cliffs, Governor’s Beach is a favourite with Cypriots getting away from it all, with plenty of snack-bars and tavernas , sunbeds to rent and watersports (see Governor’s Beach).

Despite sea and sand as clean and clear as any on the south coast, Evdimou is uncrowded and undeveloped – but it does have a couple of restaurants catering to hungry sun-worshippers (see Evdimou).

Pissouri is another great beach on Cyprus’s southern coast and is popular with families, water-skiers and windsurfers. There are plenty of places to eat and drink along the beach and at Pissouri village inland (see Pissouri Bay).

Pafos’s best beaches are on the eastern edge of town, near Geroskipou, where the Cyprus Tourism Organization maintains a well-managed, family-friendly strand, and still further east at Floria Beach, next to Pafos airport. Close to the centre of Kato Pafos, there is also a municipal beach beneath shady palm trees, with loungers and umbrellas for hire, a snack bar and restaurant (see Pafos).

Kolpos ton Koralion, only 8 km (5 miles) north of Pafos, is called Coral Bay by everyone. The sweep of fine sand, covered by rows of sunbeds all summer, is popular with young Cypriots from Larnaca and Limassol. It also hosts live pop concerts on summer evenings (see Coral Bay).

Super beaches lie on each side of Cape Lara. South of the cape, there’s almost 2 km (1 mile) of uncrowded sand, while to the north there’s a shallow bay frequented by loggerhead turtles (see Lara Bay).The turtle protection group arranges occasional night-time walks along the beach in egg-laying season, when you can see the turtles struggling ashore. After laying, the eggs are carefully removed to a protected area on the beach where they are safe from dogs, foxes and other predators (see Lara Bay).

Those seeking Cyprus’s best uncrowded beach need look no further than this super stretch of sand on the north shore of the Akamas Peninsula (see Asprokremos).

A long sand-and-pebble beach stretches eastwards along Chryssochou Bay (see Chryssochou Bay, Polis), a 15-minute walk from the centre of Polis – the fastest-growing little resort in western Cyprus. There are less crowded stretches of sand and shingle to the west of the village too. If you’re hungry there is a pleasant open-air bar-restaurant and a picnic area beneath eucalyptus trees.