So this year I went on quite a walk along the beaches in Ayia Napa to test out my new camera. With me I brought half a liter of Coca Cola (which is way too little!), and started walking from Ayia Napa Harbour. A few hours later I ended up on the other side of Ayia Napa.. Nissi Beach to be exact.
During this walk along the sharp rocks they call a beachfront, I found some gems. I want to share them with you. Here are all the beaches in Ayia Napa.
From Ayia Napa Harbour with a bottle of Coke
So I started walking down the Agia Napa Promenade. They have a nice paved road. People take advantage of this and ride bikes and some kind of electric scooters. Watch out.
There are small paths out of the main road to get down to the various beaches and sights along the promenade.
Loukkos Tou Mandi Beach
The first beach we stumble upon is Loukkos Tou Mandi Beach. As far as beaches in Ayia Napa goes, this one isn’t nice at all. There is a pier you can walk out on so you don’t have to walk all over the sharp sea bed to get out deep enough to swim. I’d recommend wearing shoes though.
As far as the sand goes (where there is sand) it is alright. It is a little courser than the sand on for example Nissi beach, but more than good enough to walk from the sun bed to the pier.
If you want quiet, this one could be worth checking out.
Katsarka Beach
As we continue walking down the promenade (or on the sharp rocks in my case) we end up Katsarka Beach. This one is a little better than the previous beach. You still got the pier to get out to the water, past the frigging rocks. There is also a lifeguard here, which is nice.
I didn’t go swimming here as I don’t like rocks, but there were more people here than on the previous beach, so that’s a good sign if you like people.
As we continue walking there is a lot of these small rock coves filled with Russians along the rocky coastline. They seem to be popular, so if you are adventurous (and lucky enough to find an empty one) that may be something to look into between Katsarka Beach and our next stop.
Pernera Beach
Finally a proper beach! Don’t get me wrong, there are still sharp and slippery rocks to watch out for here, but it is miles ahead of the previous beaches. It is also a bit guarded against waves as it is tucked away inside a cove.
There is a clearing in the middle section of the beach which was pretty safe to walk out on. YMMW. On this beach there was also a lot of Eastern Europeans, so if you are one this beach may be for you! It is pretty decent, and there are also a lot of resorts, restaurants and some shops around here. The food I had here was pretty bad though.
Overall a decent golden sand beach as far as beaches in Ayia Napa goes!
Stepping out on the nose
Just past Pernera there is a nose that acts as a wave breaker for the beach. There is a path up here if you want to sit down and enjoy the view from out here. It is a little higher up, so you will see a bit better.
You can also continue on further than the path if you want to explore, and maybe take some photos, but the ground is full of sharp rocks here, so be careful.
Also make sure to not go fishing here, as they have made artificial reefs along the oceanfront. There are also signs threatening us with big fines! Welp.
Vathia Gonia beach
Over the nose we find Vathia Gonia beach. This one is a lot like Pernera, just scaled up.
More sun beds, more Eastern Europeans, more restaurants, tucked in bigger cove. There is also a little pier here if you want to get directly into the deep. I noticed you can rent watercrafts, and probably also pay for some other fun activities.
There are not as many bergs and sharp rocks to avoid, there are however more people to watch out for if you like snorkeling.
This is my favourite beach after Nissi Beach. Lots of fun to be had here!
The walk to Nissi Beach
After Vathia Gonia, we have to walk quite a bit to get to Nissi Beach. Ayia Napa, and Cyprus in general is full of these sharp rocks and reefs. Along last stretch there are more of the artificial reefs, and signs telling us not to go fishing here.
If you enjoyed the previous nose, you will also enjoy walking out here and exploring. There are a lot of great places to see, and great selfies to be taken.
I even saw some groups of people going swimming along this stretch (watch the video to see this).
If you don’t enjoy walking on the sharp underlay just stick to the main path. There are a lot of beach resorts all along this stretch, but nothing interesting to look at.
The best beach in Ayia Napa – Nissi Beach
Well there is no contest really. Nissi Beach has better sand, less sharp and slippery rocks, lifeguards, better restaurants and bars, and to be honest, a better vibe.
The drawback of this beautiful golden sand beach is that it is always full of people. There is a good mix of both nationalities and age-groups here.
As far as I could see all of the beach is nice. The closer you get to “The Island” where everybody takes selfies (watch the video for better selfie spots) the more of a party vibe there is. The closer you get to the island the better you get shielded from the waves too. so that’s something to keep in mind if you have children with you.
Speaking of the island, when you get bored of the noisy beach and super soft sand, you can easily cross over without even swimming. A lot of people go here to take selfies (and some fools jump off the cliff here, don’t do this).
Calm beaches in Ayia Napa – Latchi Adams Beach and onwards
If you want some more quiet I recommend just walking 2 minutes past Nissi Beach. Here you will find a more calm environment. It is called Latchi Adams Beach.
There are some children and families swimming here, but the environment is a lot calmer. The sand is really nice here too, and there is a wave breaker shielding you from most of the waves.
If you get bored here too, there are beaches further on, like Landa beach. Which is great.
There’s also Makronissos Beach further on, but I didn’t visit it.
My Favourite Beaches in Ayia Napa
Overall I’d recommend checking out Nissi Beach, and Vathia Gonia.
To have a look at a few hotels you might like in Ayia Napa tap here (Agoda affiliate link).
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I have spent the past 10+ years traveling around the world. On this website, I am dedicated to making high-quality travel guides focusing on South East Asia. My content focuses on how to get the most out of your travels. That includes getting good value, staying in the best locations, what things to do, and what to avoid.
