Welcome to part 2 of my last weekend’s adventure.
I took our resident tourists for a little quad bike trip, staring at the Adonis Baths early morning, continuing from there for a lunchtime picnic and swim in Lara beach and ending the day with an afternoon in Blue Lagoon.
If you ever want to explore Akamas Peninsula (Cyprus), quad-bikes are the way to go – so much fun to drive, faster and more comfortable than a car! But beware, the fact you are covered with a small roof doesn’t stop you from burning whole side of your arm (my arm could tell you stories!).
The views are to die for and with barely any traffic and tourists you will feel like you’ve just discovered a little paradise. If you want somewhere to stay for lunch, there is a small well hidden restaurant called Viklari the Last Castle, well known among locals for stunning views and delicious food.
We set off to drive to Lara around lunchtime, and if we had a little more time I would love to stop in this little kiosk that sits on the edge of the cliff, with beautiful sea views and only seagulls to listen to instead of radio.
The closer we were getting to Lara beach, the tougher the road was going and the faster the drove. We took a little photo and refreshment break at this beach to check the collection of stones.
When I was at the same place two years ago, there were only a few of these and now the whole beach is covered with stone creations. I guess the turtles have too much free time at night so they keep on the building.
We drove around until we found the exact spot for the best access to the beach and parking space for the buggies. Unfortunately, our companion wasn’t as excited because by the time we parked, they were covered in 2cm of dust and looked like they just came from a mission on Mars.
Luckily there was plenty of water to wash of the dust.
We ventured down the beach and enjoyed a swim in the super warm sea, I swear it’s the same temperature as our pool water.
Can you see? That’s right, not tourists!
Lara beach is home of hundreds of turtles who nest in these little houses underground and climb out at night to have their first swim in the sea.
The sea here is pretty shallow, with easy access to water and small waves. Even a bad swimmer like me can enjoy a nice float on the surface, few slaps of waves in the face and plenty of salt to taste in mouth and nose.
I’m pretty sure this rock was shaped as chair from thousands of people instagramming their bikini bodies to the world while sitting here.
After a good few hours on the beach, we took off to make it on time to Blue Lagoon, the highlight of our trip. The buggies had to be back at home by 6pm, so we were on tight schedule to get the most out of the day.
We took an adventurous route, crossing Akamas Peninsula and taking a road which I am not sure can even be qualified as one. Not for the light-hearted and those with high blood pressure.
This is the final part of the road where we were finally approaching the other side of the peninsula. The journey across took around 25 minutes and the buggy was shaking so much I couldn’t take many pictures.
In the end we made it, three buggies, six humans and Dante (my camera).
The lagoon was looking as good as I remember it from last year.
Now the challenge was to find a place to park and to climb down. From the top of the cliff we admired the crystal clear waters and couldn’t wait to have a dip ourselves (covered in dust from the road again).
After a careful risk assessment, we joined others and left the cars at the edge of the cliffs. From the view from the cliffs, we could see two ways to get down and we chose the one that lead to the beach with fewer people.
Normally you can get to the blue lagoon by getting on a rented or tourist boat in Latchi, but this was way more fun!
We climbed down to this rocky part of the lagoon, with barely any people and plenty of room to float in the crystal blue oasis.
These are the boats I mentioned earlier – you can buy a ticket from Latchi, they cost around 17eur and include free drinks – they will take you to the Lagoon for a couple of our and drive you back to Latchi. The cons? There are around 50-80 other people on the same boat with you.
Blue Lagoon is one of my absolute favourite places on the island, more and more people are getting to know it so you can expect it to get pretty crowded in the middle of summer. One thing I still dream of doing is to rent a small boat and take some friends there for a whole day. Maybe next time.
Until then, hope you enjoyed a bit of this paradise, no matter where you might be.
Blue Lagoon Cyprus – Practical Information
Location: see map here (located on the northern part of Akamas Peninsula)
How to get there: you can hire a boat in Latchi, or join one of the glass bottom boats that go there few times a day. Tickets start from just under 20 eur per person and include food and drinks. You can also opt for a more expensive option which includes bbq lunch on the boat. Private boat rental can be quite expensive, so its better for bigger groups of people.
An alternative way to get there is to rent a quad bike from Latchi and travel along the coast. The access to the beach is not easy, but same time not dangerous either.
Companies offering trips to Blue Lagoon: Paphos Sea Cruises, Cyprus Mini Cruises, Paphos Atlantis Cruises, Latchi Watersports (boat hire) – if you walk to Latchi harbour there are several companies offering these trips daily
Tips for Blue Lagoon: in summer it can get crowded with many boats full of tourists arriving there throughout the day. Best time to visit is out of season or very early in the morning if you can hire a boat to travel on your own. If you don’t mind the crowds, then you can go anytime.
Water & swimming: the water is surprisingly warmer than on most beaches. The bottom is covered in sand and it’s perfect for snorkeling. Beware of the currents as they can drag you quite far off your boat.
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