Between Dolphins & Coasts: One Week in Cyprus
It’s Thursday, so welcome back on the blog and to another week with another blog post waiting for you. If you are following my Instagram or kept track of the previous blog posts you know I’m currently in the US and have just started my road trip – well, I hope I have, as I am writing this and some of the following posts in advance. I was well aware that during this trip I won’t have too much time to write, so I prepared as much as I could beforehand. This week I am going to tell you all about the trip I made about a month ago with my best friend: Cyprus.
Well, I start right away by telling you that this itinerary is done in a much shorter time than a week, but as it’s Cyprus, we spent nearly all of our time next to the pool. I also have to tell you that Cyprus is way bigger than it seems. If looking at it on a map, it feels as if the distances are quickly done, but it can take you forever to reach a specific place, even with a pretty neat bus system.
We stayed in Agia Napa, which – sadly – is known as a party area, but besides that, it’s a beautiful area. There are lots of shops, restaurant and bars, but as it’s a major tourist area, the prices are pretty high. We arrived at the airport in Larnaca pretty late at night and then had to drive around 40-50 minutes until we arrived at our hotel. As in Cyprus you drive lefthand sided we did not rent a car as we initially planned. We may be good drivers, but driving on the WRONG side of the street just seemed a bit too much for a relaxing holiday.
Kap Greko & the Blue Lagoon
Well, I am not going to bore you by talking about the endless hours we spent next to the pool, listening to music and reading a good book. I’ll start by talking about the first trip we made from our hotel. We went to visit the famous Kap Grek, but I can only stress as much as I can to NOT take the bus there. While the bus system works pretty well in Agia Napa and its surroundings, the bus stop “Kap Greko” is not as close to the Kap Greko as you might think. It’s about 2km distanced from it and believe me, walking 2 km downhill (and later uphill!) at 35 degrees and the burning sun was just too much for my body. I felt as if I were dying so we only made it to the Blue Lagoon, which is just stunning and I have to admit I never thought a place that is filled with so many tourists could have such a crystal clear water.
A few days later we booked a boat tour along some of the coasts, and so we were able to see the Kap Greko from the sea. This is definitely the way of visiting it I suggest, as walking until there is just horrible. Oh, and I might have to admit: I was not too impressed with the Kap Greko. Yeah, it’s a little hill next to the sea. We’ve honestly seen way prettier places in Cyprus than this.
Cactus and Sculpture Park Agia Napa
On the same day we went to the Kap Greko, we also visited the Sculpture Park of Agia Napa. It is entirely free of charge and honestly way bigger than we imagined.
Right next to it is also the Cactus Park, which is a little less impressing but combined these two make for a nice getaway from the beach. We spent around 1 hour roaming through the parks, and the Sculpture Park offers a great variety of art. I guess everyone would find a statue or sculpture he likes there, and the park is easily reached by bus, as there’s a bus stop just next to the entrance – and the bus driver yells out the essential places next to the stop every once in a while.
Nissi Beach
This may be the most famous of all beaches in Cyprus. But also the most touristic one. While I did find the beach nothing special – lots of umbrellas and sunburnt people – the sea is incredibly beautiful there as well. I still don’t understand how a bay with this many people swimming in it can have such crystal-clear water. In the bay, there’s also a little island or peninsula, depending on the water levels and from the other side, you can have a stunning view over Nissi Beach.
But Nissi Beach is not that famous for swimming; it is most famous for partying. Honestly, I can imagine better ways to enjoy my summer vacation than with that much music and partying in the background. At one point in the afternoon, we weren’t even able to walk to the café without stepping into tons of foam from the ongoing beach-foam-party. Lot’s of people seemed to enjoy it, but I guess we were simply not that much in a party mood.
Boat Tour
One thing you shouldn’t miss out on when in Cyprus is definitely a boat tour. We saw so many impressive coasts, from the Sea Lion Caves to the Love Bridge, were able to swim next to the Kap Greko and on our way back from the Blue Lagoon, we even spotted some dolphins. Sadly, I was not able to take any pictures of them as I was way to slow, but I guess I got them saved in my memory. The boat trips are not that expensive, as well – ours did cost around 25 € - so I think this would fit into nearly everybody’s budget.
Honestly, Cyprus has so much more to offer than could ever fit into a single blog post. I f you ever come to this gem, don’t forget to roam around – or take one of the many, many electro scooters or buggies you find, or simply walk along the coastline, you’ll be amazed by the beauty of the island!
