If you are planning a trip to Cyprus, you will probably come across the same places again and again: Paphos, Ayia Napa, Protaras and Cape Greco. And while all of them are popular for a reason, our trip turned out a little differently than we expected.

We rented a car, explored quite a bit of the island and quickly realised that the west of Cyprus was much more our thing than the famous southeast coast.

Our absolute highlights were Paphos and the Akamas Peninsula. We loved the combination of dramatic coastline, nature, little roads, beaches and being able to just get in the car and see where the day takes us.

So if you’re planning a Cyprus road trip and want to know where we’d go again, where we’d spend more time and what we’d happily skip, this is for you.

1. Akamas-Peninsula – Cyprus hidden gem

The Akamas Peninsula was our first stop in Cyprus, and it quickly became one of our favourite parts of the island. We stayed in Polis, a small local town in the north-west of Cyprus, and used it as our base to explore the area by car, boat and on foot.

Hiking the Aphrodite Trail

One of our highlights was the Aphrodite Trail, a beautiful hike through the landscape of Akamas with some amazing views over the coast.

If you visit Cyprus during the summer months, I would definitely recommend starting your hike early – ideally around 8 am. We quickly learned that the Cyprus heat is no joke, especially when you’re walking without much shade. Starting early makes the hike much more enjoyable, and you still get to enjoy those beautiful morning views.

And trust me, the views are worth getting up early for. A recommendation: You can start the hike in the opposite direction so you can start with the beautiful sea views in the beginning (where there is also no to little shade).

A boat trip to the Blue Lagoon

We also took a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon, which is one of the most popular things to do around Akamas.

And here’s a little Cyprus disclaimer: there are actually two places commonly referred to as the Blue Lagoon in Cyprus, so make sure you check which one you’re booking.

We visited the one in the north-west around Akamas, and we absolutely loved the setting. The combination of the turquoise water and the mountains in the background made it feel really special.

The Blue Lagoon in the south is also beautiful, but from what we experienced, it can feel much busier and more crowded. If you’re looking for that postcard-like combination of clear water + mountains + nature, we’d definitely choose the Akamas one. We did the sunset tour which included a delicious BBQ on the boat. What more can you wish for?

Driving towards the north

One day, we simply got into our rental car and drove north along the coast, almost all the way towards the border to the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus.

At one point, we could even see a huge Turkish flag on the mountains in the distance.

We were actually heading towards Dragon Cave, and what we found there was a complete surprise: a beautiful little beach with almost nobody around.

The water was incredibly clear and perfect for swimming and snorkelling. After visiting some of the more popular spots on the island, having a beach almost to ourselves felt pretty amazing.

What about snorkelling in Cyprus?

One thing to know before you arrive: don’t come to Cyprus expecting the kind of underwater life you might find in Mallorca or the Red Sea.

The Mediterranean around Cyprus has been heavily affected by species migrating through the Suez Canal, a process known as Lessepsian migration. Some of these invasive species have changed the local marine ecosystem significantly.

That doesn’t mean there is nothing to see underwater, though.We spotted a few small fish, a flounder and, completely unexpectedly, even a swordfish during our time in Cyprus.

So while snorkelling wasn’t the main highlight of our trip, the incredibly clear water definitely made it worth jumping in whenever we found a nice spot.

2. Paphos – One of Our Favourite Places in Cyprus

We landed at Paphos Airport and immediately headed north-west, so Paphos was actually the last stop on our Cyprus road trip. And funny enough, it ended up being one of the places we enjoyed the most.

Compared to many of the other places we visited in Cyprus, Paphos is incredibly walkable. You don’t necessarily need a car to explore the city itself, which made it a really nice change after spending so much time driving around the island.

One of our favourite things to do was simply walking along the long coastal promenade, especially in the evening. And if there’s one thing Paphos does exceptionally well, it’s sunsets.

Maybe it was just our experience, but we felt like people were a little friendlier on this side of the island.

One thing we would definitely skip though: the famous Aphrodite’s Rock

You will probably see it on pretty much every Cyprus itinerary, so naturally, we went there too.

And honestly? It’s a rock. In the ocean. That’s pretty much it. 😂

It’s connected to the legend of Aphrodite, which obviously makes it more interesting from a cultural and historical perspective. But if you’re short on time and wondering whether it’s worth making a special trip just to see the rock…

We’d skip it.

There are much more beautiful places to spend your time such as…Avakas Gorge

If you want to do a hike near Paphos this place has it all: a shady nature trail, a breathtaking cave and lots of goats!

We checked the route on Komoot beforehand and decided to hike all the way to the end of the trail. And we’re glad we did, because we noticed that quite a few other people turned around much earlier. If you walk until the end you will have some friendly encounters with goats and soak in the sound of the birds without the crowds.

We also saw people attempting the hike in flip-flops and, unsurprisingly, a few people struggling and even falling. Closed shoes are recommended, I did it in sandals (from Teva) and it was fine since you would have to walk through water as well. The gorge can be rocky, uneven and slippery in places, and depending on the conditions, you may also have to climb over or around rocks.

And unlike Aphrodite’s Rock, this is one of those places where we felt like the journey itself was just as rewarding as the destination.

3. Why we’d skip the South

We stayed for a few days near Cape Greco and, to be fair, the beaches and water were beautiful. But overall, this part of Cyprus just wasn’t for us.

Protaras felt very touristy, with hotels, restaurants and bars everywhere. After the more natural and relaxed Akamas Peninsula, it felt a little too much like a holiday resort.

Ayia Napa was probably our biggest disappointment. To us, it felt almost entirely built for tourists, with English pubs, bars, souvenir shops and nightlife everywhere. We struggled to find much local character or culture, and honestly, it was one of the least appealing places we visited in Cyprus.

Cape Greco itself has beautiful coastline and clear water, but the area was quite crowded and didn’t leave a great impression on us. We even had one particularly unfriendly encounter when we stopped to ask for directions.

Of course, this is completely our personal experience – and if you’re looking for nightlife, beach clubs and a classic resort holiday, you might feel very differently.

But for us, the conclusion was simple:we’re glad we saw it, but we wouldn’t go back. We’d much rather spend our time exploring the west of Cyprus, especially Akamas and Paphos.

4. A Bonus If You Have Time: Nicosia

We spent an afternoon in Nicosia, crossing from the Cypriot side into the northern part of the city, which is under Turkish control.

We brought our passports, and the whole crossing and immigration process was a really interesting experience. The change in atmosphere and culture between the two sides was surprisingly striking and reminded us a little of the history of divided Berlin.

We would have loved to explore the northern part of Cyprus further by car, but unfortunately, our rental car was only insured for the southern part of the island.

Would we recommend Nicosia? If you have the time, yes – mainly to experience the division of the city for yourself.But in terms of the city itself, we wouldn’t say Nicosia was one of the most beautiful places we visited in Cyprus.

For us, it was more about the history and the unique experience of crossing between two very different sides of the same city.

5. Would We Go Back to Cyprus?

If we returned to Cyprus, Paphos would definitely be our first choice. The combination of a walkable city, beautiful coastline, incredible sunsets, affordable food and easy access to places like Avakas Gorge made it one of our favourite stops on the island.

That said, Cyprus didn’t leave us with the feeling that we needed to come back anytime soon – unlike places like Turkey or Greece, where we immediately start thinking about our next trip.

To be completely honest, we didn’t always find the people as welcoming as we had hoped, and overall, we felt that there are other places in Europe that offer a similar combination of stunning beaches, great food and beautiful landscapes, often for less money and with a warmer atmosphere.

So would we recommend Cyprus? Yes, especially if you want to explore the island by car. Would we rush back? Probably not.

For us, Akamas and Paphos were the real highlights – and if we ever return, that’s where we’d spend most of our time.