Review: A Whirlwind Day Trip to Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca, Paphos & Kourion
Planning a trip can often feel like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle, that is making all these small details somehow fit together. It can be very thrilling, yet, it can be a bit scary at times. We decided to see just how many locations we might take in a single day, in the beautiful country that is Cyprus, so get comfy, too, because this is what occurred.
Setting off from Ayia Napa: Beginning of Our Adventure
The beginning, is that we left bright and rather early from Ayia Napa. Ayia Napa has this reputation for exciting night scenes, too, it’s got this totally unique appeal even when the sun begins to show. Before sunrise, the area is almost silent. You could easily just watch the fishing boats bobbing peacefully in the harbor.
There is this great sense of promise with the early morning light, that it just sets the scene for what’s hopefully to be a pretty amazing day of exploring. I mean we had a plan, that, well, at least looked great written down, so, our mission was this: Could we truly soak up the highlights from Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca, Paphos, and Kourion all in the course of a day? We’ll see.
Protaras: Fig Tree Bay and Coastal Scenery
First stop on our agenda, the shores that define Protaras. Getting there from Ayia Napa, that it’s very much a quick trip, it doesn’t take long at all to get there. Soon enough you begin to witness Fig Tree Bay. It truly lives up to the pictures, its beauty is very obvious, actually.
You see golden sand that is meeting crystal-clear water. A person could definitely understand just why this location grabs so many hearts when viewing its coastal views, that are incredible. We could not stay for all that very long, as more spots waited for us. Still, just a stroll and this nice fresh sea air, they actually were the ideal energizer to keep us moving forward.
Larnaca: Salt Lake and City Exploration
Next up: Larnaca. It provides this contrast from the beach feel of Protaras. We arrive closer to the Larnaca Salt Lake, actually, it is really very captivating. So, there’s this vast expanse of shimmering salt, depending on what part of the year it is, it provides habitat to flocks of flamingos.
Too it’s nearly mesmerizing as it is quite calming to simply stand there, the air so silent and looking far across. I was there thinking, is that what the earth felt like years before me? Then, so we went into the center of Larnaca, so the vibe shifted from quiet natural settings into the middle of urban settings.
We took some time going through the streets that had people all over, stopping very quickly at St. Lazarus Church, just to get an idea for its magnificent construction, too, it seemed very, very old. Time seemed like it was getting ahead of us. We hopped back to our ride in that we were trying to get to Paphos.
Paphos: Ancient History and Archaeological Sites
Now Paphos is really pretty unique because there’s just a tremendous amount of ground to travel from Larnaca, so you had better get relaxed for a longer drive, even. What made it exciting however, is that Paphos literally overflows with history.
Our key target, so that we could visit the Paphos Archaeological Park. In some respects, this is this really special spot. Mosaics, the stories they could potentially speak if the wall could tell tales from times gone by, yet so beautiful! You’ve even got that the Roman villas had complex art preserved so nicely, its detail basically showed that the lifestyle during Roman eras. To even picture the way those people stayed in these exact same houses so long ago, that I will remember forever.
Kourion: Views and Ancient Theater
Our very last location was Kourion. So, you may find it a bit outside Paphos. It’s basically just as captivating as Paphos itself is, that Kourion is on higher ground, the Ancient Theater overlooking the blue sea, so just thinking of past performances in this very spot, I felt quite reflective, that, really.
Too it’s very incredible thinking it was built many centuries ago. A few thoughts on that the mosaics are quite intricate in the House of Eustolios were, as a matter of fact, basically something you must observe, and take it all in, as this is Cyprus so its truly one-of-kind, to take note of what this area provides.
Reflections on an Ambitious Day Trip
We tried to fit seeing so much into a short day. You could see, yet just skimming the top from those historic and interesting places, it really is that the essence may still come through even if the feeling gets cut short, just because time would not be there.
Getting around to the key destinations showed there is a wide contrast the locations can offer in Cyprus. Any individual place has very unique characteristics, so, they’re unforgettable just because. Getting up earlier in the morning may assist the traveler on time, but consider seeing just a few key spots per outing. What a trip to discuss!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this day trip suitable for children?
Basically, for small kids there can be some things which make it not a perfect situation. Specifically the early begin of the day, alongside a few of those longer commutes, are going to show to be tricky. Having older children are more effective in savoring this trip because that a family will probably be required to alter travel destinations for children, in my opinion.
What is the best time of year to take this day trip?
The time of year the family selects matters very, very much if considering temperatures within the warmer many weeks when Cyprus can be the most cozy, while you might have that visiting when it is hot and sunny, specifically with April to October.
Are there any entrance fees for the historical sites?
Yes. So, most of such historic sites require entry fees, typically not very much overall. In other words always verify web pages of places you intend to pay a visit to that you could anticipate for the excursion when thinking about prices associated.
Key Takeaways from Our Whirlwind Tour
- Cyprus is extremely diverse, its key features being cultural, along with natural that can truly capture tourists.
- Preparing and controlling how long will be allocated to everyone place of see, they might permit you to see places when steering from some trip for an prolonged amount of hours.
- Getting the very early beginning from a day of travel, it definitely permits even extra internet sites and opportunities through the vacation.
You should see these attractions because the nation, as I was saying, and how to approach visits which fit perfectly!
