Lara Beach

Lara Beach lies on the western side of the Akamas peninsula, north of Coral Bay and Paphos. It is one of the few entirely undeveloped beaches left on this coast: a wide, sweeping bay of pale sand with no sunbeds, no beach bar and no paved access. The rough dirt track that leads to it normally needs a 4x4, and that inaccessibility is exactly what has protected it.

Lara is one of the most important sea-turtle nesting sites in the Mediterranean. Loggerhead and green turtles come ashore here to nest, and the Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research has run a conservation hatchery on the beach since 1978, protecting at-risk eggs and releasing hatchlings to the sea. Nesting runs through the summer, with most activity at night, and parts of the beach may be roped off or closed to protect nests. The wider Akamas is a protected landscape, so the bay stays free of the sunbeds, bars and buildings that line beaches elsewhere on the coast.

Visiting responsibly

• Access is by a rough track; a 4x4 is normally needed.
• There are no facilities, shade, sunbeds or kiosks. Bring water and sun cover.
• Keep off marked nesting areas and follow any signs from the hatchery.
• Avoid the beach at night during nesting season, when turtles come ashore.

Lara works well alongside other Akamas trips: the gorge walk at Avakas Gorge is nearby, and the Blue Lagoon on the peninsula's north coast is reached by boat from Latchi. For an easy, full-service beach day in the area, head back south to Coral Bay.