Nature
Cape Greco National Forest Park
Wind-carved sea caves, blue holes and a network of clifftop and coastal trails on the island’s south-east horn, with a tiny white chapel above the water.
SunriseDirections
All free spots
East Cyprus · Ayia Napa & Protaras
Makronissos Beach & Tombs
Beach · Ayia Napa
A Blue Flag horseshoe of soft pale sand with calm, shallow water — quieter than nearby Nissi but the same postcard colours. Just behind it lie the Makronissos Tombs, a group of ancient rock-cut chamber tombs and a small quarry you can walk around for free. The beach has sunbeds and a couple of bars, and the gentle swimming is ideal for kids.
Plan your visit
Visiting Makronissos Beach & Tombs
Makronissos is a Blue Flag beach at the western end of Ayia Napa, a soft horseshoe of pale sand with calm, shallow water — the same postcard colours as Nissi but generally a touch quieter. Just behind the sand lies its unusual bonus: the Makronissos Tombs, a group of ancient rock-cut chamber tombs and a small quarry that you can walk around for free, a genuine slice of antiquity steps from your sunbed.
Getting there
At the western edge of Ayia Napa, signed off the main road; a few minutes from the town centre and walkable from the western hotels.
Parking
Free car park behind the beach, plus the tombs' own small parking area.
Best time to go
May–October for swimming; mornings are calmest. The tombs are best explored in the cooler early or late hours.
More around Ayia Napa & Protaras
Beach
Konnos Bay
A sheltered horseshoe of fine sand and glass-clear turquoise between two pine-topped headlands — the prettiest swim on the east coast, reached on foot from the cape.
MorningDirections
Beach
Fig Tree Bay
The icon of Protaras: powder sand, shallow warm water and a little islet you can swim out to, named for the lone fig tree that has stood here for centuries.
SummerDirections