Ayia Napa sea caves, the palaces in the cliffs

The sea caves are the best thing on the east coast of Ayia Napa, and they cost nothing to see. You just need to know where to look from and when to get in the water. Here’s how. For the rest of town, head to Ayia Napa.

The palaces in the cliffs

The regional portal Visit Famagusta explains that the caves, known locally as Palatia, lie between Ayia Napa and Cape Greco and draw thousands of visitors a year. The sea has carved them into limestone cliffs which, in the cape park, stand about 30 ft, or 9 m, tall, and their geology is one of the reasons the area is protected.

There are many along that stretch. The best known are the Palace caves and the Smugglers’ caves, deep passages reachable only from the sea, and some run 240 ft into the rock, about 73 m.

How to see them

From above, the circular Sea Caves trail is 3.6 km and an hour and a half’s walk according to the region, with some very steep, craggy stretches. The one from the caves to the chapel of Agioi Anargyroi is 4 km one way and passes the Kamara tou Koraka natural arch, and one regional page gives 1 h 30 min for it while another gives 1 h 50 min. From the water, boats from the area pass in front every day, and the regional website recommends that trip to appreciate the caves properly.

With a calm sea and low tide you can swim and even walk into most of them. The bottom is rocky, but the water is very clear, and plenty of people come to snorkel. Local fishermen turn up before dawn. According to the region, Glyki Nero beach, 1 km from the centre, runs right up to the caves, so the walk can start with a swim, and in the waters of the cape the temperature ranges from 16 to 28 °C over the year, with visibility of up to 40 m.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ayia Napa before prices climb.

Jumping off the rocks

The same website says some people leap from the cliffs at the deep-water spots between the rocks. No official source I’ve read deals with its safety, and there are no lifeguards. I wouldn’t jump without knowing the depth of the exact spot well, nor with a rough sea.

Getting there and what’s nearby

OSEA routes 101 and 102, linking Ayia Napa with Cape Greco, Konnos and Protaras, have a stop called Sea Caves, and a daytime trip costs €2. From the centre you can also walk along the coast, past the Love Bridge and the Ayia Napa sculpture park. For a bed close by, try hotels in Ayia Napa. They look better from the water, and the boats from Ayia Napa towards Cape Greco and Konnos are covered in boat trips in Cyprus.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Ayia Napa sea caves and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Ayia Napa on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ayia Napa before prices climb.