Makronissos, Ayia Napa's beach and ancient tombs

Makronissos has something the other Ayia Napa beaches don’t. You can go from a swim to a necropolis more than two thousand years old without getting in the car. Here’s what to know about both, and the rest is in my Ayia Napa guide.

The beach of three coves

The regional tourism site, Visit Famagusta, places Makronissos about 5 km west of central Ayia Napa and explains that the beach formed from several small coves, each facing a different way. The first faces west, the second south-west and the third south-east, which means there’s nearly always a stretch out of the wind.

The sand is golden and the water clear and calm, with moderate waves. There are lifeguards, toilets, changing rooms, showers, a beach volleyball court, a dive centre, water sports and a canteen, and around it holiday flats, restaurants and a kiosk.

Mikri Makronissos, the little cove

Right next to the main beach is Mikri Makronissos, a smaller cove the region describes as a calm blue lagoon, with golden sand and a snug feel, and recommends for snorkelling and for anyone escaping the crowds. I’d get there early, as in a cove this size the shade and the space run out fast.

Whether it holds a Blue Flag in 2026 I can’t say, as the official list was out of my reach.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ayia Napa for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

The Hellenistic and Roman necropolis

A few steps from the sand is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Ayia Napa. According to Visit Famagusta, the necropolis has 19 tombs cut into the rock, a sanctuary and an old quarry, from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The entrances were sealed with one large or two small slabs of calcarenite, the coastal sandstone.

The finds include a clay sarcophagus, once covered with three flat tiles, and a limestone kore statuette. Both are now at the Thalassa museum, so if archaeology is your thing, it’s worth doing both visits on the same day. One of the region’s pages gives a date of “2400 BC” for the tombs, which doesn’t fit the Hellenistic and Roman periods, so I leave it out.

I haven’t found opening hours or a price for the necropolis published by a permitted official source.

Getting there and what’s nearby

OSEA’s circular route 201 stops at Makronissos and links it with Nissi Beach, Landa, the marina and the centre, for €2 a daytime trip. On foot, the region suggests heading east along the coast to Vathia Gonia or west to Agia Thekla.

For a side-by-side look at the coast, they’re all in Ayia Napa beaches, and for somewhere to sleep, see hotels in Ayia Napa.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Makronissos on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Ayia Napa: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ayia Napa for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.