3 Best Spots To Go Snorkeling With Sea Turtles In Cyprus

Turtles are among my favorite sea creatures, and I’m always searching for places to snorkel with them. Most people think these cute marine reptiles live only in tropical waters, but I have good news; they can be found worldwide. In the Mediterranean region of Europe, Cyprus is the best place to swim with sea turtles.

Different marine turtle species – mainly Loggerhead and Green turtles – can be seen all over the island. Here, I provide information about 3 beaches where you have the highest chance to swim with sea turtles in the South (Greek) side of Cyprus: Konnos Beach and Green Bay near Protaras/Ayia Napa (Famagusta district), and Agios Georgios Beach at St George Harbour in Paphos. At these spots, I encountered several turtles, and I hope you will too with the help of the information I share in this article!

Beaches To Swim With Sea Turtles Near Protaras/Ayia Napa

The southeastern side of the Greek side of the island (the coastal regions of Ayia Napa, Protaras and Pernera) is a prime area to swim with turtles in Cyprus. They are attracted by the extensive seagrass fields along the shore and moving back and forth between the bays.

Konnos Beach

Featuring beautiful scenery with rugged cliffs, lush greenery, and turquoise waters, Konnos is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island of Cyprus. It is near Cape Greco, just outside of Protaras, about 15 km (9.3 miles) from Ayia Napa.

The beach is protected from strong winds and high waves thanks to its horseshoe shape. The water is clear, clam and not too deep, so this beach is also a good choice for families with kids.

Its exceptional beauty makes it a popular year-round destination, so you need to be prepared to find it busy not only in the high season but also in the shoulder seasons.

If you want to snorkel with turtles here, I recommend arriving early in the morning to avoid crowds. We went around 8 AM in the low season and found the beach nearly empty. There were only a few swimmers and other fellow snorkelers in the water. Later in the day, it got pretty busy, though.

A relatively long, curvy road leads down to the beach. There are several parking bays along the road. It is important to leave you only in the designated areas and never on the side as the road is not too wide and not correctly parked cars can easily block it. The parking is free, and an LED sign indicates at the top if any spot is left.

Konnos Beach has comfort facilities, such as a water sport center, sunbed/umbrella rental, changing rooms/toilets and a snack restaurant. Should you get tired of sunbathing and snorkeling, you can go on a hike on the surrounding cliffs. On top of enjoying fantastic views, you can explore the famous Cyclops Cave and a National Forest Park that is a NATURA 2000 site which was established to protect certain species of animals and their natural habitats.

Where are the turtles at Konnos Beach?

You can find sea turtles near the seaweed beds in front of the small rocky beach area, right next to the main sandy beach (please see it on the inserted map). Many people swim around here to look for turtles, but I think the small, undeveloped beach just behind Konnos is an even better spot to swim with them.

This beach is marked as ‘Turtle Beach’ on the map. You can access it through a narrow, rocky path from Konnos Beach. You can reach it from the Cyclops cave parking, too.

We were lucky to snorkel with 4 turtles here; two small ones were swimming around a bit further out, approximately 300-400m/1000-1300ft far from the shore in deeper water, while one big and one small were hanging around just about 20-30m/65-98ft off the beach in shallow (2-3m/6.5-9.8ft) water. I think they got used to the presence of people; they did not swim away and stayed around for a long time.

Green Bay

Green Bay is located just a little south of Konnos Beach, on the island’s southeastern coast, at the end of Tasou Isaak Road in Protaras. Technically, Green Bay covers the whole coastline between Nisia Loumbardi Beach and Loumbardi Island with a small harbor on the island’s side, so it is a pretty large beach with rocky areas, several coves and extensive seagrass beds, which are important feeding ground for sea turtles.

Thanks to its size, it is a more secluded beach than Konnos, so if you want more peace, I recommend choosing this spot to swim with turtles. Green Bay is popular during the summer, but outside the main season, you can always find empty spots and have privacy.

We visited this beach at the beginning of November; there were many people around as the weather was still very summerish, but there was plenty of free space both at the beach section and along the rocky coast. Also, there was plenty of parking.

On top of being an excellent spot to swim with turtles, Green Bay in an amazing spot for snorkeling in Cyprus. The rocky shoreline ensures fantastic water clarity, while the coves provide shelter for various fish such as local Mediterranean species (seabreams, wrasses, damselfish etc…) and immigrant ones (lionfish, pufferfish).

There are also some underwater statues; not as many and big as in the MUSAN in Ayia Napa, but it is still nice that they placed sculptures there, making the bay more interesting for divers and snorkelers.

Where can you find the turtles?

There is no specific location as they are just moving along the coast, feeding and resting, but there is a good chance to encounter them within the buoyed swimming area over the seagrass beds. The typical water depth is 3-9m/10-30ft.

There are several entry/exit points: you can get into and out of the water from Nisia Loumbardi Beach, through the sandy area of the rocky cove near the small harbor, which is also known as Green Bay Creek (we entered and exited here), or just anywhere along the rocky shore where you find a suitable spot to jump into the sea. At some points, there are also steps carved into the rocks.

Best Spot To Snorkel With Turtles Near Paphos

The main turtle nesting area in Paphos is Lara Beach in the Akamas Peninsula where turtles lay their eggs between May and August. The bay is a protected area; you can learn about the importance of turtles in the conservation station, observe the nests, and if you are lucky, even catch a hatching event! To swim with them, this is not the right place; you need to go to Agios Georgios Beach.

Agios Georgios Beach – St George Harbour

Situated along the coast of the small village of Agios Georgios, the beach of Agios Georgios is an under-the-radar spot on the west coast of Cyprus, not so far from Coral Bay, Peyia (Pegia). Although its popularity is growing because this is the best place to swim with sea turtles in Paphos, I hope it remains a hidden gem.

The beach itself is not too big, about 100 m long. The shore is rocky, but the actual beach area has soft, golden sand.

Since it is a harbor beach, the water is usually calm inside the bay. The surrounding high cliffs give the beach a nice backdrop and provide fantastic views when looking down from them.

We arrived by car and found easy parking directly near the beach. If that parking lot is full (it can happen in the high season), there is additional parking up on the road near the church. If you don’t have a car, you can use the 616 bus.

Easy access, clear, not-too-deep water and a wide range of facilities (restaurant, seasonal sunbed/umbrella and a beach café) make Agios Georgios Beach very family-friendly. Visiting the area makes an enjoyable full-day program; other places of interest are nearby like a fish tavern, a Greek Ortodox church, some caves and even an archaeological site.

Where to find the turtles?

Agios Georgios Beach gives home to some of the island’s oldest, and biggest Caretta Caretta (Loggerhead) and Green turtles. We visited this spot 4 times and saw turtles every time. Some days, it took a little longer to find them as they were further out, not on the inner side of the bay, but they were always around.

The turtles usually feed on the seagrass or rest on the seafloor in the relatively shallow water (3-6 m/9.8-19.6 ft) between the shore and the small rocky outcrop you can see behind the breakwater.

The easiest way to find the turtles is to enter the water from the beach and swim along the shore, a bit towards the middle of the bay, until the breakwater line. If they are not near the shore, swim toward the rocky outcrop; sometimes they are there. (We saw smaller Green turtles on the left side.)

While swimming towards the turtle area, pay attention to the incoming/outgoing boats as the bay is a fishing harbor, but the captains are very cautious and pay attention to the snorkelers and swimmers.

Alternatively, you can enter the water from the breakwater side; walk on the boulders and jump into the water to reach the area where the turtles usually hang around without swimming through the whole bay.

Turtle Snorkeling Tours In Cyprus

Although all the above-mentioned spots are accessible from the shore and you can visit them on your own, if you might prefer joining an organized tour to have a fun day on board a comfortable boat and look for sea turtles, we recommend these excursions:

Turtle Cove Cruise from Ayia Napa: Departing from the Ayia Napa Marina, you will be sailing along the most wonderful coast of Cyprus before stopping at Blue Lagoon and Konnos Bay, the best spot to swim with turtles.

Blue Lagoon Trip from Protaras: Traveling on this spacious 32-meter boat offers a comfortable way of exploring the Cape Greco coast and its surrounding clear-water lagoons. Stopping at the famous Blue Lagoon, you can look for sea turtles, which frequent the area!

Glass Bottom Boat Trip from Paphos: Onboard the largest glass bottom boat in Paphos district, joining this tour provides you with the opportunity to discover the vibrant underwater world of Cyprus. Cruising along the coastline of Paphos, you will be able to take in the views of the majestic Vera K. shipwreck, swim in the island’s most tranquil waters, and watch marine life, including sea turtles with a bit of luck!

Additional Information & Questions

What Time Of The Year Can You See Turtles In Cyprus?

Sea turtles can be seen around Cyprus between March and November, with the best time from June to October. They appear around the island in early spring and start feeding and mating. Then, the females lay their eggs during the summer months. Most of them disappear after the breeding season, but some of them stay until late fall.

Marine turtles are migratory species; a fascinating fact about turtles is that females always return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs. Based on tracking studies, about 10% of Cyprus turtles stay in the region outside the breeding period; the rest go back to the North African coast.

What Turtle Species Can You See In Cyprus?

Four marine turtle species live in the waters around Cyprus: Green, Loggerhead, Leatherhead, and Hawksbill. Two types of them, the Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) breed on the beaches of Cyprus.

Interestingly, Green turtles reproduce only in the waters around Cyprus and Turkey in the Mediterranean. Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) turtles can be found in other Mediterranean countries too, mainly in Greece. (The best place to see turtles in Greece is Zakynthos. I’ve encountered many of them there, not as many as in Cyprus, but there is a high chance for sightings at some beaches which I’ve listed in my Zakynthos post.)

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