Protaras from Ayia Napa: Beaches and a Simple Day Trip

Protaras combines accessible beaches with nearby places to eat and practical facilities for a day by the sea. The tourism board identifies Protaras Beach, better known as Fig Tree Bay, as a beach in the Protaras resort within the town of Paralimni.

Fig Tree Bay takes its name from a solitary fig tree that has stood there since the 17th century. A Hellenistic- and Roman-period tomb discovered during construction of the Coastal Promenade can also be viewed through protective glass from the promenade.

If you’re weighing up a beach day closer to your starting point, beaches in Ayia Napa offer another way to plan time along the coast.

Fig Tree Bay suits a beach day built around swimming, facilities and easy access; Vrysi Bay offers a longer shoreline, water sports and a pier for mini-cruises.

Fig Tree Bay

Fig Tree Bay has toilets, changing rooms, sunbeds, umbrellas and water-sports facilities, with restaurants and kiosks in the surrounding area. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for a fee.

Lifeguards with lifesaving equipment and first-aid services are stationed at the beach from April through October. The beach has disabled access, including a special wheelchair at the lifeguard tower to help people enter the sea with lifeguard assistance.

Vrysi Bay

Vrysi Bay is about 1 kilometre long and has water-sports facilities, sunbeds and umbrellas for a fee, plus restaurants, showers and toilets. Its northern end has a wooden pier where mini-cruises depart.

The beach is wheelchair accessible, with floating wheelchairs and a Seatrac sea-access system available during the summer season. For a different outdoor stop on the coast, Cape Greco National Forest Park has trails and views.

From So White Beach Resort, Ayia Napa city centre is about 9 minutes by car. From there, OSEA routes 101 and 102 connect Ayia Napa with Protaras and nearby stops. Route 101 starts at Ayia Napa Waterpark and goes through Cape Greco, Konnos, Protaras and Pernera to Paralimni; route 102 runs in the reverse direction.

Route 101 stops in Ayia Napa include Ayia Napa Square and stops along Kryou Nerou Avenue. Farther along the route, buses pass Protara–Kavo Gkreko Avenue and beach-area stops toward Protaras.

Its one-way journey from Ayia Napa Waterpark to Paralimni takes 75 minutes. At Protaras, you can pair a visit to Fig Tree Bay with a walk along the Coastal Promenade, where a Hellenistic- and Roman-period tomb can be viewed through protective glass.

For your bus trip, use OSEA’s route information to check timetables, the route-and-stop map and live arrivals. Check the official site before you go: OSEA provides current route information, and departure times can vary.

If you need to work out local connections at either end, getting around Ayia Napa by bus, on foot and by car covers the town’s transport options.

Check which facilities and access features are available for the beach and season you have in mind. At Fig Tree Bay, the lifeguard service runs from April through October, while the special wheelchair for sea access is kept at the lifeguard tower and requires lifeguard assistance.

Both Fig Tree Bay and Vrysi Bay have sunbeds and umbrellas for a fee. At Vrysi Bay, floating wheelchairs and the Seatrac system are available during the summer season. Fig Tree Bay is accessible on foot, by bicycle or by car, and has car-parking facilities.