The Perfect 2 Days in Polis & the Akamas
Cyprus before mass tourism found it: an unhurried market town on a huge blue bay, a working fishing harbour, and beyond them the Akamas — the island’s last wild peninsula, where the Blue Lagoon glows and turtles still nest on empty sand.
Best time to go: May–June or September–October — spring carpets the Akamas in wildflowers; the sea holds warm all autumn. Getting around: a car is essential (and a 4x4 helps for Lara); boats from Latchi cover the wild coast. Fly into Paphos (PFO), about 40 minutes. Once your dates are in, Tripwise can search car hire in one tap.
Day 1 — Latchi, the Blue Lagoon & Aphrodite’s bath
Morning — Latchi harbour. Start at the little working fishing harbour that serves as gateway to the Akamas. Take a morning boat (or hire a small self-drive one) out along the peninsula to the Blue Lagoon — a sheltered inlet where the water turns an implausible swimming-pool turquoise. Swim off the boat; that’s the point of the day.
Lunch — fish by the water. Back on the quay, Psaropoulos and Porto Latchi have been grilling the morning’s catch for decades — unhurried, right on the water.
Afternoon — the Baths of Aphrodite. Ten minutes west, a fig-shaded grotto where the goddess bathed in the myth — the pool itself is a two-minute look, but it’s the trailhead for the coast path with huge views over Chrysochou Bay.
Evening — Polis town. Dinner around the pedestrianised square: Moustakallis for charcoal-grilled Cypriot classics, or the Old Town Restaurant’s courtyard if it’s a special night. Polis after dark is what island evenings used to be.
Day 2 — wild Akamas, turtles & the hill villages
Morning — walk a trail. From the Baths, the Aphrodite trail loops 7.5 km up to the ruined medieval tower of Pyrgos tis Rigainas and back along the ridge — the best half-day walk in western Cyprus. The shorter Adonis loop and the pine-shaded Smigies trail above Neo Chorio are gentler options.
Midday — Lara Bay. Round the peninsula’s south side (rough track — this is the 4x4 bit, or come by boat), Lara is a long, wholly undeveloped sweep of sand where green and loggerhead turtles nest — protected, cage-marked nests and all. Nothing here but sea and cliffs; bring water.
Afternoon — the hill villages. Climb to Drouseia and Neo Chorio, white-stone villages on the ridge with enormous views over the bay, a couple of tavernas each and absolutely no hurry in them.
Evening — the quiet coast. Drive the bay road east through Argaka toward Pomos — kilometres of near-empty beach, citrus groves, a picture-book fishing refuge and a sunset with the Akamas silhouetted across the water. Dinner back in Polis at Polis Herbs Garden, under its own lemon trees.
Best beaches around Polis
- Latchi — the long sand-and-pebble stretch by the harbour, with tavernas behind.
- Polis Municipal (Dasoudi) — below the town, backed by a shady eucalyptus grove.
- Blue Lagoon — reached by boat or track: the famous turquoise swim itself.
- Lara Bay — the wild turtle-nesting sweep on the Akamas’s far side.
- Argaka & Pomos — kilometres of near-empty shingle and sand up the bay.
Where to eat
- Fish at Latchi: Psaropoulos, Porto Latchi.
- In Polis: Moustakallis (charcoal grills), Polis Herbs Garden, Platea on the square, Old Town Restaurant (courtyard fine dining).
- Cheap & cheerful: The Chix-Chox for grills without ceremony.
🏨 Where to stay
Polis town for tavernas on foot and local life; Latchi for the harbour and beach; Neo Chorio or Drouseia for stone-house agrotourism with the big views.
Find hotels in Polis & Latchi →
🚗 Getting around
A car is essential out here, and the Lara track rewards a 4x4 — otherwise let the Latchi boats do the wild coast for you. Cyprus drives on the left.
Hire a car on Booking.com →
Plan your own Polis trip — free
Tripwise turns your dates into a day-by-day plan with maps, weather, budgets and packing lists. No account needed.
Open Tripwise →
More Cyprus guides
Some links on this page are affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Booking.com). If you book through them, Tripwise may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep the app free. Place details are a curated starting point; check opening hours and prices before you go.