Protaras guide: Fig Tree Bay, Cape Greco and how to get there

Protaras is the quieter half of Cyprus's east coast: a run of sandy bays with Fig Tree Bay at the centre, aimed at families rather than nightlife. From Larnaca Airport it is 65 km and about 50 minutes — €55 in a booked car, €100 for a minivan. Ayia Napa is eight kilometres down the road, and Cape Greco sits between the two.

Getting to Protaras

From	Distance	Time	Sedan	Minivan
Larnaca Airport (LCA)	65 km	50 min	€80	€110
Paphos Airport (PFO)	~200 km	~2 h	€195	€310
Ayia Napa	8 km	15 min	€30	€40
Limassol	~135 km	1 h 40	€135	€215

Larnaca is the airport for this coast, and it is not close between the two. From Paphos you are looking at two hours and €175 — a real consideration when you compare flight prices, because you pay that difference twice.

The drive from Larnaca Airport to Protaras is motorway almost the whole way, then ordinary roads for the last stretch through or around Paralimni. Fifty minutes is the honest figure; add ten in August. Whether you search for it as a taxi, a shuttle or a transfer, it is the same car and the same fixed fare — live prices are on the Larnaca Airport → Protaras transfer page.

One practical note. "Protaras" covers a stretch of coast rather than a single town — Fig Tree Bay and the central strip, then Pernera to the north, Kapparis further north again, and Paralimni inland. It is all one fixed fare, but give the full address at booking: on this coast two hotels with similar names can be a fifteen-minute detour apart.

Fig Tree Bay

The reason most people come. A compact sandy bay with shallow, clear water and a small island a short swim offshore — named for a fig tree that has stood above the beach for a couple of centuries.

It is genuinely good for children: the entry is gradual, the bay is sheltered, and the sand is proper sand rather than the coarse grit of some Cypriot beaches. The trade-off is that everyone knows this, and in July and August the sunbed rows fill early. Before ten or after four is a different beach entirely.

The coastal path and Konnos Bay

From Fig Tree Bay a coastal footpath runs south along the cliffs towards Cape Greco. It is one of the better things to do here and costs nothing — the sea on your left the whole way, small coves below, and enough shade in places to make it viable outside high summer.

Konnos Bay, between Protaras and Cape Greco. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0

Konnos Bay is the reward at the far end: a horseshoe cove backed by pines, calmer and less built up than Fig Tree Bay. There is a road down to it too, so you can walk one way and be collected.

Cape Greco

The headland between Protaras and Ayia Napa is a national forest park — low scrub, white cliffs, sea caves and the clearest water on this coast.

Cape Greco. Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0

Worth knowing: there is no beach at the cape itself and very little shade. What there is instead is the rock arch at Kamara tou Koraka, the sea caves, the viewpoints, and swimming straight off the rocks where the water is deep and startlingly clear. Bring water, wear something on your feet, and do not plan it for the middle of an August afternoon.

Church of Profitis Elias

The small white chapel on the rock above Protaras, reached by a long flight of steps from the road below.

Profitis Elias above Protaras. Photo: Catauggie, CC BY-SA 4.0

The climb is a few hundred steps and it is exposed, so go at either end of the day. From the top you get the whole coast — Fig Tree Bay, the hotel strip, Paralimni behind, and on a clear evening the light is worth the effort. It is a working chapel: shoulders and knees covered.

What else is nearby

• Ayia Napa, 8 km away, for the marina, the monastery and the nightlife Protaras deliberately does not have. €30 in a booked car — on a hop this short, local metered taxis are often cheaper.
• Ocean Aquarium in Protaras itself, which is a reliable rainy-day or too-hot-day answer with children.
• Paralimni, the inland town, for an ordinary Cypriot high street rather than a resort one.
• Deryneia and the viewpoint towards Famagusta, for context on the island's division.

Getting around locally

The resort strip is walkable end to end if you are staying centrally, and there is a small tourist road-train along the front. Local buses connect Protaras with Ayia Napa and Paralimni and run frequently in season, less so outside it and not late.

For airport runs, evening returns from Ayia Napa or a day trip further afield, a booked car is the straightforward answer — and unlike a meter it does not care what time it is. The price is agreed before you travel.

When to come

• May–June — warm sea, everything open, beaches not yet full.
• July–August — peak. Hot, busy, and the good hours on the beach are early and late.
• September–October — the best month is September: the sea is at its warmest and the crowds have thinned.
• November–April — much of the resort closes. Good for walking the coastal path, not for a beach holiday.

FAQ

How far is Protaras from Larnaca Airport?

65 km, about 50 minutes by car. A booked transfer is €55 for up to four passengers and €100 for a minivan taking up to eight.

Is Protaras better than Ayia Napa for families?

Generally yes. The bays are shallower and more sheltered, the strip is quieter, and the nightlife that defines Ayia Napa is eight kilometres away rather than under your window. Both share the same beaches at Cape Greco.

How do you get from Protaras to Cape Greco?

Either walk the coastal path from Fig Tree Bay — about an hour at a steady pace — or drive; there is road access to Konnos Bay and the cape. There is no shade at the cape itself, so time it carefully in summer.

Do buses run from Protaras to Ayia Napa?

Yes, and frequently in season. They stop in the evening, which is worth checking before you plan a night out.

Book the transfer

Fixed price, flight tracking and 60 minutes of free airport waiting: Larnaca Airport → Protaras.