Coral Bay, Paphos: A Guide to the Area's Favourite Sandy Beach

If you ask people in Paphos for the best swimming beach nearby, most of them will say Coral Bay. It is a proper crescent of golden sand, sheltered between two limestone headlands, with calm, shallow water that suits small children.

It is about 12 km north of our house in Kato Paphos, so we usually describe it as the beach for a full beach day, while the shore in Kato Paphos is the one for a quick morning swim.

What the beach is like

According to the Cyprus tourism organisation, the beach is about 500 metres of deep golden sand with clean, calm, shallow water, and it is popular with families with children. The two headlands protect the bay, so it is often calmer than the open coast.

Coral Bay has a Blue Flag for 2026, the international award for water quality, safety and services.

Facilities

• sunbeds and umbrellas to hire
• toilets, showers and changing rooms
• water sports
• lifeguards with first aid from April to October
• restaurants, fish tavernas, cafés and kiosks just behind the beach
• parking and a bus stop

Coral Bay is also one of Cyprus’s accessible beaches, with a Seatrac: a free solar-powered seat on a rail that takes people with limited mobility into the water, plus a floating wheelchair.

When to go

From May to October the sea is warm enough for most people, and the lifeguards are on duty. In July and August the beach fills up from late morning, so arrive early if you want a good spot near the water. Outside the season the beach is quiet, but some restaurants close for the winter. Our guide to the best time to visit Paphos has the sea temperatures month by month.

Getting there from Kato Paphos

By car it is the simplest: follow the coast road north through Tombs of the Kings Road and Chloraka towards Peyia. There is parking near the beach, but in high summer it fills up.

By bus take route 615, which runs from the Tombs of the Kings bus station to Coral Bay. In the daytime buses run roughly every 10–15 minutes. From Kato Paphos harbour, route 611 connects with the Tombs of the Kings station. Check the current timetable on the official Paphos buses website.

The Tombs of the Kings are right on the way, so you can easily combine the two in one day: the tombs in the cooler morning, the beach in the afternoon.

Nearby

• Maa-Palaiokastro, on the headland at Coral Bay, is where the first Mycenaean Greeks are thought to have settled around 1200 BC, with remains of the defensive walls. It has a small museum. Check that it is open before you go, as its opening hours have been irregular.
• The sea caves near Peyia, a short drive further up the coast, with the wreck of the Edro III, a ship that ran aground on the rocks in 2011. It is a popular photo stop, but nobody is allowed on the ship.

Kato Paphos or Coral Bay as a base?

Coral Bay has the better beach. Kato Paphos has the harbour, the archaeological sites, the restaurants and shops within walking distance, and stays lively all year. Many of our guests stay in Kato Paphos and spend a day or two at Coral Bay. Our guide to where to stay in Paphos compares the areas honestly.

Villa Nadezda is a three-bedroom house in Kato Paphos with shared pools, including a shallow one for children, and the town beach about 800 metres away. You can see the house or check your dates.