Before meeting my husband I worked as a marine biologist on a Sea Turtle project in Costa Rica. For 3 years I patrolled the beaches and protected the leatherback sea turtle nests from poachers. It's greatly influenced where we go when we travel because if we discover there is a turtle project we try and make a visit to see what is happening to the populations around the world. Lara Beach in Cyprus has such a project and is an amazing beach and destination to visit with the kids. Read about our experience at Lara Beach with the kids and their learning about sea turtles there.
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Lara Beach Cyprus
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Lara bay is located north of Paphos heading towards the Akamas Peninsula.
It is "off road" so either visit on an organised tour or have a hire car that is suitable for the journey.
Past the turning to the Avakas Gorge and the restaurant at the headland for Lara Beach and Bay, you head off-road until you come to a car park at the top of some steps leading down to a sandy beach.
With golden soft sand and clear blue waters it's easy to understand why the sea turtles have chosen this beach to nest on for centuries.
Facilities at Lara Beach
There is a car park at the top of the beach - however that is the only facilities there.
You will need to bring everything with you and take it away again too!
The restuarant that find on the road before heading around and down the beach is the last one to get food and drink.
Although I have read that you should take an umbrella with you to provide shade I would strongly suggest against this during the sea turtle nesting season as putting the pole in the sand could be harmful to sea turtle nests.
Instead if you wish to provide shade one of the easy pack shade tents is a much better option and will not harm the nests below the surface of the sand.
We took refreshments with us in a cool bag that we had packed up at the villa before heading out to the beach.
What is there to do at Lara Beach with Kids
This was our favourite beach on Cyprus to visit with the kids.
With a bucket and spade they were able to be kids on the beach without tripping over sun loungers and other people.
We found that people that had made the journey had done so just like us to get away from the crowds of the main beaches around Paphos.
The kids loved swimming, playing in the sand and learning about the Sea Turtles in the information hut.
Learning about Sea Turtles on Lara Beach
The project at Lara Beach has been going for many years. It was one of the first I remember reading about back in the 90s and they have a lot of data to show the impact that it is having on the nesting population.
Two species of sea turtle nest on the beach - the green turtles and the loggerheads. Both of these are common in the Mediterranean.
Along the beach, you can find protected nest during the nesting season so make sure that you stay away from these.
On the beach, you can find an information booth which one of the project volunteers manned to give more information about the project, the work that the volunteers do and the sea turtles.
T loved this and asked questions to find out more about the sea turtles that nest on the island and the work that the project has done over the years.
We were lucky enough that a nest had hatched at dawn and to ensure that the hatchling turtles had the best possible success they were kept until dusk to be released to the ocean. Which meant seeing the sea turtle hatchlings in person during the day.
What to see and do around Lara Beach on Cyprus
Our top thing to do is visit the Avakas Gorge. Read all about this amazing natural wonder and the short journey we took into it and what the kids thought of it.
Looking to explore the area more then check out these tours below from Get Your Guide. The Beach Buggy tour will take you right to Lara Beach so that you can explore the area as well.
Lara Beach with Kids
Overall
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Kid's review
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Parent's review
Summary
This was our favourite beach on Cyprus. Unlike the others, we visited it was empty of crowds and sun loungers. The kids loved to learn about sea turtles and swim in the waters.
Pros
- Less crowded than other beaches on Cyprus we visited
- Wild and beautiful
- Soft golden sand
- Learning about Sea Turtles
Cons
- No facilities
- A bit of a trek to get there (which is why it's less crowded)
Love your kids and adults reviews those are great.
Thanks - bonus of tweens is that they can write it themselves.
Oh wow, what a wonderful thing to do/see! I had no idea you used to do that! I know how much my three would love to see the sea turtles, they are so cute!
WAY back in the day I did... Now I'm just me!!! There are so many places to see sea turtle projects around the world. We love visiting because it helps to support and spread the word as well.
I LOVE that you worked as a marine biologist on a Sea Turtle project in Costa Rica! What an amazing job! Lara Beach sounds like the perfect place to get the kids as enthused as you are about saving turtles 🙂
Lara beach was fantastic - it's worth a visit just to see that the efforts of even the small conservation projects like this make such a huge difference. And yes I know it was a fantastic job.
Wow, three years - that's some serious commitment! I'm impressed, and take my hat off to you. Great that you're able to share your experience with your kids at places like this, too.
I would go back in an instant I really miss that life some days.
My daughter wants to be a marine biologist! And she loves sea turtles and has banned us using plastic straws.
YEAH 🙂 - get her volunteering with wildlife organisations even if you live far from the sea and putting in time and WOHO for the plastic straw ban we're the same. And slowly we're moving more and more away from plastic for everything we can.
I had no idea you use to do that wow!!!! what an incredible job! Lara Beach Cyprus looks like a wonderful place to learn about the sea turtles 🙂
It was - from 19 years old I've worked with them... for the 4 years before that I worked with seals on the North Norfolk Coast... and Lara Beach is amazing I love discovering wilder places like this even in very touristy locations.
I had no idea you were a marine biologist and how amazing to spend three years in Costa Rica. I love that you've continued your valuable passion on to your kids. My eco-warrior boys would absolutely love to do this!
I tend to keep it a secret and 3 years in Costa Rica was AMAZING I'd do it again in an instant. I suspect that with both my kids we will at some point be visiting them where ever they are working they are both as passionate as I was at that age about it.
Oh, how we do love to get away from the crowds and find the places that are worth a little extra effort - this loks amazing. And hurrah for the sea turtle programme too.
Us too - I'm not good with crowds as soon as I can find somewhere peaceful I try and get there as often as I can. And the project is doing such a fantastic job. It's really great to see that conservation efforts really work as well.
What an amazing project to be involved in! We love turtles and all my children would love to visit here. Kaz
The beach is amazing and I think people that visit Paphos really don't know much about it at all.
Wasn't that great timing! My kids would love to see baby turtles. What a lovely place to take kids in Cyprus
We were fortunate especially as it was a nest of green and a nest of loggerhead turtles. It was amazing and so different than many other places we explored on Cyprus.
How lucky are your kids to be able to see places like this with an expert like you on hand to explain it all! This looks like a good beach for getting away from it all too. Thanks for sharing on #farawayfiles
It is the perfect beach for getting away from it - I am not one for crowds so that this is the perfect beach for us.
What a great way to combine conservation, education and travel. Thank you so much for sharing on #farawayfiles
We loved learning as we travel. As a teacher I think that the best learning and teaching can happen outside of a classroom and it's where children are likely to remember the facts more.
sounds like you could have a couple of future marine biologists on your hands here 😉 I love seeing sea turtles so thank you for putting this place on my radar! #farawayflies
I think you may be right and I'm not sorry at all 🙂 It's beautiful and well worth a visit if you get to Cyprus.
Ever since I witnessed turtles laying eggs (with the help of marine biologist like yourself) in the Great Barrier Reef, we have been smitten with sea turtles too. Still have never seen them as hatchlings, what a special experience for your kids! We love seeing them out and about snorkeling in Hawaii as well. Thanks for sharing - love the reviews! #FarawayFiles
Thank you - we saw lots of turtles last summer snorkelling in the BVIs including 2 mating which provided an interesting discussion with the 7-year-old. The kids are loving giving their reviews watch out they are going to YouTube next!