Away from the crowded resorts at Paphos Town and Coral Bay visitors can enjoy something of Cyprus as it used to be. Although apartments and villas have sprung up along all the main roads, they thin out north of Coral Bay and have disappeared by the time the road turns iinto a dirt track on the edge of Lara Bay. From there northwards is the wilderness area of Akamas.
Agios Georgios is an attractive seaside hamlet at Cape Drepanos with a picturesque harbour and attactive clifftop church. It is too small to take many visitors and can feel crowded in the summer but is still far enough away to feel 'off the beaten track'.
Literally of the beaten track is the turtle nesting beach at Lara Bay where the asphalt ends and the Akamas wilderness begins. Treeless and exposed with few facilities, it is a beach for the more adventurous and those that don't enjoy the crowds.
Agios Georgios: Looking down on the pleasant sandy strip that sits at the head of the attractive walled harbour, sheltered from the waves and sprinkled with sunbeds. Beyond, to the south, waves crash against flat rocks that spread around the headland
Agios Georgios: A large taverna sits on top of the bluff above the small, pretty beach. It can get very crowded here in the summer as it is so close to Paphos town. The islet of Geronisos sits abut 300m offshore and once housed an ancient settlement. A dirt track south leads to sheltered coves favoured by naturists.
Agios Georgios: The attractive church sits in the middle of a large car park where traders sell pottery and other local crafts. Just off the car park is the entrance to the taverna overlooking the harbour and beach.
Agios Georgios: Looking down on the harbour from the clifftop taverna. There is some spectacular scenery along the cliff tops and steep access down to small coves along the shoreline.
Pegeia: The coastline to the south is known for the Kantarkastoi sea caves, formed from cracks in the chalk rocks.
Lara Bay: North of Agios Georgios the coast road winds around small secluded inlets like this one just before Lara Bay with a few sunbeds put out by a roadside taverna at the head of the valley.
Lara Bay: The bay stretches into the distance and the coast road turns into a dirt track. Wild and windswept, this is home to nesting turtles and the start of the wild Akamas peninsular.
Lara Bay: It is sharp sand and shingle along the shoreline. The beach is 1km long and quite deep with no shelter. Heavy rollers can make swimming tricky. Off the beaten track there are visitors and an attractive sense of isolation.
Lara Bay: The sands are used by nesting turtles and there is a small hatchery at the northen end of the beach. Signs along the shore warn visitors to take care. North beyond the hatchery
Lara Bay: Beyond the turtle hatchery at the northen end of Lara beach is the even wilder Ammoudi, a horse-shoe bay with cliffs on each side and large sand dunes behind.