Cape Greco

Follow the dirt track off the E307 near the park's southern gate to the parking area above the cliffs, then take the steps down to the water. Arches, tunnels and a rock stack in five to fifteen metres of very clear water. No lifeguard, no facilities, and the rock ledges are sharp — bring reef shoes and go before 10am.

The horseshoe cove on the western side of the cape, signposted off the E307 between Ayia Napa and Protaras. Sunbeds about €5 a pair, a beach bar until roughly 8pm and a boat jetty. The steep access road means a long walk back up if you park at the top — the lower car park fills by 10.30am in August.

The small white chapel on the eastern clifftop, reached by a signed track from the main park road. Below it, a stepped path drops to a sea cave where people swim off the rocks. Free and open all day; the cliff edge is unfenced, so keep children close. Sunrise here is the picture people come for.

The sheltered inlet on the north-west side of the cape, reached by boat from Ayia Napa harbour or on foot from the Konnos car park. Boat trips run about €25 to €35 for a half day with lunch. Jumping from the low ledges is common; the high ledges cause injuries every summer, so don’t.

The Swedish ferry that sank off Larnaca in 1980 is one of the world's top wreck dives, and the dive centres in Ayia Napa harbour, 8 minutes west, run trips at roughly €130 to €160 for two dives including kit and transfer. Advanced certification required for the deeper penetration; open water divers get the upper decks.

The paved and gravel loop through the juniper scrub from the northern gate past the naval station to the southern cliffs, around 6 km, closed to through traffic in parts. Bike hire in Protaras runs €10 to €15 a day. Do it early — the cape has no shade whatsoever and the limestone reflects heat.

Larnaca airport is 45 minutes via the A3 to the Ayia Napa exit, then the E307 across the cape; a taxi is €55 to €70 and airport shuttles to Protaras and Ayia Napa run around €20 a head. Locally, Osea bus route 101/102 loops between Ayia Napa and Protaras via the Cape Greco road roughly every 20 to 30 minutes in summer, with a single at about €1.50 and a day ticket €5; it stops at the Konnos turn-off but not down at the beach, leaving a steep 700-metre walk. Evening buses stop around 11pm, and the night bus only covers the Ayia Napa strip. For the caves and the park loop you need a car, a bike or a boat trip.

No — the cape is a protected national forest park with no accommodation, no shops and no restaurants. What is sold as Cape Greco is the hotel and villa belt on the Konnos and Protaras approach roads, five to ten minutes away by car. Expect €120 to €260 a night for a sea-view four or five star in July.

The best-known small arch collapsed some years ago, so photographs of it are out of date. The larger arch and stacks at Kamara tou Koraka on the southern cliffs are still standing and are more impressive anyway. Reach them by the dirt track off the E307 and take care — the cliff edges are unfenced and crumbling.

Protaras side if you want family restaurants, a long sandy beach at Fig Tree bay and quiet after midnight. Ayia Napa side if you want the harbour, the dive centres and the nightlife strip. Both are within ten minutes of the cape by car, and bus 101/102 links them all summer.

From November to March the headland catches everything the sea throws at it and the cliff paths get genuinely dangerous in a strong southerly. Much of the surrounding accommodation closes for the same months. April to June and September to October are the best windows: warm sea, walkable temperatures, fewer boats in the coves.