On the eastern coast at Ayia Napa, Vathia Gonia is the counterweight to everything the resort is better known for. Soft golden sand, clear water, and a setting that stays quiet — a beach to go to when you want the sea and nothing else.
The seclusion
Unlike the beaches on either side, Vathia Gonia is tucked away from the town centre and the party shore. Walking down to it, the noise of the resort drops off and you are left with the water and the wind. The sand is fine enough to walk barefoot the length of it, and the water runs through blues and greens that reward a snorkel.
Coves and cliffs
The coastline around the beach is cliffs and rock formations, with hidden coves along it that make good spots for a picnic or an hour alone. Cliff jumping is possible here for those who want it — judge the water and the rock yourself before you go in.
Dunes and birds
The dunes and coastal vegetation hold plants adapted to this ground, and there are birds working the shoreline and the air above it — part of why the beach feels less managed than its neighbours.
More around Ayia Napa
Landa Beach
A wide sweep of pale sand on the Ayia Napa coast road, shallow enough for children and busy with beach bars in season.
Makronissos Beach
Three small bays west of Ayia Napa, quieter than Nissi, with the rock-cut tombs of Makronissos behind the sand.
Konnos Bay
A sheltered cove between two cliffs on the edge of Cape Greco park — glass water, pines to the sand.
Cape Greco
A national forest park of sea caves, cliff jumps and trails between Ayia Napa and Protaras.