Published · 7 min read · Facts checked 9 October 2026 against the sources below
Coral Bay faces west, towards the open sea. Polis Chrysochous and Latchi face north, across Chrysochou Bay, on the other side of the Akamas hills. Going from one to the other feels like a change of coast: smaller, quieter and more about fishing boats than sun loungers. It makes one of the best full days out from Coral Bay in Cyprus, and it is a day you can do without a car.
The day takes in the town of Polis, Latchi harbour, the Baths of Aphrodite and the two nature trails that start there. Kissonerga, the banana-growing village on the coast road between Coral Bay and Paphos, is a shorter outing in the other direction. The Blue Lagoon, reached by boat from Latchi, has its own guide.
Opening hours and bus times change, so check before you set off.
Getting there from Coral Bay
From the villa, the edge of the Akamas National Park is about 5 km, but the road to Polis does not cut across the park. It climbs inland through the hill villages of Kathikas, Arodes, Ineia and Drouseia and drops down to the bay on the far side. Those villages are worth a stop in their own right: see our guide to Kathikas and the Akamas villages.
By bus. Pafos Buses route 648 follows exactly that road: Coral Bay, Peyia, Kathikas, Arodes, Ineia, Drouseia, Polis. In 2026 it runs every day, leaving Coral Bay at 10:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00, and leaving Polis at 09:00, 11:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Catch the 10:00 out and the 17:00 back and you have most of a day on the north coast. Times can differ on public holidays.
Around Polis by bus. Route 622 links Polis bus station with Prodromi, Latchi and the Baths of Aphrodite, roughly once an hour from early morning until early evening, with the return from the Baths at half past the hour. That one line covers almost everything in this guide.
By car. Driving gives you more freedom, especially for the trails. If you have not driven in Cyprus before, read our driving in Cyprus guide first.
Polis Chrysochous
Polis is a small town 35 km north-west of Paphos, and it sits on top of two ancient cities. The first was Marion, a city-kingdom of the Classical period. The second was Arsinoe, the city of Roman times. Not much stands above ground today, so the museums are where the history becomes visible.
Marion-Arsinoe Archaeological Museum
The local archaeological museum is two rooms. The first runs from the Neolithic to the medieval period. The second holds finds from the ancient necropolis, the cemeteries that ringed the old city. It is a compact visit, an hour at most, and a good one for the hottest part of the day.
It opens Monday to Friday 08:00–16:00 and Saturday 09:00–15:00, and is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Entry is free and the building is wheelchair accessible. The hours are subject to change, so check before you go.
The maritime museum
Newer is the Polis Latsios Maritime and Cultural Museum, which had 4,517 visitors in its first year. It has four rooms covering more than thirty centuries of seafaring, with interactive, virtual reality and augmented reality displays and a focus on the Akamas coast. It is a good pick with older children.
Agios Andronikos and the beach
In the town itself, the church of Agios Andronikos has 16th-century frescoes that were plastered over in the Ottoman period and have since been uncovered and restored.
For a swim, the municipal beach at Polis was awarded a Blue Flag for 2026 in June, but it was not on the list of 46 beaches flying one in July. The beach by the town's campsite, shaded by eucalyptus trees, is sand and pebbles, with lifeguards from April to October, parking and disabled access. A coastal walkway runs from Polis to Latchi, so you can leave the car or the bus behind for the next stop.
Latchi harbour
Latchi (you will also see Latsi) is the fishing harbour along the coast from Polis, and the place to have lunch. It is known for fresh fish, and the restaurants line the waterfront facing the boats. Order the catch of the day, sit in the shade and watch the harbour work.
It is also the main departure point for boats along the Akamas coast. Small cruises leave for the Blue Lagoon, and the watersports centre on the harbour hires out self-drive motorboats, kayaks and paddleboards and runs dive trips. We cover the boats in detail in our Blue Lagoon guide, and the trips that leave from Paphos in our guide to Paphos boat trips. If you want to do both a boat trip and the sights in this guide, make it two separate days: a morning cruise eats most of the day once you add lunch.
The harbour is due to change: in March 2026 the Cyprus Ports Authority announced plans to make Latchi the first green port in Cyprus.
The Baths of Aphrodite
West of Latchi the road runs out of villages and into the Akamas. Near its end is the Baths of Aphrodite: a natural grotto under the shade of an old fig tree. Legend says the goddess bathed here, and that this is where she met Adonis when he stopped to drink while out hunting.
The grotto is smaller than the legend might suggest, and you come to look rather than to swim. What makes the visit is the setting: a shaded, green hollow on a dry coast, with a botanical garden beside it. The Baths are part of the Aphrodite Cultural Route, which also takes in Aphrodite's Rock on the south coast.
The Baths are the end of route 622 from Polis and Latchi.
Nature trails from the Baths of Aphrodite
Two of the best-known nature trails in Cyprus start here, and both climb quickly from the sea, with views back over Chrysochou Bay.
| Trail | Length | Time | Start | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphrodite | 7.5 km circular | 3–4 hours | The Baths of Aphrodite | Climbs from 35 m to 333 m; Queen's Tower ruins; an oak about 500 years old; views of Cape Arnaoutis and Polis |
| Adonis | 7.5 km circular | 3–4 hours | About 400 m before the Baths, by the botanical garden | Highest point 319 m; the Kefalovrysia fountain; views over Polis and the Pafos forest |
Both are graded 3 for difficulty by Visit Cyprus: with a climb of around 300 m, this is a proper walk rather than a stroll. Both pass the Queen's Tower, Pyrgos tis Rigainas, believed to be the ruin of a medieval monastery, and the trails connect, so you can vary the route. Look out for two endemic plants, the golden drop and Cyprus sage, and for Cyprus warblers and wheatears.
The rough track that carries on west from the Baths towards Fontana Amorosa is a different matter. It is narrow, unsealed and above steep drops, and it has had serious accidents and repeated closures for works in 2024–26. We explain the current position in the Blue Lagoon guide.
Kissonerga and the banana plantations
Kissonerga is on the other side of Coral Bay, on the coast road towards Paphos, and it is the opposite of the north: a coastal farming village surrounded by bananas. Pafos Buses route 615 runs from Paphos along the Chloraka to Kissonerga coastal road to Coral Bay, and route 607 links Paphos, Chloraka, Lemba, Kissonerga and Peyia from Monday to Saturday.
Bananas are the crop that defines this stretch of coast. Plantations fill the landscape from Coral Bay to Agios Georgios, and about 250 growers in Kissonerga and Peyia between them produce around ten million kilos a year. You will see the big leaves behind walls along the coast road.
It is a farming community under pressure. In early 2025 the Mavrokolympos reservoir, the plantations' main water supply, was drained after a leak, and growers complained that they had been left without guidance on where their water would come from. If you see local bananas for sale in a village shop, they are worth trying.
Kissonerga makes an easy short outing on its own, or a stop on the way back from Paphos. Combine it with a morning in the town, using our guide to things to do in Paphos.
Planning the day
A good order for one day, by bus or car:
- Morning: the 10:00 route 648 from Coral Bay, or an early drive over the hills via Kathikas. If you are walking a trail, go straight to the Baths of Aphrodite and start before the heat.
- Lunch: fish at Latchi harbour.
- Afternoon: the walkway to Polis, the archaeological museum (closed on Sundays) or the maritime museum, and a swim at the municipal beach.
- Back: the 17:00 route 648 from Polis, which gets you to Coral Bay for the evening.
Spring and autumn suit the trails best. For the weather month by month, see our Paphos weather guide; October is covered in detail on the October page.
Villa Prasino
Peyia
5 km
Akamas National Park
Approximate distance from the villa.
Where to stay
Villa Prasino is a private villa in Peyia, between the sea caves and the Akamas, for up to 6 guests in 3 bedrooms. The villa is on the right side of Paphos for this trip: the hill road north to Polis and Latchi starts in Peyia. The sea caves are about 2 km away and Coral Bay beach about 5 km for an easier day. After a long walk on the Aphrodite trail, there is a 6 × 12 m private pool and a hot tub to come back to, and the private driveway takes three cars. Read more about our villa by the Akamas, check availability and rates, or send us a booking request and we will confirm availability.
