Family Yacht Cruise with Water Slide and Turtle Spotting from Protaras

Protaras Pier – the departure point

Protaras is the family resort of eastern Cyprus, a strip of sandy beaches and clear, shallow water on the Famagusta coast between Cape Greco and the Kapparis headland. The cruise departs from Protaras Pier, the small harbour at the northern end of the resort, where the excursion boats moor side by side and the water is calm enough for an easy boarding. If you have chosen the pickup option, our driver brings you here from your resort's central pickup point in time for the 10:00 departure.

Boarding requires about 15 steps, after which you can settle on the open top deck or in the shade on the main deck. The crew gives a safety briefing and the commentary begins as the boat leaves the harbour and turns north along the coast towards Famagusta, with the hotels of Protaras and Pernera giving way to low cliffs and rocky coves.

Famagusta and Varosha from the sea

About 20 minutes north of Protaras the boat slows in front of the skyline of Famagusta, the walled medieval port city, and its beach suburb of Varosha. In the early 1970s Varosha was the most glamorous resort in the eastern Mediterranean; since 1974 it has stood fenced off and empty, its high-rise hotels slowly decaying behind the beach. From the sea you see the silent towers and the long sandy shore, and the crew explains the history of the division of the island in a calm, factual way.

This is the only part of the cruise that is about history rather than swimming, and it is the view that most guests remember. The boat keeps a respectful distance, pauses for photographs and then turns back south along the coast. Seeing Varosha from the water is the easiest way to understand its scale, as access on land remains restricted.

The sea caves, Lovers' Bridge and Cape Greco

Heading south, the coastline between Protaras and Cape Greco turns into white limestone cliffs riddled with sea caves, arches and blowholes carved by the waves. The best known is Lovers' Bridge, a natural rock arch that spans a narrow inlet and has become a symbol of the area; the boat passes close enough for photos of the arch with the turquoise water beneath it. Nearby are the larger sea caves where the water glows blue inside the openings.

Cape Greco itself is a national forest park, the south-eastern tip of the island with cliffs, a lighthouse and some of the clearest water in Cyprus. The cruise follows this stretch slowly with commentary on the geology and the wildlife, and the crew keeps an eye out for sea turtles and the dolphins that occasionally pass; sightings of wild animals cannot be guaranteed.

The Blue Lagoon and the BBQ lunch

The first swim stop is at the Blue Lagoon, a sheltered cove near Cape Greco where a sandy seabed turns the water a vivid turquoise. The boat anchors for about 45 minutes; you can swim from the stern platform, snorkel along the rocks with a rented set, or launch yourself down the giant inflatable slide from the top deck into the sea. Life jackets are available and the crew supervises the slide at all times.

Lunch is served at this stop. The Cypriot BBQ is prepared fresh on board over the grill with halal chicken, a seasonal salad and hand-cut fries, and one drink per person is included; the food is a highlight of this cruise and the reason many guests choose the lunch option. Please do not bring your own food or drinks on board; other drinks can be bought from the crew.

Green Bay – Turtle Bay

The second swim stop is at Green Bay in Protaras, a shallow, sandy cove with seagrass meadows that is one of the most reliable places in Cyprus to see green sea turtles feeding in the wild. The water is only a few metres deep and very clear, so snorkellers often spot a turtle grazing on the seabed or surfacing for air a short distance from the boat. The crew explains how to watch the turtles without disturbing them.

You have about 45 minutes here to swim, snorkel and use the slide again before the final cruise back to Protaras Pier. Turtle sightings are frequent but never guaranteed, as these are wild animals. The boat returns to the pier about 3.5 hours after departure; with the pickup option, our driver then takes you back to your resort's central point, for a total of around five hours.