"Please show me all the sea life there is to see here in one dive, so I don't have to go underwater again." This was my request to the dive instructors, Conrad and Reece, each time I came sputtering out of the surface, from the 2m deep training site! But Conrad was sure that I wouldn't want to stop venturing further, once I went down to the fish rock, as it is known in Agia Napa locally. "Humans, we are intelligent enough to breathe and wonder, simultaneously. Trust Reece and me", Conrad kept saying, until I composed myself and let them guide me deeper. And the second I was about 10m under, using the regulator like a nose came naturally, because my mind and heart were too enraptured by the residents of a new world. Parrot fish, jelly fish, silver fish, damsel fish, and so many others came close enough to curiously inspect the spectacle of a new comer, who, a few minutes later, felt like she belonged, and felt so very welcome! The wonder I felt was enough to help me persist in the superhuman effort to remain under water. So much that I voluntarily scheduled a 2nd dive for the following day! Conrad it seems, is right. Once you have had a glimpse, it is indeed impossible to resist the call of the world that lies submerged in our oceans!
One dive in the Mediterranean sea side near Cyprus was all it took for me to go from hydrophobic to hydrophyllic. But the urge to take the plunge became compelling way back, when Netflix released the Our Planet documentary. Facts about bleeching corals and the affected underwater eco systems kept tugging at my heart's strings, pleading with me to go sneak a peak at this enigmatic other world. With the Eastern Mediterranean having water temperatures of 24-26 degrees in summer and the Cape Greco National Park being home to several endemic land and water inhabitants, Cyprus turned out to be the perfect location to try scuba diving for the first time. So on the world ocean day of 2018, my life changed forever, after diving up to the fish rock. Half an hour later, a sudden burst of sunlight signalled the end of my first dive session. And now that I am back to the surface all buoyant, I can't recommend this blob of disputed territory between Greece and Turkey enough - both for underwater and land explorations!
Ought to let the hair catch some salty ocean breeze, the best kinda blow dry after all the dives!
WHAT ELSE TO DO IN CYPRUS AND HOW TO GET AROUND!?
Besides water activities, there are plenty of coastal hiking opportunities in Paphos and the Cape Greco National Park. So I covered the few trails that were accessible by public buses and the views were absolutely gorgeous (although these trails sometimes pass through urban zones and may not be scenic throughout). Do not be intimiditated by sign boards that seem Greek to you, literally. Just ask around for information because all bus drivers and locals can converse in English quite well. The tickets ranged from 1.50-2eur, for one way journeys in 2018. Here is a list of places where you will find some nice hiking trails. You can directly enter the suggested options on google maps and follow the walking route shown!
1. PAPHOS
Coral Bay, Peyia to Sea Caves, Peyia Trail
Google maps shows about one hr one way, but with stops for photos and leisure, this trail can take up to 3 hrs to complete. The Coral Bay can be reached by public buses from the Kato Paphos bus station in Paphos town center, which is also the place to get to from the Paphos airport. Along the way, there are no eateries, and I found a tiny convenience store at some point where I bought some packed juice and chips! So it's best to carry some food.
My next stop was Agia Napa. Intercity buses ply regularly between Paphos and Agia Napa. The schedules can be found here: https://www.intercity-buses.com/. Tickets can be bought online or at the Paphos Karavella bus station and the journey takes about 2.5-3hours. The Karavella station is connected to the Kato Paphos main station by local buses.
2. AGIA NAPA
Agia Napa is a party goer's town and is filled with casinos and loud neighbourhoods! However it is a nature lovers haven too. I spent 2 days and 2 nights in Agia Napa. On both days I went scuba diving in the mornings with the Cyprus Dives diving center, priced at 90euros for two sessions of "discover scuba diving" - the best bet, if you are a noob like me! The long afternoons were spent exploring the Cape Greco National Park. Local buses ply between Agia Napa town center (near the monastery) and Cape Greco National Park (Kavo Greko). There are many nice areas to explore in the national park. I explored Agia Napa sea caves, Kamara Tou Koraka stone arch, and the Blue Lagoon from the Cape Greco visitor center, on foot. If you want to label the entire thing a hike, then it can take upto 2hrs (including photo stops and adequate breaks) to cover all these on foot. Once back in the Agia Napa town center, I also walked to the Lover's Bridge, which is a beautiful natural arch over the Mediterranean. It is about 1.8Km, one way. Again, it is advisable to carry some water and snacks, as there are not many eat out options, except an overpriced food cart near the Blue Lagoon area. The tender coconut is worth splurging on though!
WHERE TO STAY
Owing to a late night arrival, I never opted for a stay in Paphos town. The airport was my oyster, like it has been on many ocassions of late night arrival after a hard day's work on Friday! In Agia Napa, I would highly recommend both the Simos Magic Hotel Apartments and the Green Bungalows Hotel Apartments, where I spent a night each. Both were on the lower end of the cost spectrum, yet comfortable for 1-2 nights stay!
WHAT AIRPORTS TO CHOOSE?
I flew into the Paphos Int'l airport, explored Paphos and flew out of the Larnaca Int'l airport, as it is closer to Agia Napa. Both are connected to the main cities by public transport. Both https://www.intercity-buses.com/ and https://www.cyprusbybus.com/ are useful websites to plan your bus journeys across Cyprus.
PS: I have deliberately spelled Ayia Napa as Agia Napa (the Greek way) throughout this blog post, so you don't struggle to find it in the destination options on the websites, like I did. lol
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