LARA HAILED AS ONE OF EUROPE'S TOP SECLUDED BEACHES

 Cyprus Mail 17 August 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Cyprus’ famous turtle nesting beach of Lara Bay has made it on to Loveholidays’ list of Europe’s top ten secluded beaches, the Mirror newspaper reported on Monday.

The idea was to offer holiday inspiration that is also social distancing-friendly.

Lara Bay was ranked number five – after Achla Beach in Andros, Greece; Malta’s Mgarr ix-Xini; and Kimilia and Dafnoudi Beaches, both on the Greek island of Kephalonia.

Making up the top ten are: Bagni della Regina Giovanna, Italy; Cedar Forest of Alyko in Naxos, Greece; San Blas Beach, Malta; Sveti Jakov Beach, Croatia and Cala d’en Serra Beach, Ibiza.

On Lara, the Mirror said: “Between May and August this beach in Paphos is home to baby turtles who hatch from their eggs and make their way into the ocean. With no sun loungers or attractions in the region (there are heaps of conservation efforts in the local area), it tends to be a quiet spot. No wonder it’s hailed as one of the best beaches in Cyprus.”

Loveholidays drew up its list based on TripAdvisor reviews by visitors who have headed there before.

The holiday firm’s team searched through thousands of beach reviews on TripAdvisor to uncover those most recommended as being secluded, remote or hidden. To ensure they had a list of the best ones, researchers excluded any beaches linked to hotels/restaurants, and only considered beaches with less than 1,000 reviews.

Rules introduced by the Department of Fisheries to protect endangered sea turtles in the Lara-Toxeftra area include a ban from June 1 to September 30 on umbrellas, beds, tents and caravans. Visitors are not allowed to remain on the beach overnight, starting an hour before sunset. All fishing, except by fishing rod from the shore, is prohibited.

Boats are banned from the area from May 1 until October 31with the exception of professionals with a licence for small scale fishing in May and October.