A Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip starts with a road transfer from your hotel to Latchi harbour, then a cruise along the Akamas coast to a bay of clear turquoise water. Want a second day afloat? Our tours in Greece page lists more boat days across the islands and Cyprus.
This page covers what the trip includes, how the day runs, the hotel transfer from Paphos to Latchi, the harbour, the Blue Lagoon and its swim stop, the Baths of Aphrodite, Saint George’s Island, the sea caves and bays from Manolis Bay to Fontana Amorosa, the Akamas Peninsula, food and drink on board, what to wear and the questions travellers ask.
What does the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip include?
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip includes a morning or afternoon cruise and a swimming stop at the Blue Lagoon. Three sight visits come with it, and pickup is included. A live host speaks English and Greek.
The tour listing names Nafsika II as the activity provider, which is the company that runs the day. Its title is Paphos: Blue Lagoon Boat Trip with Transfers, so transfers belong to the package.
The includes list has five lines. One gives the time of day, three name sights and one names the swim. Here is every line on it:
- Morning or afternoon cruise
- Visit to the Baths of Aphrodite
- Visit to Saint George’s Island
- Visit to the sea caves at Manolis Bay
- Swimming stop at the Blue Lagoon
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip listing shows pickup and the host’s languages as separate features. They sit near the top. The language line names English and Greek only. The five lines name no meal and no equipment. Food and drink appear in the description instead.
The includes list says “visit” for the Baths of Aphrodite, Saint George’s Island and the sea caves. The description says the boat passes them during the cruise. It names only the Blue Lagoon as a stop. So the sights come with the sail, and the swim is the one stop the description names.
Cancel 24 hours or more ahead on the listing, and the full amount comes back to you. That makes 24 hours the cut-off for a full refund on this Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. Check the cut-off against the start time you choose.
How long is the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip, and how does the day run?
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip lasts 4.5 hours on the tour listing. The cruise runs in the morning or the afternoon. The day follows a set order, from hotel pickup to the swim stop and the return transfer.
The listing gives the length as 4.5 hours and prints no clock times. The 4.5 hours is the only duration it gives. Start times appear once you choose a date. Morning and afternoon are the only two parts of the day it names for the cruise.
The listing does not say how the 4.5 hours split between the transfer and the boat. The operator’s own site fills that gap for the cruise itself. It lists the morning cruise from 10:15 in the morning to 12:45 in the afternoon.
The same site lists the afternoon cruise from 1 in the afternoon to 3:30 in the afternoon. Each cruise on that timetable runs for about 2.5 hours on the water. The listing gives the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip 4.5 hours with the hotel transfers. Plan your day around the full 4.5 hours.
The listing sets out the day in this order, and it gives no minutes for any step:
- You are picked up from your hotel in Paphos and head to the boat.
- The morning or afternoon cruise begins.
- During the cruise, the boat passes the Baths of Aphrodite, Saint George’s Island, the sea caves at Manolis Bay and more places on the coast.
- The boat stops at the Blue Lagoon for swimming.
- After the trip, a return transfer takes you back to your hotel.
The pickup and the return transfer frame this Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. The cruise and the swim stop sit between them. In the description, the Blue Lagoon comes last on the route, after the sights. Pickup details show once you choose a date, and the page gives no pickup time.
Two things stay open on the page. They are your pickup time at the hotel and the length of the swim stop. Check the availability step for the pickup. For the swim, ask the operator before you book the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip.
How do the hotel transfers from Paphos to Latchi work?
The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip names a private taxi or bus transfer. It takes you from your hotel in Paphos to the boat. After the cruise, a return transfer waits to take you back to your hotel.
The listing asks you to arrive at the pickup point 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Pickup details and starting times appear when you check availability. Before you book the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip, note that the listing leaves three things open:
- Whether a taxi or a bus collects you. The operator’s own site for Nafsika II says transfers from Paphos run by taxi or by coach.
- How long the drive to Latchi takes.
- How the total time splits between the road and the boat.
Paphos is the main town and capital of Paphos District, says Wikipedia. Latchi sits in the municipality of Polis, one of four in that district. A boat operator’s blog puts Latchi about 45 minutes by car north of Paphos. The listing gives no transfer time for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. That figure is for a car.
Another tour seller runs its own Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip with a bus transfer. The bus is air-conditioned. Pickup is at a fixed point near the hotel, which can be a short walk away. On that tour, pickup starts one hour before the tour. The bus collects other guests along the route. Exact times and places come after booking.
Another boat operator asks passengers to arrive at least 15 minutes before the boat departs. Wikipedia adds a near hourly 645 bus from Polis to Paphos. Each seller sets its own rules, so follow your own Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip listing.
What is Latchi, the harbour where the boat leaves?
Latchi is the fishing port that serves the town of Polis, in Paphos District. The listing sends you there for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. Wikipedia lists boat hire and boat trips from Latchi harbour.
In its web address, the listing files the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip under Latsi. The text writes Latchi. Wikipedia gives four spellings: Latchi, Lachi, Latsi and Lakki. It calls the place a small fishing village within the Polis municipality, 7 metres above sea level. The same article links to the Polis-Latsi Sea and Cultural Museum.
A boat operator’s blog calls Latchi a small fishing port five minutes from Polis. Wikipedia says Polis sits at the north-west end of the island, in the centre of Chrysochou Bay. It stands on the edge of the Akamas nature reserve. Polis is the administrative centre of an area with 23 communities. Wikipedia names the larger ones:
- West of Polis: Prodromi, Latchi and Neo Chorio.
- East of Polis: Argaka and Gialia.
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip goes to Latchi, the port of Polis. Polis gets its full name, Polis Chrysochou, from Chrysochou, a village about 2 km inland to the south. Polis means city, and Chrysochou comes from the Greek word for gold. Opinion is divided on why: a goldsmith as first settler, or prosperity from nearby copper mines.
Wikipedia describes an almost unbroken chain of beaches from Aphrodite in the west to Gialia in the east. The busy ones have sunbeds and cafes. The remote ones are reachable only by boat or 4WD vehicle. It says Polis itself has:
- A campsite on the beach and small hotels.
- One branch of each major Cypriot bank.
- Bars and restaurants around the town square and the pedestrian streets to the south.
- Municipal events: traditional dances and music outside the town hall in the summer months, plus other fetes and festivals through the year.
What is the Blue Lagoon on the Akamas coast?
The Blue Lagoon on the Akamas coast is a wild, horseshoe-shaped inlet in the far west of Cyprus. Boats reach it from Latchi harbour, and the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip includes a swimming stop there.
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip heads for the north-west coast of Cyprus. A catamaran operator says the lagoon lies inside the Akamas National Park, about 50 kilometres north of Paphos. It describes a small inlet around 200 metres across, fringed by low limestone cliffs. The inlet has no beach, no facilities and no paved road.
A second Blue Lagoon lies far to the east of the island, at Cape Greco near Ayia Napa and Protaras. The catamaran operator tells guests staying in Paphos to choose the Akamas lagoon instead. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip sails from Latchi, so it goes to the Akamas one.
Four other pages describe the lagoon that the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip visits. Each speaks only for itself.
- A visitor site says the boat sails from Latchi harbour to the lagoon along the western coast of the Akamas Peninsula.
- Another boat operator in Latchi sails along the shores of the North West Akamas Nature Reserve, then anchors at the lagoon.
- A tour seller calls the Blue Lagoon a protected bay with marine life just below the surface.
- A ticket site says the Blue Lagoon sits within the protected Akamas Nature Reserve.
Sellers praise the water in similar words. The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip calls it crystal-clear. The boat operator in Latchi says guests swim in turquoise waters. The tour seller says guests jump into turquoise waters.
What is the swim and snorkel stop at the Blue Lagoon like?
The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip says the boat stops at the lagoon for swimming and snorkelling. It describes the water as crystal-clear, and its highlights call the lagoon a popular spot for both.
The listing does not name any snorkel gear, and it does not say how you enter the water. Ask the operator what comes with the boat before you book the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. The pages below show that sellers differ on both points.
Other pages state their own swim stops, and each speaks only for its own boat. None of it comes from the listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip.
- The catamaran operator says its boat anchors in the lagoon for 60 to 90 minutes of swimming and snorkelling. Guests enter from the deck or the swim ladder and swim straight off the boat. It says the Akamas current keeps the lagoon a couple of degrees cooler than the open sea. In summer the water is about 22 to 24 degrees Celsius.
- The boat operator in Latchi calls its boat the smallest tour boat leaving Latchi harbour. It anchors at the Blue Lagoon for a minimum of 1 hour. Its page lists swimming and snorkelling equipment as free to use, and life jackets in different sizes to borrow. It tells guests with children, or guests who are not very good swimmers, to take one.
- The tour seller sells a bus-and-boat trip. It lists snorkelling masks and life jackets as equipment, and an outdoor shower among its amenities.
- The visitor site lists stops for swimming and snorkelling in crystal-clear water, with views of the wild coast.
The catamaran operator adds a note for non-swimmers. Its crew watches the water, and the shallow edges are calm enough to wade with a noodle or vest. It tells confident swimmers to bring a mask.
These water facts describe the lagoon itself, which the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip also visits. The gear and the stop lengths belong to each seller’s own boat.
What are the Baths of Aphrodite, and what is the legend behind them?
The Baths of Aphrodite are a small grotto with a spring-fed pool at the edge of the Akamas Peninsula. According to myth, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, bathed in its water. The listing says the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip passes the Baths of Aphrodite.
The baths lie near the town of Polis, and a travel site says they sit close to the coast. A natural spring flows down the rock into the pool. Another boat operator lists a Bath of Aphrodite’s Bay among its sights from Latchi. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip names the baths as well.
A caving website calls the baths a karst spring. Limestone-rich water falls into a small pool and leaves tufa on the way. A karst cave lies behind the pool, and the water rises from it. The site says calling the baths a cavern is a mix-up, because the bath is only a small pool.
On a Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip you sail past the coast where, in local lore, Aphrodite bathed. The same lore says she first met Adonis here, when he came to the pool for a drink after hunting. A travel site adds that the water is said to give beauty and fertility to those who bathe in it.
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip follows a coast with deep roots in Greek myth. Wikipedia says Aphrodite rose from sea foam near Cyprus, and her title Paphian points to Paphos. It adds that the ancient writer Pseudo-Apollodorus calls Adonis the son of Cinyras of Paphos.
- The tale ends in grief. Wikipedia says a wild boar gored Adonis on a hunting trip, and anemones grew where his blood fell.
- Women held the festival of Adonia every midsummer to mark his death.
- An old fig tree shades the grotto. A travel site links fig trees to mother-goddess worship. It says ancient Cypriots saw Aphrodite as the patron deity of Cyprus.
- A trail west of the baths leads to an oak tree, said to be a favourite spot of the goddess. The path then splits into the Aphrodite and Adonis routes, each about 5 km long.
- A travel site says visitors are not allowed to swim there today.
- Those paths are for walkers on land. The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip states no walk to the baths.
What is Saint George’s Island near Latchi?
Saint George’s Island is a barren volcanic outcrop about 800 metres offshore from Saint George’s Reef, near Latchi. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip passes it during the cruise, says the listing.
A Latchi water-sports firm gives that distance and calls the rock barren and volcanic, with seabirds on the surface. A boat-hire site adds that sea eagles and wild pigeons lay their eggs there. A dive centre says the island is sheltered from western winds.
The same boat-hire site places the bay of the Baths of Aphrodite 4 km from Latchi harbour. It says the bay lies 1 km before the island. The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip also names the baths first and the island second.
A dive centre calls the island a short boat trip from Latchi, where the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip starts. Below the surface, the water-sports firm lists tuna, groupers, trumpet fish and octopus. The dive centre adds moray eels and grouper on the slopes. Divers can descend to 35 metres to explore underwater caves.
- Another boat operator says that on its cruise from Latchi you will see Saint George’s island.
- A different boat operator lists Saint George Island under cruise sightseeing.
Which sea caves and bays do you pass, from Manolis Bay to Fontana Amorosa?
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip passes three named spots, says the tour listing. They are the sea caves at Manolis Bay, Blaji Bay and Fontana Amorosa. The included list also names a visit to the sea caves at Manolis Bay.
The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip is short on detail here. It gives no cave sizes and no time spent at each spot. It does not say whether the boat goes inside a cave or what you see at Fontana Amorosa. The only swim stop it names is the Blue Lagoon.
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip is not the only cruise that names this coast. Other pages use their own words, and the spellings differ. Fontana Amorosa also appears as Fontana Amoroza:
- The operator’s own site for Nafsika II lists sea caves at Manolis bay, Blaji bay and Fontana Amoroza.
- Another boat operator names Manolis Sea Caves, Veriko Bay, Aphrodite’s Beach and Fontana Amoroza.
- A tour seller with a bus-and-boat day mentions the dramatic Manolis Sea Caves and the rugged cliffs of Akamas National Park.
- A ticket site promises sea caves, cliffs and bays on the wild Akamas.
Wikipedia describes Fontana Amorosa as a fresh water pool linked to Aphrodite. It lies on the Akamas Peninsula near Polis, 48 kilometres north of Paphos. The Akamas page calls it Love’s Spring and ties it to the tale of Aphrodite and her lover Adonis. In the legend, a drink from the spring overcomes the drinker with youthful desire.
On its cycling-route page, the official Cyprus tourism site puts a Blue Lagoon swim in the Fontana Amoroza area. That fits the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip listing, which names Fontana Amorosa just before the Blue Lagoon. The operator that names Veriko Bay adds that its crew can tell you about the places you pass.
What is the Akamas Peninsula, the wild coast on the route?
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip sails along the coast of the Akamas, a cape in north-west Cyprus. Wikipedia gives the peninsula an area of 230 square kilometres. A visitor site says boats for the lagoon follow its western coast.
Wikipedia says the peninsula takes its name from Akamas, a son of Theseus. The town of Pegeia stands at its southern end, and Polis lies on its northeast side. The land is mountainous, so no road runs through its heartland. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip follows the edge by sea.
Sources label the coast of the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip differently. Wikipedia’s Paphos District page says the Akamas contains a national park. A boat operator from Latchi starts with sightseeing along the shores of the North West Akamas Nature Reserve. The operator’s own site says it has cruised this coast for more than 40 years.
Wikipedia says the Akamas supports a wide diversity of life. It lists these details:
- Wild flowers: cyclamen, turban buttercups, the Cyprus tulip, orchids, yellow gorse and white rock rose. Alyssum akamasicum is endemic to the Akamas, a plant found nowhere else.
- Animals: shrews, snakes, lizards and Cyprus warblers, with monk seals among the vulnerable species.
- Gorges: the Androlykou Gorge and the Petratis Gorge on the northern side, seen from the village of Androlykou.
- Landscape: Ptolemy described a headland divided in two by summits that rise towards the north.
Sir David Attenborough has filmed at the Akamas, the land beside the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip route. The film Akamas was mainly shot there too. The official Cyprus tourism site says a cycling ride to the Akamas lighthouse gives views of Cyprus’s westernmost cape.
What do you eat and drink on board?
The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip lists fresh fruits, local wine (red or white) and orange squash on board. The listing names no barbecue and no lunch, and it gives no amounts for any item.
The description names three items. Fresh fruits come first, then local wine in red or white. Orange squash is the soft drink. The highlights line is shorter. It speaks of a glass of local wine and fresh fruits on board the boat.
The listing says nothing about a barbecue, a lunch or a snack bar. So read the three items as refreshments on the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip, not as a meal. Plan your own meal for before or after the cruise.
The operator’s own site lists the same three items on its Nafsika II daily cruise. That matches the listing for this tour.
The same company runs a separate barbecue boat, Koulla. Its 4 hour trip comes with chicken and pork souvla and a village salad. The site also lists an Akamas sunset barbecue cruise. Neither trip is part of the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. That tour names only fresh fruits, local wine and orange squash.
Another boat operator in Latchi runs an onboard bar with light snacks and a number of different drinks. Once the boat is anchored, its page says it serves free local wine, children’s juices and seasonal fruits.
Its snack list names nuts, crisps and fruits, and each guest gets a free glass of wine, lemonade or orangeade. A buffet is possible for an additional fee. Each seller lists its own food, so compare the lists before you book a Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip.
A tour seller with a bus-and-boat Blue Lagoon trip lists a complimentary glass of Cypriot wine, seasonal fruits and juice. Extra drinks and snacks on its boat cost an additional fee. Wine and fruits appear on every list above.
What do you wear and bring, and who is the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip not suited to?
For the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip, the listing asks for comfortable clothing, water-ready shoes and a waterproof bag. It rules out one group: people prone to seasickness. Other pages add sun cover and a towel.
The listing says to wear comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for water activities. It also says to bring a waterproof bag for personal belongings. It gives no size for the bag and no list of clothes.
Another tour seller asks for comfortable non-slip shoes without heels on its own Blue Lagoon trip. That seller rules out heels. The listing for this tour names no heel rule.
Sun cover for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip comes from other pages. The same tour seller lists sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen. A visitor site says to bring sunscreen, a hat and a camera on a Blue Lagoon boat trip. The operator’s own site for Nafsika II says to pack your sunglasses and grab a towel.
Seasickness is the only warning on the listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip. Wikipedia explains the cause: motion sickness comes from real or perceived motion, and sea travel is on its list. Common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache and dizziness.
Wikipedia says about one-third of people are susceptible to motion sickness. It adds that nearly everyone feels it at least once. It names two simple measures: keep your head still and focus on the horizon.
Another tour seller does not recommend its Blue Lagoon trip during pregnancy, for safety reasons. The same seller welcomes guests with limited mobility or in wheelchairs, if they tell it in advance. The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip states neither point, so ask the seller before you book.
What else do travellers ask about the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip?
Who runs the boat on the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip, and how is the crew trained?
The operator’s own site calls the business family-owned and the largest cruising company in Latchi. Captain Giangos, the owners’ grandfather, founded it, and it runs Nafsika II for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip.
Its captains and staff are highly trained in all aspects of crew and passenger safety and first aid. The site adds that the latest safety equipment is installed on all of its boats.
Can you hire a private boat from Latchi harbour for your own group?
Yes, the operator’s own site offers private hire, with private cruising listed for up to 120 people. It also lists two private charter yachts, Latchi Pearl and Latchi Oasis, for VIP cruises direct from Latchi harbour. The site describes Latchi Oasis as a Cap Camarat yacht, 10.5 metres long.
Another boat operator in Latchi arranges private boat hire and asks you to tell it the number of people. It also organises private cruises for special occasions, such as birthday parties and wedding anniversaries. The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip names no private boat hire.
Do sea turtles live on the Akamas coast near Latchi?
The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip names no turtles, so these are facts about the coast. Wikipedia lists a loggerhead turtle sanctuary among the visitor attractions of the Akamas.
The operator’s own site tells of Andrea, a green turtle, and Lara, a loggerhead, both tagged off Lara Bay. It links live tracking maps for both turtles. It calls Lara Bay green turtle country, while the beaches by Latchi have nesting loggerheads. Small metal cages in the sand near Latchi harbour mark nests that conservationists protect.
What is Cape Arnaoutis, and is it on the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip route?
The listing for the Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip does not name Cape Arnaoutis among its sights. A place-name database files the cape in Paphos District and lists Cape Akamas as another name for it.
A hiking-route site calls it the tip of the Akamas Peninsula and the westernmost part of Cyprus. Its walk follows 9 km of the north-east coast to the cape, where a small shrine stands at the tip. The page lists the walk at 18 km and 6 hours 30 minutes in all.
Can you reach the Blue Lagoon on foot, by bike or by 4×4 instead of by boat?
A Cyprus news site says the Blue Lagoon is reachable by boat, 4×4 or a demanding hike. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip is the boat option on that list.
The same page says boat trips leave Latchi harbour regularly during the warmer months. It adds that rough tracks, including routes towards the Blue Lagoon and Fontana Amorosa, suit high-clearance vehicles better.
The official Cyprus tourism site lists a cycling route from Polis Chrysochous. It puts the Blue Lagoon swim right before a big uphill, 17 km from the start.
How big is Paphos District, and what is its coast like?
Paphos District is one of the six districts of Cyprus, and it lies in the western part of the island. Wikipedia also gives the spelling Pafos. It puts the area at 1,396 square kilometres, which it calls 15.1 percent of the whole island.
The same page counts 121 communities in the district. It lists the time zone as UTC+2, and UTC+3 in summer. It adds that the internationally recognised government of Cyprus controls the entire district.
Wikipedia describes the coast as a mix of gulfs and coves, capes and points, beaches and tiny isles. The Paphos Blue Lagoon boat trip sails along the Akamas coast. The same page places the Akamas peninsula inside this district.
The page also splits the land into three regions. The coastal plain lies mainly below 200 metres. The hilly area climbs from that plain up to the igneous rocks of the Paphos forest. The mountainous region lies mainly on those same igneous rocks.