This is the ride people picture when they imagine cycling on this coast, and it is the one most visitors here actually do. Two resorts, the eastern tip of the island between them, and the sea on one side for a good deal of it.
It is also short enough to be a before-breakfast outing and interesting enough to be the whole morning, which is a useful combination on a holiday. Here is what it is actually like.
The shape of it
Ayia Napa and Protaras sit on either side of the Cape Greco headland, and the road between them runs around it. It is a short ride by cycling standards (this is a compact corner of a small island), which means most people ride it as an out-and-back from wherever they are staying rather than as a one-way trip.
The terrain is gentle. There is no sustained climbing anywhere on it, and what little rise there is comes in short pitches around the headland rather than as anything you would call a hill. If you have not ridden for a while, this is a forgiving reintroduction.
Because it is short and because both ends are resorts, you can turn round at any point and be back somewhere with coffee in twenty minutes. That is worth more than it sounds if the wind or the heat turns out worse than expected.
The wind decides how hard it is
There is very little gradient on this ride, so what actually determines whether it feels easy or grim is the wind off the sea. It can be strong, and it is much more noticeable on the exposed coastal stretch than it is a couple of kilometres inland.
The practical rule for an out-and-back here is to take the headwind on the way out. The temptation to enjoy a fast, easy start is exactly how a pleasant morning becomes a long slog home, and on a route this exposed the difference is not marginal.
Go early, and this is not only about heat
In summer the early start is a heat decision and it is non-negotiable. In spring and autumn it is a traffic decision, and it matters just as much: this is the busiest road in the region once the day gets going, and a route that is a pleasure at 07:00 is a completely different experience at 11:00.
A lot of the traffic in season is holiday traffic, including people driving hired vehicles on a side of the road they are not used to. Early morning removes that problem entirely, and the light on this coast at that hour is the best of the day anyway.
In winter the calculation changes again: the resort traffic is largely gone and mid-morning is fine. That and the rest of the seasonal picture is in cycling here in winter.
Cape Greco in the middle
The headland between the two resorts is a national forest park, 385 hectares of it, and it is the reason this ride is more than a transfer between two towns. There are sea caves, a natural rock arch and clifftop views along it, and it is a walking destination as much as a riding one, so expect pedestrians and give way to them.
On a road bike you are looking at the approach roads and the viewpoints, which is plenty. The park also contains around four kilometres of purpose-built bicycle track and a network of rougher tracks across the headland, which is a different ride on a different bike.
If the off-road version appeals, that is its own outing and we have written it up in mountain biking at Cape Greco. The two do not really combine into one satisfying morning; pick a bike and pick a version.
Making a longer morning of it
The coast road on its own is a spin rather than a ride. Two ways to extend it, both of which use the fact that this corner of the island is compact.
- Loop inland on the way back. The red-soil farming villages behind the coast (Paralimni, Deryneia, Sotira, Liopetri) are quiet, sheltered from the sea wind, and a completely different landscape. This is the natural way to turn a short coastal spin into a proper morning.
- Ride it twice, in both directions. Less silly than it sounds on a route this scenic, and it deals with the wind by guaranteeing you get it both ways.
- Add the Achna reservoir as an inland turning point. Far enough to feel like a ride, close enough that the return leg is not a commitment.
All of those are described in more detail in the routes around Protaras and Ayia Napa, and the official signposted routes through this area (eight of them, all running through Paralimni) are listed in the eight official routes from Paralimni.
What bike
A road bike for the coast road, comfortably. The surface on the main coastal route is good and there is nothing on it that asks for anything wider.
If you want to combine the road ride with the tracks across the headland, that is a mountain bike day instead. Our road bike rental and mountain bike rental pages describe what each is suited to here. And if you are staying at either end of this ride, the bike can be at the hotel when you arrive: bike rental in Protaras or bike rental in Ayia Napa.
If you would rather ride it with somebody who knows which turnings are worth taking, our guided cycling tours start from exactly this stretch of coast.
How long does it take to cycle from Ayia Napa to Protaras?
For most riders it is a short outing rather than a day: comfortably under an hour each way at an easy pace, and considerably less if you are riding hard and the wind is behind you. The variable is the wind rather than the terrain. Add time for stopping at Cape Greco, because you will.
Is it suitable for children or a family?
Early in the morning, and outside the peak of the season, yes. Once the day is busy the coast road carries enough holiday traffic that it is not a road we would put a child on. The inland village routes behind the resorts are the better family option at any hour, and they are a nicer ride anyway.
Can I do it on a hire bike from the hotel?
That is the normal way to do it. A hire bike delivered to the hotel means you can ride it before breakfast on your first morning rather than spending that morning collecting one. If you are unsure which of the two resorts makes the better starting point for your particular stay, get in touch. It is a short conversation.