Paphos...Aphrodite's Beauty

Crumbling castles, alluring landscapes and bright blue seas make this sun-soaked region of Cyprus the perfect  backdrop for a great holiday video

- Tanya Pearey

As I sweep the camera in front of me, the horseshoe beach of golden sand arcs away to my left and right. The waves of the Med lap at my feet. And the sun warms my shoulders. But the only person I can spot in my viewfinder is my daughter Imogen.

We are at Lara Bay on the north-west coast of Cyprus – an hour’s drive north of Paphos, along bumpy tracks accessible only in a 4x4 vehicle. The bay is a protected spot dubbed ‘Turtle Beach’ by the locals on account of the procession of green and loggerhead turtles that descend upon the sands to lay their eggs.

Problem is – no one seems to have told the turtles! There’s not one in sight. But we’re here in April and the egg-laying season runs from May to August. And the local Turtle Conservation Project has been working hard to protect the endangered sea turtles for 30 years, closing the beaches to the public at night, and building aluminium cages to shield the eggs from predators.

Lara Bay is remote, unspoilt and beautiful – a dramatic place to film – and it’s the first stop on my Surf & Turf 4x4 Safari from Holiday Village Aliathon in Paphos, where we’re staying. The all-day trip explores the rugged Akamas Peninsula by both land and sea.

Bathing beauty