Possibly the best on the island, Golden Beach is worth the trip to the Karpas in itself. Its white-sand dunes and gentle curves meet the calm, clear sea, and wild donkeys graze nonchalantly on the hills while you soak up the tranquillity. It’s truly enchanting, with little development.
The beach is 5km before Zafer Burnu (Cape Apostolos Andreas), situated between scrubby headlands and stretching for several kilometres. There are some basic restaurants and accommodation options.
It's now part of a national park and also prime turtle-nesting ground. If you’re visiting in September, contact the certified volunteers at the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT; www.cyprusturtles.org) who monitor the progress of the turtles – you may even be lucky enough to witness baby turtles hatching.