At the south-east tip of Cyprus, a few kilometres east of Ayia Napa, the coast breaks into white limestone cliffs, a natural stone arch and a chain of sea caves carved out by the waves. This is Cavo Greco — a protected national park where the water turns an almost unreal shade of clear turquoise. You can walk the cliff-top path above it, but the caves themselves, the arches and the best swimming are only reachable from the sea, which is why a boat trip is the thing to do here. This guide walks through the cruises: where they leave from, the route past the caves, whether you can actually swim inside them, what a trip costs in 2026 and when to go. To plan a catamaran day, start with the Cyprus cruises page or the island-wide Cyprus boat trips guide.
What Is Cavo Greco?
Cavo Greco — Cape Greco, or Cavo Gkreko on the signs — is the rocky headland that closes off the bay between Ayia Napa and Protaras. It is a national forest park of low cliffs, juniper scrub and clear deep water, and its coastline hides three things every boat trip comes for: the sea caves, a series of low limestone tunnels and chambers cut into the cliff at the waterline; the natural sea arch known as the Love Bridge; and the sheltered turquoise water of nearby Konnos Bay and the Blue Lagoon. Because the cape has no beach road and the caves sit right on the water, the sea is the natural way in — and the perspective from a boat, looking up at the cliffs and into the caves, is one you simply cannot get from the path above.
The Cavo Greco sea caves are limestone tunnels at the waterline — reached only from the sea.
A protected cape east of Ayia Napa with sea caves, a natural arch and the clearest water in Cyprus — the highlight stop on almost every south-east coast cruise, and best seen from a boat.
Boat Trips to the Cavo Greco Sea Caves
Almost every cruise on the south-east coast makes Cavo Greco its centrepiece. Boats leave from Ayia Napa Harbour and the newer Ayia Napa Marina, with some also boarding at Protaras and Pernera. The caves sit about 8 kilometres east of the marina, so the sail out is short — roughly 20 to 35 minutes — and the classic route hugs the white cliffs, slows at the mouth of the caves, and then anchors nearby for a swim, usually pairing the caves with the turquoise Blue Lagoon and a second stop at pretty Konnos Bay. Because the distances are so small, most of the day is spent in the water rather than travelling. The full picture of routes, boats and departure points is in our Ayia Napa boat trips guide, and the swim stop itself in the Blue Lagoon guide.
From Ayia Napa the caves are minutes offshore — the cliffs come up fast on the sail east.
The Sea Caves, as Guests Tell It
Sailing times and prices only get you so far — here is what the cape actually feels like from the deck, in the words of travellers who sailed the Cavo Greco & Blue Lagoon cruise from Ayia Napa in the 2025 season. Every quote below is from a verified Tripadvisor review of that cruise.
What guests remember first is not a photo stop but the sail itself — a small boat, a calm sea and a crew who narrate the coast as the caves come into view. Liza, who sailed in September, put it this way:
“The ride felt smooth and stable, which made it relaxing even for those who usually get seasick. The crew was friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, sharing interesting details about the places we visited.”
The other thing that surprises people is how quiet the cape feels from a small catamaran, even with the big excursion boats crowding the same caves. Victoria counted the deck:
“One of the best cruises we have been on. We were only 22 on board including the crew. Plenty of space on the boat, good food and unlimited drinks. Highly recommend.”
Steve, weighing it against the packed party boats leaving the same harbour, was blunter still, calling it much better than the big boat alternatives, while Jacqueline remembered a relaxed excursion, great swimming stops and a trip without roaring crowds. And between the caves and the swim comes lunch, which guests describe less like boat catering and more like a taverna that happens to float. Maurizio wrote home about the menu itself:
“Excellent barley pasta with shrimp and clams, mussels and fresh salads! Local wine and typical cheeses. The staff on board did everything to please us! All this on a very spacious catamaran. It is really worth it!”
Between the caves and the lagoon comes lunch, cooked on board — the part guests name in their reviews.
Cavo Greco Boat Trip Prices (2026)
These are typical 2026 market prices per adult — a guide, not a quote. A half-day cruise of about 3 to 4 hours, taking in the sea caves and a swim stop at the Blue Lagoon or Konnos Bay, runs around 20 to 30 euro. A full-day luxury catamaran of about 5 to 6 hours, with a cooked lunch, open bar and snorkelling gear, starts from about 25 euro and rises to around 55 euro with the boat and the season. A private charter puts the whole catamaran on your schedule — the best way to reach the caves early, before the day boats arrive. Compare private charter prices in Ayia Napa. Children usually pay about half, and on a shared cruise you get 40 to 60 minutes anchored for swimming, noticeably longer on the full-day catamarans.
Most Cavo Greco cruises include free masks and snorkels and an onboard bar; the full-day luxury catamarans add a cooked lunch, an open bar and water toys. Hotel transfers are sometimes bundled in, sometimes an add-on — worth checking when you book.
What the Sea Caves Are Like
The Cavo Greco caves are a run of low limestone tunnels and chambers worn into the base of the cliff, some open to the sky, some ducking back into the rock. A catamaran cannot sail inside them — they are too low and shallow — but it anchors close by, and from there the caves are yours to explore by swimming or on a snorkel. Inside, the light bounces off the pale seabed and turns the water an electric blue; outside, the cliff drops into 5 to 8 metres of glass-clear water where bream and damselfish hang below the hull and, on a lucky morning, a sea turtle drifts past. The braver jump from the deck or the lower rocks; everyone else takes the swim ladder. It is the closest thing Cyprus has to snorkelling in an aquarium.
Boats anchor off the caves and you swim in — the clarity makes even a first snorkel feel like flying.
Non-swimmers are not left out. The water near the anchorage is calm enough to wade with a noodle or a vest, the crew keeps an eye on everyone, and glass-bottom boats along this coast show the seabed and the cave mouths without getting wet at all. Confident swimmers should bring a mask — the underwater light at Cavo Greco is the whole reason to come.
Shallow, calm water by the anchorage suits waders; the clear deep centre rewards a mask.
What’s Included & What to Bring
On a full-day catamaran the day is handled for you: a cooked lunch, an open bar, masks and snorkels, and the swim stops at the caves and the lagoon. There are no facilities at Cavo Greco itself — no shop, no toilets ashore, no shade on the rocks — so everything you need comes on the boat. Bring swimwear, a towel, a hat and high-factor sun cream, swim shoes for the rocky edges, drinking water and a waterproof pouch for your phone, because the caves are the photo of the day. The whole cape is a protected park, so skip single-use plastics and take everything back aboard. A little cash covers bar extras and a tip for the crew.
On the full-day catamarans, lunch and drinks come with the day.
Best Time for a Cavo Greco Boat Trip
Boats run this coast from late May into November, and the sea stays warm and swimmable longer here than almost anywhere else in the Mediterranean. The sweet spots are June, September and early October — warm water, long days and thinner crowds than the July–August peak, when the caves are busiest between about 10am and 3pm as the day boats converge. If you want the cape quiet, take the first morning departure, a late-afternoon sail or a private charter; the light on the cliffs is best early and late anyway. Check the month-by-month Cyprus sea temperature guide before you pick a date.
Early and late departures trade the crowds for the best light on the cliffs.
Why See Cavo Greco by Catamaran
Any boat gets you to the caves, but a catamaran changes the day around them. Two hulls make a wide, stable deck that barely moves at anchor, a shallow draft lets it nose in close over the turquoise shallows, and there is real space — shaded and open — to spread out between swims instead of queuing at a speedboat rail. DanEri’s luxury catamarans sail the south-east coast from Ayia Napa, pairing the Cavo Greco sea caves with a long swim stop in the Blue Lagoon, lunch cooked on board, snorkelling gear and a crew that handles everything. Full-day, sunset and private cruises are on the Cyprus cruises page.
At anchor off the cape, a catamaran’s deck becomes the best seat in Cyprus.