turtles Archives - Ampeli Villa, Pissouri Bay, Cyprus

“Best Tourism Village”

Nikki Salter Activities, Culture, Events, Nature, Pissouri March 12, 2025August 2, 2025concerts, culture, music, pissouri, pissouri amphitheatre, pissouri bay, trails, turtles 0 Comment

We are delighted and proud that the United Nations World Travel Organisation recently awarded our corner of Cyprus a “Best Tourism Village” Award. No wonder so many Pissouri visitors stay in touch and return season after season.

What Makes Pissouri So Special?

Care for Nature and the Environment

For many years our beach has been patrolled by members of Pissouri Turtlewatch. This dedicated band of nature lovers organise dawn beach inspections during the summer nesting season to check for turtle tracks along the sands. Once the tell-tale marks are spotted, the nest site is carefully investigated to check for eggs. The mother loggerhead may make several attempts to nest before selecting her preferred site. When a viable nest is found, the location is marked and protected from potential predators (and parasols) with a circle of stones, a marker and a special cage. The site is monitored until between 49 and 58 days later the hatchlings emerge and head for the safety of the sea, often at night. Turtlewatch volunteers aim to be on hand for this, using red-light torches to avoid disorientating the vulnerable creatures.

Welcoming and Tourist-Friendly

The village has identified and mapped eight trails for walkers and mountain bikers, choosing routes with attractive views and scenery. They vary in difficulty and distance. Clear information boards with maps, points of interest, and details of the routes offer a comprehensive guide to make it easy for visitors to select and navigate the trails. More: Pissouri Trails

Cultural and Community Heritage

Pissouri village square is the central hub of the village where locals, ex-pats and tourists gather for community social events. At various times of the year this will be the venue for music and folk dancing in traditional dress. Greek Orthodox Easter is a big celebration in Cyprus and an opportunity to try a Cypriot meze while enjoying the village entertainments in the square. Throughout the summer there are also ‘Cyprus Nights’ where you can learn a few steps if you wish to join in with the dancing. There are also marvellous glass-balancing feats on display.

Just along from the square is the amphitheatre where there is a popular programme of summer music concerts. This vibrant community event, generally on Saturdays, is highly recommended.

Commitment to Sustainability

Pissouri retains its charm as a small and environmentally-friendly resort. There are planning restrictions on buildings meaning you will not find any high rise developments. Summer tourists are accommodated in apartments and villas, or year-round visitors in the Columbia Hotel. While there is a good range of restaurants, and a few bars, it remains a quiet family-friendly destination.

Only one other village in Cyprus received the same prestigious award in 2024 – and that is the mountain village of Kalopanayiotis. A cool retreat high in the Troodos, this beautiful historic village is a lovely place to visit and explore for a change of scene. More: Kalopanayiotis

What Lies Beneath

Nikki Salter Activities, Nature, Pissouri May 15, 2023March 11, 2024pissouri bay, snorkel, turtles 0 Comment

Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa

Diving or Snorkelling?

Cyprus is well-known as a great Mediterranean SCUBA diving location, with coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, teeming marine life, an assortment of shipwrecks, plus an underwater museum. There are dive centres in all the resorts catering for everyone from beginners to intermediate and advanced divers.

But equipped with only a mask and snorkel, you too can explore these underwater delights. And there’s no need to venture far… Our very own Pissouri Bay has plenty of treasures beneath the surface. You don’t even need to be a great swimmer. There is plenty of marine life in the shallow waters only a few metres from the beach.

Majestic Turtles

Turtles are very much our number one favourite. Every year mature female loggerheads return to their ‘home’ beach to lay their eggs overnight. These turtles grow to an enormous size. They can be as much as a metre long. Hatchlings, in contrast, are typically a miniscule and vulnerable 5 cm.

Flamboyant Wrasses

The wrasse family stands out as being a particularly colourful and attractive species. Males and females of the same varieties have similar, but distinctively different, patterns of blue, green orange and yellow. We have seen beautiful male and female ornate wrasses close to the beach at the western end of Pissouri Bay.

Silvery Sea Bream

The predominant coastal fish species tends to be the sea bream. A silvery, sandy, almost translucent colour with a range of black markings, they tend to swim in groups. Look out for zebra-striped, two-banded, vertical-striped, lateral-striped, black, white and saddled versions.

Striped or Red Mullet — Colour-Changing
Striped (Red) Mullet

The Striped Mullet – A Marine Chameleon

With its whiskery barbels, the striped mullet (also known as the red mullet) is perhaps not the most appealing looking of species, but if you spot one snuffling along the sea bed, try not to let it escape your gaze, because they have an interesting hidden talent. While they swim, to avoid detection by predators, the mullet may exhibit amazing chameleon-like colour-changing. They can disguise themselves quite dramatically – gaining or losing stripes, altering colours and patterns – all to blend with their surroundings.

Marine Life Guides

Below are some of the creatures you are likely to encounter when snorkelling or diving around Cyprus. In the villa handbook we have added a new page of ‘Bay Marine Life’ based on our personal underwater exploration. For guest reference, there is also a comprehensive laminated dive log card, to help identify 80 species found in Mediterranean waters.

MUSAN: Museum of Underwater Sculpture, Ayia Napa

Created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor in 2021, this innovative underwater museum features 93 tree and figure sculptures within 200 metres of the Ayia Napa shore. At depths of between 8 and 10 metres, the forest is designed to be easily explored by both divers and snorkellers.

Further details: MUSAN

An Incredible Turtle Migration Story

Nikki Salter Nature August 1, 2019August 2, 2025turtles 0 Comment

Thanks to satellite telemetry, scientists and conservationists are able to accurately track turtle movements through the oceans. While most sea turtles migrate between foraging and nesting grounds, in some cases seasonal migrations can cover the most incredible distances. Here is one such remarkable journey…

Fishing industry support for by-catch turtles

When a 43 kilogram male loggerhead turtle was accidentally caught in trawling nets off the Famagusta coast earlier this year, local fishermen freed him from their nets and contacted the Society for the Protection of Turtles.

Under a joint research and conservation project with Bird Life Cyprus, such by-catch turtles are named, health checked, vital statistics noted, and finally satellite trackers are carefully attached to their shells before they are returned to the security of the Mediterranean waters.

Satellite tracking of this season’s rescued turtles

Thus ‘Pambos’ (pictured above) – as his rescuers named him – weighing a substantial 43 kilograms, with a shell length of 71 cm was released on 13 March. From the outset his movement pattern was very different from the 13 other by-catch turtles that are currently being monitored. While the other turtles mostly stayed within Famagusta Bay, with the occasional exploration further along the coast, Pambos was quickly heading further afield.

Mehmet turtle tracking — Mehmet travelled along the Karpas Peninsula coast and back before the signal was lost

Ernest has kept to a quite confined area of Famagusta Bay over the past 3 months

Pambos goes further

Pambos headed past the Ayia Napa peninsula and round to Larnaca Bay, along the south coast to Akrotiri Bay and beyond. He spent some weeks thoroughly exploring Episkopi Bay, and the coast from Pissouri to Paphos.

Pambos turtle tracking — After forays around Famagusta Bay, Pambos headed along the south coast

And further…

Having left Cypriot coastal waters, Pambos headed due west across miles of open sea between the Greek islands and north Africa.

And even further…

And this is the astonishing journey to date… well over a thousand miles across the Mediterranean past Sicily to the coastal waters of Tunisia.

Where is Pambos now?

Below is the live satellite map showing the latest updates. Click on any turtle name on the right-hand side to see individual tracks. Or click ‘see all’ to show all the turtle tracks superimposed simultaneously.

Underwater Activities for All

Nikki Salter Activities, Nature July 5, 2019August 2, 2025atlantis, diving, turtles 0 Comment

Snorkelling

loggerhead-turtle-david-mark-pixabay_ — Loggerhead turtle (Photo by David Mark on Pixabay)

The simplest and most accessible way of getting a great view of what lies beneath is to don a mask and learn to breathe through a snorkel.

With so much flora and fauna within the clear warm Mediterranean waters, you should be able to find plenty to see… volcanic rock formations, multi-hued corals, sea anenomes, shoals of darting fish, starfish, shy seahorses, grazing turtles, graceful stingrays,…

Undersea Walking Helmets or Scooters

A unique alternative to Scuba diving that allows you to experience first-hand the colourful world teeming within Cyprus’ crystal clear waters. Fresh air is pumped into your helmet – a totally different experience than breathing through a regulator. As your head stays dry, you can even wear your glasses or contact lenses.

Undersea-scooters_ — Your own personal undersea transport

Undersea Cyprus also offer the opportunity to book a ride on a BOB (breathing observation bubble) which is a scooter-like personal mini submarine with built in fresh air helmet. Getting into the bubble does involve a brief moment underwater.

Based at Ayia Triada beach in Paralimni at the eastern end of the island. Morning and afternoon dives daily in season. The complete excursion lasts 2.5 hours – involving a short boat trip to the floating pontoon, then a rotation of escorted 30-minute undersea adventures for small groups in pre-booked time-slots.

Website | Facebook Page

First-Time Diving

Pissouri Bay Divers offer a ‘Discover Scuba Diving‘ course which gives you the experience of using breathing apparatus underwater – either in a pool or the sea. This exciting taster is a great introduction to diving for novices, which could be the start of a big new adventure.

There are plenty of other dive centres offering a variety of courses and activities – both local and around the island.

Scuba-diving-Flickr_ — Scuba divers (Photo by St Louis University Madrid on Flickr)

PADI Open Water Courses

You need to be quite organised to be able to fit a full PADI Scuba Diving qualification into your holiday. That’s not to say it can’t be done, though. The theory course – taking 12-15 hours – is best done online before your stay to maximise your time for the practical.

Pissouri Bay Divers offer an intermediate PADI Open Water qualification enabling you to hire equipment and dive under qualified supervision, or if you can squeeze in 4 open water dives, you could complete the full PADI certification.

Qualified divers can develop their skills and work towards the Advanced PADI Open Water certificate.

Wreck Diving

Zenobia listing to port — Zenobia listing in June 1980 prior to her sinking

Cyprus has 6 shipwrecks which make exciting dive sites…

The first and most well-known was created by the accidental sinking of the Zenobia roll-on roll-off ferry on her maiden voyage in 1980. A computer error causing overfilling of the port ballast tanks has been blamed for tipping the vessel. As the £200 million cargo of 104 articulated lorries and their contents has never been salvaged, there is plenty to view at the site off the coast of Larnaca. (The crew were all successfully rescued.)

Zenobia-trucks_ — Zenobia trucks (Photo by dronepicr on Flickr)

Around the wreck you will see groupers, tuna, barracuda, turtles, and stingrays.

The Zenobia is widely regarded as the best wreck-diving site in the Mediterranean, and often voted in the world’s top ten.

In recent years the Cyprus Government has taken the decision to add a further 5 additional artificial reefs at points around the island by sinking redundant vessels. Rest assured these were meticulously cleaned and prepared to ensure that no pollution was created in the process.

The new reefs have the same characteristics as natural reefs – providing space and shelter for reproduction, growth, feeding and refuge for marine organisms. Algae and sponges grow on the surfaces of the sunken wrecks, creating mini ecosystems and habitats.

Locations:
Protaras – 1950s fishing vessel Nemesis III – Dec 2013
Limassol – Lady Thetis, a 1950s German vessel – Feb 2014
Limassol – former Soviet fishing trawler Costandis – Feb 2014
Paphos – Laboe, a pre-World War II cruiser – June 2014
Ayia Napa – Kerynia, a navy patrol boat – Feb 2015

Atlantis

Of all the excursions from sea-fishing to wildlife-watching available from Paphos harbour, we recommend Atlantis Turtle-Watching Cruise – that we discovered thanks to our guest Natalie.

Atlantis is equipped with portholes for underwater viewing of fish, turtles, stingrays, and wrecks. Cruises start from the furthest jetty, and the skipper, George, is a genial and knowledgeable host.

Glass Bottomed Boats

You will find a variety of excursions in glass-bottomed boats from harbours around the island. Another great opportunity to view the undersea delights below.

Kingfisher – Paphos | Alkion – Latchi | Mediterranean One – Latchi

Hoping to See Turtles?

Nikki Salter Activities, Family, Nature, Pissouri September 6, 2017August 2, 2025akamas, atlantis, lara, pissouri bay, turtles 0 Comment

George’s Turtle-Watching Cruise on Atlantis

Leaving in late afternoon from the second jetty at Paphos harbour, this delightful excursion is one of our all-time favs. Since learning about the trip from guests (thanks Natalie!) and having enjoyed it ourselves, we think it the most magical experience…

Atlantis has an underwater viewing platform with stools and portholes. Running these daily trips, George has a fantastic insider’s knowledge of the flora and fauna of the coral reefs off Paphos. He takes you out a short distance off-shore to an area of sea grass favoured by turtles. The surprise for me was the size of the larger ones… fully grown they approach a metre in length, although the younger ones are considerably smaller.

There are no guarantees, of course, but if you follow George’s Atlantis Facebook page, you will discover that you would be extremely unlucky not to see any. And there are plenty of other sights to savour – enormous stingrays, an amazing variety of colourful fish, beautiful coral reefs and encrusted shipwrecks.

On the way home, George drops anchor to allow you to enjoy a refreshing sunset swim off the boat. (Book on +357 9666 1737 or via Facebook message).

Lara Bay Turtles

Off the beaten track in the protected Akamas Nature Reserve, Lara Bay has the island’s main turtle beach; home to both loggerhead and green turtle nests. If you visit this unspoilt long stretch of golden sandy beach in summer, you will see hundreds of cages protecting nests from predators. Sun loungers and parasols are not allowed on the beach, lest they damage hidden nests.

There is a Turtle Rescue Centre, but be aware this is primarily for conservation, rather than visitors. The two huts on the beach contain interesting information boards about the turtles, and rescue tanks… Sometimes there are baby hatchlings being nurtured to strength in the tanks, but equally there are also times when they are empty. While this is a positive thing – meaning there are currently no baby turtles in need of support, it can be disappointing for visitors, especially children.

Protective-cages-over-nests-on-Lara-turtle-beach_

The easiest way to get there is to book a jeep safari or hire a 4×4 or quad bike to reach the beach, as it’s approached via a rutted and rocky unmade road. If you’re visiting in a normal hire car, you can park in the car park 200 metres beyond the end of the tarmac road, and continue on foot. The Turtle Rescue Centre is a mile further north, so make sure you’re prepared with good footwear, hat, water and sunscreen. To find it, continue beyond Lara Café, and when you see a sign pointing right to Ineia, take the track opposite onto the beach.

Pissouri Beach

Every summer mature female turtles that hatched here many years previously return to Pissouri beach to nest. Members of Pissouri Turtlewatch patrol the beach in the early mornings looking for tell-tale tracks, so that they can place protective cages over the nests to keep them safe. Once a nest has been established, the countdown to the exciting hatching begins.

The next task for the dedicated volunteers is an overnight vigil (as nests can hatch out any time from dusk till dawn). If mother nature has arranged everything right, this will be on the night of a full moon to help them navigate towards the moonlit water.

Failing that Pissouri Turtlewatch use special red-filtered torches which provide a safe soft light to guide the hatchlings seawards. At this stage every effort is made to avoid picking up or even touching the tiny babies, as this can interfere with the development of their strength and navigational imprinting.

Red-torch-guiding-hatchlings-to-the-sea-Chris-Price-Pissouri-Turtlewatch_

Pissouri-Turtlewatch-vigil-by-Claudine-Snell_

How You Can Help

Turtles are endangered and protected by law, with the odds of surviving to adulthood staggeringly low.

Occasionally things go wrong, leaving the mother turtle or the hatchlings stranded on the beach in daylight when they are obviously at their most vulnerable. In that event, or if you find an injured, distressed or dead turtle, support is available from: Pissouri Turtlewatch (Jimmy +357 9946 2308), or Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre& (+357 2582 6562), or The Oceanic Institute of the University of Cyprus (24/7 helpline +357 9695 2929).

In the meantime, the expert advice is to keep well back, stay quiet, and try to leave them alone, only interfering as a last resort. Removing large pebbles and creating an obstacle-free path directly to the sea can be helpful for the tiny hatchlings. During daylight there is no problem with taking photos and videos, as long as you ensure the flash is turned off.

Tiny Loggerhead Turtle Hatchlings On Pissouri Beach

Many thanks to Chris Price and Claudine Snell of Pissouri Turtlewatch for permission to use their lovely photos.

A previous version of this article was originally posted on our old website blog by Nikki 13/7/2017

Turtle Nesting Tales From Pissouri Beach

Nikki Salter Nature, Pissouri August 10, 2017August 2, 2025pissouri bay, turtles 3 Comments

There’s something magical about lying in bed listening to the sea

And don’t we all love the simple pleasures of spending time at the beach – watching the waves breaking, skimming stones, paddling at the water’s edge, studying pebbles and touching wave-smoothed glass.

If you’re lucky enough to visit at different times of the year, you can witness the changes of the seasons. Summer visitors watching the benign waves lapping would never imagine the drama and terrifying power of the crashing winter storms where the water can come right up to the path. In recent winters enormous chunks of concrete have been taken by huge breakers undermining the Columbia footpath and disintegrating the slipway.

Then suddenly last spring tonnes of sand arrived courtesy of that season’s more moderate waves, covering the pebbles and clothing the beach in another guise.

For me the most exciting thing about Pissouri beach, though, is the fact that it’s a turtle beach

Every year it plays host to endangered nesting Loggerhead sea turtles… with mature females returning via some amazing navigational sense to dig their nests on the same beach where they themselves hatched.

Until this season I had no idea how much of a labour this is. One of a dedicated band of volunteers from Pissouri Turtlewatch, Cindy Murrin-Garcia has been documenting events via social media. Her dawn beach patrols have followed and filmed quite a few turtle tracks up from the shoreline, showing that females habitually make repeated forays throughout the night before selecting a nesting site.

After establishing a successful lay, Pissouri Turtlewatch protect the site from predators with a cage and cordon. At this point the clock starts ticking. 45-51 days later the hatchlings will emerge – normally at night and in groups over a period of a few days.

Drawn to the sea by the reflections of the moon on the water, it is important not to confuse them with any other lights. Red torches are used by the trained volunteers on their overnight vigils, because turtles cannot see red light. Efforts are made to avoiding touching the tiny creatures during shepherding, as the purpose of this vulnerable trek across the beach is twofold; it has a part to play in the imprinting that enables females to return to this site at maturity, and it is nature’s way of building strength for survival in the water.

On rare occasions turtle events happen during daylight hours. Yesterday Cindy found a female turtle on the beach during her early morning patrol, allowing her to take these wonderful photos. And later in the day Pissouri Turtlewatch excavated a hatched nest to help the last few stragglers on their way.

Ungainly on land, once in their element, the tiny hatchlings make rapid progress away from the shore. A study involving gluing tiny satellite transmitters to baby Loggerheads found that in their first few hours they ‘sprint and ride’ the waves at an impressive 60 metres a minute in their efforts to escape coastal predators.

Surviving to adulthood is precarious: it is estimated that as few as one in a thousand make it. Those that do have a life expectancy of between 45 and 65 years.

Although turtles can regularly be seen swimming in the bay, our favourite way of turtle spotting is to take a two-hour sunset cruise from Paphos harbour with George on his vessel Atlantis. Equipped with a series of underwater portholes, this is a great way of getting up close to turtles, stingrays and the most amazing fish.

More details: Our Top 10 List

Mother turtle photos by Cindy Murrin-Garcia of Pissouri Turtlewatch

This article was originally posted on our old website blog by Nikki 25/7/2016