Lara Bay – remote, unspoiled and at the heart of an on-going turtle conservation programme. It is the perfect place to spend a chilled-out Saturday; catching waves, meeting baby sea turtles and soaking up the natural beauty of the area.

I’ve been knackered. Since March, our lives have been a whirlwind of visitors, trips away, functions and numerous days out. It’s all been a lot of fun. I’ve had a brilliant time. But when I got back from our trip to the UK last month I realised just how tiring it can all be. I’m rubbish at slowing down but, for the last month, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve rested, got early nights, stayed close to home, only going as far as the local beach to cool down in the sea. And finally I’ve started to get my mojo back.

This weekend was the first time Matt, Gabriel and I have had one of our Adventure Saturdays in a long time. Adventure Saturdays is when we go out somewhere new, explore and see where we end up. I didn’t realise how much I had missed them until we were in the car heading for Lara Bay, passing villas, banana plantations and roadside cafes. The sun making patterns on the mountains in the distance and the beautiful blue sea a constant companion to the west. I felt that deep affection for this country that recently I’d been too busy to savour.

Lara Bay is to the north of Paphos. Head for Kissonerga/Pegia and keep going, past Coral Bay and Potima Bay. As you approach Agios Georgios church, turn right and follow the signs to the Akamas Peninsula. The busy tourist areas of Paphos give way to countryside and the road eventually becomes a track that curves around cliffs and then straightens out as it follows the coast. 4x4s are best for these tracks because of their height over loose rocks and pot holes, though I did see other cars on them. There are lots of jeep safaris and quad bikes bombing along the tracks, kicking up dust. We kept driving north, past the sign for Lara Restaurant on the left and past a few small cafes. We reached a tiny crossroads with a sign pointing to Ineia on the right and a track leading left towards the sea. We followed this track and reached Lara Beach.

Steps take you down the hill to the beach and just at the bottom is the Turtle Information Centre. Lara Bay is a protected area because every year hundreds of Green and Loggerhead Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. These turtles are endangered and the nests are covered with protective cages to stop foxes predating them. The team that  run the conservation programme rescue the weaker hatchlings and keep them in the Information Centre until they are strong enough to be released.

Currently they have about ten hatchlings. You can tell the Greens and Loggerheads apart because the Greens have white tummies. They were tiny and fragile and I could appreciate how only a small percentage of them survive to adulthood.

We looked out across the beach. It was literally covered with cages protecting hundreds of nests. In the spaces in between, people were enjoying picnics on the beach and sunbathing. I was disappointed to see so many parasols stuck into the ground – they are forbidden on the beach because the pole could puncture an undiscovered air-tight turtle nest and destroy the eggs. However, when you compare the beach to Coral Bay, it was practically empty – thanks to its remote location. The beach had the softest golden sand that burnt your feet if you didn’t wear flip flops. There aren’t any facilities on the beach so get changed into your swimmers before you arrive and bring drinks and snacks.

I’m not that interested in spending time sitting on a beach. For me, a beach is the place you leave your stuff while you have fun in the sea. And what a sea! It was clear and warm and had wonderful rolling waves; big enough to have some fun in but not too big for Goobie. The northern end of the beach has a few rocks on the seabed which you could scrape yourself on, but the southern half has a seabed that is just soft, soft sand. We got out the boogie boards and spent the afternoon catching waves. Brilliant, chilled-out fun!