TLDR
Pernera makes a great base for day trips around eastern Cyprus. Cape Greco and Ayia Napa are on the doorstep. Larnaca and the salt lake are under an hour away. Nicosia, Troodos, and even North Cyprus are all doable in a day if you start early. This guide covers the best options, transport, and how long to allow.
Insider Tip
If you only do one day trip, make it Cape Greco. Rent a car or book a small-group tour, leave at 8am, and do the sea caves, the cliffs, and the viewpoint before lunch. It is the single most scenic bit of coastline in eastern Cyprus and it takes under twenty minutes to reach from Pernera.
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Cape Greco National Forest Park
The headland between Ayia Napa and Protaras, officially a national forest park since 1993. Expect white cliffs, deep blue sea, sea caves, and several short walking trails. The viewpoint by the chapel of Agioi Anargyroi is the classic photo spot. Best early morning or late afternoon.
Cape Greco is about a 15-minute drive south from Pernera along Protaras Avenue and Cavo Greco Avenue. Go before 9am or after 4pm to skip the midday heat on the exposed cliffs. Park at the main lot by the viewpoint near the tiny church of Agioi Anargyroi, or continue on to the Blue Lagoon pull-off lower down. There is no entrance fee and no staffed gate. Bring plenty of water and a hat; shade is almost non-existent once you leave the pine cover.
Ayia Napa Harbour and Old Town
A 20 minute drive from Pernera. The old monastery in the centre is worth a half hour visit, and the harbour has several good seafood lunch spots. Daytime Ayia Napa is a different place from its nightlife reputation, and genuinely pleasant.
Ayia Napa’s old town centres on the 16th-century Venetian monastery of Ayia Napa, whose courtyard is quieter than the surrounding bars and worth five minutes. Day parking is easiest at the harbour on Katalymata Street where there is a large paid lot charging around 2 euros per hour. The Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea on Kryou Nerou runs 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays, and entry is 4 euros; it is a useful rainy-afternoon stop.
Larnaca and the Salt Lake
Around 50 minutes by car. Larnaca has a proper old town, a palm-lined promenade, a medieval castle, and the impressive Hala Sultan Tekke mosque on the edge of the salt lake. Flamingos visit the lake between November and March. Good half day, or a long relaxed full day with lunch.
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Larnaca sits about 60km west of Pernera and the drive on the A3 motorway takes around 45 minutes. The Salt Lake circular trail is four kilometres and flat, with Hala Sultan Tekke mosque on the western shore. Flamingos are reliably present from November to March; by June the lake dries out completely. In the old town, Agios Lazaros church on Plateia Agiou Lazarou is open 8.30am to 12.30pm and 3.30pm to 5.30pm, with no entrance fee but a 1 euro charge for the small crypt.
Nicosia: the Divided Capital
About 90 minutes by car or organised bus. Walk the Venetian walls, cross the Green Line into the Turkish-administered north, and eat lunch in one half and coffee in the other. You will need your passport. Culturally fascinating and very different from the coast.
Crossing the Green Line at Ledra Street is straightforward with an EU or UK passport and takes 10 to 15 minutes each way when it is not busy. The Cyprus Museum on Mouseiou Street covers archaeology from neolithic through Roman periods; entry is 4.50 euros and Mondays are closed. For lunch in the old town, try a zivania and meze at Mattheos or To Konatzi tou Mitsi – both sit within five minutes of Faneromeni Square. Parking is easiest at the paid lot on Solonos Street just outside the old city walls; rates are around 2 euros per hour and spaces free up at midday.
A reasonable day-trip budget from Pernera factors fuel and road tolls. Cyprus has no road tolls and fuel is among the cheapest in western Europe at 1.45 to 1.55 euros per litre in 2026. A full day round-trip to Troodos burns about 50 euros in fuel; Larnaca or Nicosia closer to 25 to 30 euros. Hire a car for 30 to 50 euros per day in shoulder season and the numbers work out well for families of three or four.
Troodos Mountains and Villages
A longer day trip (allow at least 10 hours door to door) but worth it. Painted Byzantine churches, forested walks, cooler temperatures in summer, and traditional mountain villages selling local wine and sweets. Better as a private tour or rental car than by public transport. Visit Protaras lists several reliable operators.
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You might also find useful: Things to Do in Pernera, Larnaca Airport to Pernera, Best Time to Visit Pernera.
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The drive to Troodos takes around two hours each way, so start early. Kakopetria and Galata on the northern slopes are the two most accessible mountain villages from Pernera; both have several small tavernas doing trout from the local streams and afelia (pork in red wine with coriander seed). Mount Olympus reaches 1,952m and has a ski centre that runs December to March, snowfall permitting. In summer, the mountains sit a full 10 to 12 degrees Celsius cooler than the coast, which is the real reason to go.