Boats sail from Ayia Napa from roughly early April to early November, and almost all of them leave from Limanaki, the old harbour in the town centre, rather than the separate Ayia Napa Marina.
What runs from there falls into a handful of types. Chill-out and turtle cruises are the largest category: half-day trips of four to five hours with two swim stops and usually food on board, at roughly €25–60 per person. Sunset cruises trade swimming for coastline in good light. Party boats are a different day entirely. RIB and speedboat trips are fast and short, glass-bottom boats are cheap and close to shore, and fishing trips are their own thing. Self-drive hire and private charter cover the two ends of the rental market.
If turtles are the reason you are booking, check that the route stops at Konnos Bay, the turtle area. Ours does on both the morning and sunset cruise.
This guide covers each of those boat tours in Ayia Napa in turn, along with the season, prices, what to bring, and four questions that will tell you which trip fits your group.
When the Season Runs
Both ends of that window are weather-dependent in a way the middle is not. An April trip can be beautiful or cancelled the night before, and the same is true of the last weeks of October.
July and August are the peak in every sense — the warmest water, the fullest boats, the highest prices, and the days when booking ahead stops being optional. May, June, September and early October are, in our fairly biased opinion, the better months — the sea is warm enough from late May, the boats are quieter, and the coast is not baking.
Where Boats Leave From
Ayia Napa has two departure points, and confusing them costs people their trip.
Limanaki, the old harbour in the centre of town, is the origin of most Ayia Napa Harbour boat trips — the cruises, the traditional operators, the day excursions. It is walkable from the centre, and it is where we depart from.
Ayia Napa Marina is a separate, newer development further along the coast, with its own berths and its own operators. It is not the harbour, and a taxi driver, given the wrong one, will take you to the wrong place.
Check which one your booking specifies. Most operators ask you to arrive around ten minutes before departure; with a big group, give yourself more.
The Coastline You Are Going to See
Almost every trip from Ayia Napa runs east along the same stretch, because that is where the good water is. In rough order as you leave the harbour:
- The Ayia Napa Sea Caves — arches and caves cut into the cliffs, best seen from the water
- Love Bridge, the natural rock arch, and Kamara tou Koraka further along
- Cape Greco and its lighthouse, with the Cape Greco Marine Reserve around it
- Konnos Bay — sheltered, shallow, and the most reliable turtle water on this coast
- Blue Lagoon — the turquoise one from the photographs, with visibility that regularly reaches 20–30 metres
- Royal Bay, and on longer trips the Protaras beaches and Fig Tree Bay
The Types of Boat Trip, and Who Each Suits
Chill-out and turtle cruises
Half-day cruises, typically four to five hours, with two or three swim stops and usually food on board. Aimed at families, couples and mixed groups. This is the largest category from Ayia Napa, and the one most first-time visitors want without knowing the name for it. Ours is the morning chill-out cruise with BBQ.
Blue Lagoon cruises
Sold under their own name, though in practice most chill-out cruises stop at Blue Lagoon anyway. Worth checking what else is on the route rather than booking on the name alone.
Sunset cruises
Late afternoon into evening, usually four hours, less swimming and more coastline in good light. Popular with couples. Water is often calmest at this hour, and ours still stops at Konnos Bay, so the turtle odds stay close to the morning’s.
Party boats
Music, bar, a younger crowd, often a shorter route with one swim stop. A completely legitimate day out and a completely different one from a family cruise. If you are travelling with children or want to hear yourself think, check which you are booking — the photographs on the boards look similar. We do not run these.
RIB and speedboat trips
Fast, small, two to four hours, spray included. Good for covering ground and for people who find slow boats dull. Less good for shade, food, or anyone who wants to sit still.
Glass-bottom boats
Short, cheap, close to shore, and popular with young children. You see the seabed without getting in. Not really an excursion so much as an hour out.
Fishing trips
Early starts, small groups, a specific audience. Ask what is included and whether the catch is yours.
Self-drive boat hire
Small motorboats you drive yourself, hired by the hour along a permitted stretch of coast. Cheapest way onto the water, and the day depends entirely on you. We have written separately about what this involves and whether you need a licence.
Private charter
The whole boat, with crew, for your group alone. This is what weddings, birthdays, corporate days and large families end up booking, because most scheduled boats cannot take a group of thirty and keep it together.
What Boat Trips Cost in Ayia Napa
Broad ranges for the area, current at the time of writing:
- Glass-bottom and short harbour trips: from around €15–20 per person
- Shared half-day cruises: roughly €25–60 per person, depending on route and whether food is included
- Party boats: usually in the same band, with drinks extra
- RIB and speedboat trips: from around €40–70 per person
- Self-drive motorboat hire: from around €80–100 per hour, plus fuel and deposit
- Private charter: from a few hundred euros for a small boat into the thousands for large crewed catamarans
For reference, our morning chill-out cruise is €45 per adult and €25 per child aged 2–10 with the BBQ included, and children under two travel free, though their places are arranged with the manager by phone or email instead of online; the sunset cruise is €35 per person for ages 12 and up. Drinks are extra on both, and there is a bar on board.
When comparing prices, the question is not the headline number but what is inside it. A €30 cruise where lunch is €15 and a drink is €5 is not cheaper than a €45 cruise with food included.
Prices and departure times can change throughout the season, ours included. The cruise pages on this site carry the current schedule and fares.
Morning or Afternoon?
Morning trips have calmer water and cooler air for the first couple of hours. Turtles are not the deciding factor: around 90% of our guests see at least one, most often around Konnos Bay, and the sunset cruise stops at the same bay.
Afternoon and sunset trips trade that for light, atmosphere, and a lie-in.
What a Half-Day Trip Looks Like
Most four-to-five hour cruises from Ayia Napa follow a similar shape, ours included. You board at the harbour ten minutes before departure. The first stretch is coastline — caves, arches, the lighthouse — seen from the deck rather than swum. Then the first swim stop, usually the sheltered bay where wildlife is most likely, for around an hour. Food is served on board between stops on cruises that include it. A second swim stop follows, often Blue Lagoon, before the run back along the same coast.
One thing worth checking before you book any half-day boat trip in Ayia Napa is what the boat itself carries. Four or five hours is long enough that shade, a shower and toilet, life jackets, and somewhere to sit properly stop being luxuries, and provision varies enormously between a large catamaran and a small open boat. Ours has all of those, and Wi-Fi, at no extra cost.
What to Bring on an Ayia Napa Boat Trip
- Swimwear, worn under your clothes — changing space on a busy boat is limited
- A towel
- High-factor sun cream. Sea reflection is brutal, and the deck offers less shade than you expect
- A hat and sunglasses
- Cash for the bar
- A light layer for sunset trips — it cools quickly once the sun is down
- Motion sickness tablets if you are prone, taken before boarding rather than after
Snorkelling equipment is usually provided; some operators, ourselves included, hold a small refundable cash deposit against masks.
How to Choose, in Three Questions
- Who is in your group? Children and mixed ages point to a chill-out cruise; a group of friends in their twenties may want a party boat; a large group points to a charter.
- Do you want to swim, or to look? Swim-focused trips have two long stops. Sightseeing trips have more coast and less water.
- Is food included? Check before comparing prices, not after.
Our Morning and Sunset Cruises
For completeness, since you are on our site. We run a 60ft double-deck catamaran from Ayia Napa Harbour, built by the family that operates it, with Captain Jimmy, who has spent decades on this coast, and a full crew. We have run this route since 2018 and hold a 4.9 guest rating.
The morning chill-out cruise runs 9:00 to 13:30 with two swim stops and a Cypriot BBQ cooked on board — souvlaki, halloumi, tzatziki, salad and pourgouri, with halal and vegan options by arrangement. The sunset cruise sails three evenings a week, 15:30 to 19:30, with seasonal fruit instead of a BBQ. Both can be booked online. The whole boat can also be chartered privately for up to 80 guests.
Fares and departure times can change through the season, so treat the figures here as a guide and check the current ones on our booking page.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and book your tour.
FAQs
When is the boat trip season in Ayia Napa?
April through to the first days of November, with the opening and closing weeks the most likely to be called off for weather. July and August are busiest; May, June, September and early October are quieter and often more pleasant.
How much is a boat trip in Ayia Napa?
Shared half-day cruises generally run €25–60 per person depending on route and whether food is included. Short glass-bottom trips start lower; RIB trips and private charters cost more. Ours are €45 and €35.
Which boat trip is best in Ayia Napa?
It depends on your group. Families and mixed groups are usually best on a half-day chill-out cruise with food included; couples often prefer sunset; large groups and occasions are better served by a private charter. If turtles are the priority, pick a route that stops at Konnos Bay.
How long is a typical boat trip?
Half-day cruises are four to five hours with two swim stops. RIB trips run two to four hours. Glass-bottom trips can be under an hour.
Will I see turtles on a boat trip from Ayia Napa?
On ours, the odds are good on both the morning and the sunset cruise. Around 90% of our guests see at least one, usually around Konnos Bay. No operator can guarantee sightings.
Do I need to book boat trips in advance?
In July and August, yes, since popular cruises fill several days ahead. Outside peak season, you can often book a day or two before. Private charters should be arranged as early as possible in any month.
Are boat trips suitable for young children?
Chill-out cruises generally yes, and many operators price children separately; ours are €25 for ages 2–10 and free below that. Party boats and RIB trips are not designed for small children.
