If Ayia Napa’s round-the-clock nightlife and busy beaches are one side of Cyprus, then Pomos’ rustic charms and simple living are the other. This placid fishing village on the island’s north-west peninsula is little more than a tumble of streets set back from a boat-bobbing harbour. It’s sandwiched between forest-cloaked mountains and the azure sweep of Chrysochou Bay.
A pair of small, virgin beaches flank either side of Pomos’ pretty harbour. Their dark sand and pebble swathes shelve gently into the warm Mediterranean Sea, so they’re ideal for children. But it’s the longer beach, which follows the cape to the left of the harbour, that gets the biggest thumbs up, thanks to its easy car access and the shade it gets from the cliffs. And when you need a snack, the village’s shops and restaurants are a short walk away.
Pomos’ quiet streets are steeped in old world charm. At the side of the road you’ll see olive trees and watermelons growing wild, and there’s a hotchpotch of churches dotted around the place. Pomos has a Natural History Museum, too, plus a supermarket and bank. And by the harbour, where leather-faced fishermen unload their catch each morning, a couple of seafood restaurants have uninterrupted views across the Mediterranean.
In the surrounding countryside, Mother Nature has really gone to town. Explore the pine forests in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains on foot or by car, and you’ll skirt past small villages before arriving at Pomos Dam. Or follow the zigzagging coast road to the main town, Polis, a 25-minute drive away. Here, tiny craft shops and family-run tavernas offer an effortless mix of charm and calm.