Sunset Adventures In Cyprus: Kayaking And Horse Riding

Cyprus is a beautiful island, and one of the things that keeps tourists booking holidays there is the knowledge that they’ll never far from the sea. Come sundown, there’s no place I’d rather be than at the coast. Is anything more relaxing than watching the fierce, vermilion sun melt into the horizon, with the waves slowly darkening beneath a candy floss pink sky?

No matter where I am in the world, I always try to stop and witness a sunset. To step outside, look up from my phone screen, and just let myself get swept away by nature’s theatre. My vantage point of choice is usually a stool at a rooftop bar or a hammock on the beach, but on a recent press trip with Visit Cyprus, I was able to enjoy the sunset from two very different perspectives. Between shuttling from one attraction to another on the paradise island, we paused to make the most of that magical golden hour.

Here are two of the best sunset activities in Cyprus for tourists.

Cypriot Sunsets: Two Activities To Do At Dusk

I’ll be publishing a huge guide to things to do in Cyprus soon, but I thought these two sunset activities deserved a post of their own. I rarely book excursions or activities towards the end of the day when I’m travelling, but after kayaking and horse riding at sunset in Cyprus, I’ve decided to change my habits.

Horse riding in Paphos

On our first day, we drove out to George’s Ranch in Pegeia, a town in Paphos.

As we donned helmets, I gazed out towards the coastline and watched a riding lesson unfold in the paddock.

Now, I’ve only been on a horse once, during a school trip, so I was a little bit concerned that I wouldn’t have the required skills. But I needn’t have worried: we were only going for a ‘hack’, which I soon learned is a no-skills required type of horse ride!

We saddled up and set off along a dirt track into the sunset, past banana trees and over sand dunes.

My noble steed was named Angelos, and he’s the oldest horse at George’s Ranch, having called the place home since it opened 25 years ago. The manager led him, and as we made our way towards the sea she explained how horses can sense humans’ moods, and will often act in accordance with them.

Coincidentally, my neighbour was paired with the youngest horse at the ranch, a playful character called Toffee. The two animals made a funny twosome, with the infant acting naughty and the senior keeping him in check.

Paphos enjoys gorgeous Cypriot sunsets because of its position on the western shores of the island, and what better perspective to take it all in than from horseback?

We stopped near the water to take some photos and reluctantly returned to the ranch. I felt so at peace, and wondered why I’d never taken horse riding lessons. Something to add to the bucket list, for sure!

Twilight didn’t mean the day was over for us, though. We freshened up and headed to the uber glamorous Cap St Georges, a luxury hotel resort in Paphos where we sipped thirst-quenching cocktails then sat down for a delicious seafood dinner. All in all, a perfect way to end the day.

Sea kayaking in Limassol

Later in the trip, after a long day of sightseeing, we found ourselves in Limassol, a city on the south coast of Cyprus. The afternoon was coming to a close when we clambered into sea kayaks and pushed away from the shore.

There was a slight breeze, but not enough to put us off. We paddled along the coastline, past pockets of beach still filled with people relaxing. Looking around me, free from the grips of my phone (come on, we’re all guilty) and the stresses of life on land, I had one of those moments you know you’ll remember for a while. Utter tranquility washed over me as the waves lapped at the sides of my kayak.

The sun was getting lower and the sky was beginning to glow with orange. We picked a tiny cove, floated in and settled down to watch the last rays of the day melt into the horizon. The kayak guides passed around sickly sweet but altogether delicious honey cakes, and we munched them as the fireball in the distance began to slip away.

Kayaking at sunset in Cyprus was one of the highlights of my trip, and I definitely recommend planning to get out into the water during dusk if you’re on holiday there.

My Cyprus guide is coming soon! Do you want to visit the island?

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I was a guest of Visit Cyprus but opinions are my own.