The beaches of Lara
The charm of Ineia is undoubtedly at its peak on the shores of Lara. When we refer to Lara, we mean the entire coastal area, i.e. the Lara peninsula with its two bays: the southern bay of Lara (or Loura), as it is mainly known, and at a distance of about 1km, the northern bay of Ammoudi, as well as the salt lake (Alyki).
The enchanting beaches of Lara and Ammoudi attract eclectic swimmers who seek hours of absolute peace, tranquillity and relaxation, especially during the summer months.
The beach of Lara can be reached by following two rural roads from the village towards the two bays of Lara. The First Route towards Lara follows Lara Avenue (see map) with starting point the Archangelos Michail Chapel. Arriving at the coastal road of Pegeia-Lara, follow the signs, and on the right, less than 1km away, you will see the southern bay of Lara (or Loura)
Alternatively you can follow the Leoforos Akama to the north of Ineia village (see map of Ineia), which leads to the village of Pittokopos. Then, following the signs, you will be led to the Pegeia-Lara coastal road. This road leads to the northern bay of Lara or Ammoudi, where the turtle hatchery is located.
Lara or Loura, is a pedal-shaped cove. With its semi-circular shape, the sandy beach of Lara extends over a distance of about 1.5km, surrounded by low bushes. In Ammoudi you will find the Department of Fisheries’ turtle protection Information Centre.The sand is fine-grained with scattered pebbles. Somewhere in the middle, sand dunes of about 15m high have been formed. The massive volume of sand deposited in this bay justifies the name given to the area. Ammoudi derives from the word ‘ammos’, which means sand.
It is no coincidence that this specific area is a nesting site where sea turtles to lay their eggs. This is due to a combination of interactive ecological factors and key characteristics of the beach, such as sand temperature and softness, salinity, length and height of the beach, moisture content, sand compaction, etc.