Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa has been named the most popular beach in Cyprus on Instagram. According to a study published by Hot Spring Spas NZ, the famous coastline ranked 11th in the world among 98 beaches. The ranking took into account not only the total number of posts but also the length of each beach. Nissi Beach, which is 675 m long, has accumulated 258,371 posts on the popular social network. This equals an average of 383 posts per metre of beach. As a result, Nissi Beach was the only beach in Cyprus to make it into the global top 20.
Fig Tree Bay in Protaras ranked second among Cyprus beaches. It placed 60th in the global ranking. With a length of 818 m, the beach accumulated 59,696 posts, or around 73 posts per metre. According to the study, Cyprus ranked 8th among 36 countries when comparing the performance of the top beach in each country.
Which beaches made the global top list
Bondi Beach in Australia took first place in the global ranking, with more than 2 million Instagram posts. Venice Beach in the United States came second, while Australia’s Coogee Beach ranked third.
The top 10 also included well-known beaches such as Padang Padang in Indonesia and Waikiki in the United States. In total, the authors of the study analysed more than 160 famous beaches, with 98 locations meeting the established criteria and making it into the final ranking.
How the most Instagrammable beaches were determined
The main indicator was the ratio between the number of Instagram posts and the length of the beach. Only beaches that had more than 50,000 posts at the time of the study were included in the ranking. Beach lengths were determined using information from OpenStreetMap.
According to Aaron Sampson, General Manager of Hot Spring Spas NZ, the popularity of beaches on social media is influenced not only by how well known they are, but also by their accessibility and scenic views. It is precisely the combination of convenient location and visual appeal that helps certain beaches attract significantly more attention on Instagram.
Why Nissi Beach is so popular
Nissi Beach is considered one of the most recognisable landmarks of Ayia Napa and Cyprus as a whole. Much of its popularity is linked to its white sand, clear water and small islet connected to the shore by a sandy causeway.
The beach’s strong popularity on Instagram reflects its status not only among tourists but also among social media users. With 258,371 posts, Nissi Beach is the most photographed beach in Cyprus according to the methodology used in this study. It is important to note that the ranking reflects Instagram activity specifically and is not an official assessment of beach quality. The number of posts may depend on tourist traffic, a destination’s popularity on social media and the recognisability of a particular location. Nevertheless, Nissi Beach’s 11th-place global ranking confirms its status as one of the most recognisable beach attractions in Cyprus.