The rugged coastline north of Paphos has long been famed for its natural splendour and remains one of Cyprus' last unspoiled wildernesses (mostly as a result of the 'population exchange' in 1974 when the local population fled to the Turkish north).

My early memories of Coral Bay go back to before the 1974 split of the island when there were no hotels, no restaurants, no villas, not even a proper road.
All there was at that time was a beautiful crescent shaped bay with pink Coral sand which was reached along a dirt track from the coast road.

 In the early 1980s the tourist industry 'discovered' the town of Paphos 11km to the south and began developing the region.
The ancient landscape of citrus groves, windmill irrigated fields and half-forgotten villages soon became popular with holiday makers and expat residents alike.
Coral Bay, the blue flag beach which gives its name to the resort is a 600m crescent of soft white sand, (no longer the pink Coral sand of my memories) book-ended by a pair of headlands. 
The resort is home to a handful of top-notch hotels and the planned marina looks set for completion in the near future.
However, it's the glassy waters offshore that everyone comes for. While the sea is calm year-round the same can't be said of the beach, where you'll find every conceivable activity from banana boat rides to jet skis for hire.
Cultural types may find themselves twiddling their thumbs as there is little of historic interest in the resort. However, there is a good selection of bars and restaurants with plenty of choice of fare.

Coral Bay is a great base for exploring the pristine coastline to the north, where a jigsaw of coves and inlets hide some of the best (and most isolated) beaches on the island. Here you will find the famous Lara beach where the turtles lay their eggs each year.
Don't expect to find much in the way of refreshments and pack a well-stocked picnic hamper and plenty of sun cream.
It is inadvisable to venture onto the Akamas peninsular in a hired vehicle unless it is a 4x4 as the insurance will not cover you for any damage to hire cars on the rough tracks (and these tracks are incredibly rough)
For the more intrepid among you, if you hire a 4x4 you can drive all the way to Latchi/Polis along the Akamas Penisular, coming out at the Northern end near Aphrodites baths.