Wine tasting on-board the Demetris Chara BBQboat BlueLagoon tours

The best part of this trip is the unusual pairing of Cypriot wine tasting and a Blue Lagoon boat day. You are not simply sitting in a tasting room, and you are not simply joining a standard swim cruise. Your wine host pours local wines while the boat heads along the coast, then you taste, eat barbecue, and swim during a long stop at the lagoon.

I like the relaxed mix of food, wine, and sea time. I also like that hosts such as Gergana, Geny, and Gerry are singled out for their warm, attentive service and strong knowledge of Cypriot wine and the island. The main consideration is that the wine flows alongside lunch and swimming, so you should eat a solid breakfast and plan for a full half-day rather than a quick excursion.

Key points to know before booking

• Wine tasting at sea: Sample a range of Cypriot wines while cruising the Mediterranean coast.
• A long Blue Lagoon stop: About 2 hours 30 minutes is set aside for barbecue, swimming, photos, and time on deck.
• Two ways to start: Choose pickup from Paphos or meet the Demetris Chara BBQ boat at Latchi port.
• Lunch is included: The meal is barbecue fare served during the Blue Lagoon stop.
• A small tasting group is possible: The boat can carry up to 80 people, but the wine tasting itself may have only a few participants.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can lead to a new date or a full refund.

Why this boat trip feels different

Many Cyprus boat excursions are built around a swim stop, with food added as an afterthought. This one gives wine a proper role. The tasting host is part of the experience, not just someone handing out plastic cups while the boat moves.

That matters if you want to learn something about local wine as you see the coast. The guides named in guest feedback, including Gergana, Geny, and Gerry, are praised for explaining the wines, answering questions, taking photos, and offering ideas for the rest of a Cyprus holiday. The personal touch can be especially strong if only a few people choose the wine option that day.

You should know that this is not a quiet winery visit. The boat, sea breeze, barbecue, swimming, and other passengers all share the same setting. If you want a formal tasting with a printed lesson and a calm indoor room, this will feel casual. If you like wine with scenery and a little holiday fuss, the format works well.

Starting in Paphos or Latchi

You have two practical choices. The first includes pickup from Paphos. The second requires you to make your own way to Latchi port, where you find the Demetris Chara BBQ boat.

The Paphos pickup is useful if you do not have a car or prefer not to manage the drive to the port. One recorded pickup came from an Airbnb about 45 minutes from the boat, with the driver making scenic stops when asked. That suggests the transfer can add a friendly local touch, though you should not count on extra stops as part of the fixed schedule.

Meeting at Latchi port makes more sense if you are already staying near Polis or the Akamas area. It saves transfer time and gives you a simpler start. The meeting instructions are important, since you need to locate the specific Demetris Chara boat rather than simply arrive somewhere in the port and hope the right vessel finds you.

The full experience lasts about 4 hours 30 minutes. Around two hours of that is spent traveling out and back, leaving approximately 2 hours 30 minutes at Blue Lagoon. That is a useful split to understand before booking. This is not a four-hour swim in one place, but the lagoon stop is still long enough for a proper meal and unhurried water time.

Sailing past Latchi Beach

Once aboard, the boat heads out along the Mediterranean coast. Latchi Beach is the first beach you pass, giving you an early look at the shoreline before the main stop.

The outward journey is part of the appeal, but it is also the least structured part of the day. You are moving through the coastal scenery while the wine host begins the tasting. I would use this time to settle in, listen to the introduction, and pace yourself rather than treating the first pour as a race.

The boat can take up to 80 people, so the atmosphere may vary by departure. A full boat will feel more social and less personal. A quieter sailing can give the wine host more time with you, and the tasting may feel almost private if only one or two couples have booked it.

That variation is worth keeping in mind. The experience is designed as a shared boat trip, not an exclusive charter. At the same time, the wine portion can become surprisingly personal when numbers are low.

Tasting Cypriot wines with the onboard host

The wine tasting is the heart of the experience. You sample a selection of Cypriot wines while the boat cruises, with the host explaining what you are drinking and connecting it to Cyprus.

Specific grape varieties and bottle names are not provided, so do not book this expecting a fixed list of wines. The selection can vary. The value comes from tasting several local bottles in one sitting and having someone on hand to discuss them.

Gergana receives especially strong praise for her wine knowledge, friendly manner, and attention to detail. Geny is also described as a sommelier who knows both the wines and the local area. Gerry is named as another excellent host who helped make the trip special. The names suggest that the human side of the tasting is important, but your exact host depends on the departure.

One useful point is that the wine tasting may not involve everyone on the boat. That can feel awkward for the first few minutes if you assumed the full boat had booked the same program. In practice, a small group can be an advantage. You may get more direct conversation, more time for questions, and a more relaxed introduction to Cypriot wine.

A practical warning: eat breakfast first. The tasting can include several wines, and the day continues with lunch and swimming. You do not want to begin the boat ride hungry and then try to keep pace with every pour. Drink water when it is available, take your time, and remember that the sea can make alcohol feel stronger.

Blue Lagoon: the main stop after the cruise

The boat anchors at Blue Lagoon for about 2 hours 30 minutes. This is the part of the day when the trip changes from a moving tasting to a relaxed boat picnic.

The lagoon gives you time to swim, sit on board, take photographs, and enjoy the setting without immediately packing up for another stop. One of the strongest points of the excursion is the amount of time allocated here. Some boat outings make a short stop, but this one gives you a much longer window.

The water is the obvious draw, but you do not have to spend the entire stop swimming. You can stay on board with a glass of wine, watch the coast, or settle in for lunch. That makes the trip suitable for couples or groups with different ideas of fun. One person can swim while another rests in the shade or takes photos.

Swimming conditions and comfort can depend on the day. The experience requires good weather, and a rough sea would affect both the ride and the lagoon stop. If the weather is poor, the operator offers another date or a full refund, which removes some of the risk when booking ahead.

The lagoon stop also gives the wine tasting a natural pause. After the boat ride and several samples, you can slow down, eat, and enjoy the water. I would treat the swim as a chance to reset rather than trying to combine every activity at once.

Barbecue lunch on the boat

Lunch is included and centers on barbecue fare. It is served during the Blue Lagoon stop, so you can eat while the boat is anchored instead of trying to manage a meal during the rougher part of the cruise.

That timing is sensible. A barbecue lunch after the tasting gives you something substantial before more swimming, and the meal helps turn the excursion into a full half-day outing rather than a simple wine transfer.

The supplied details do not list the exact menu, so you should not book this expecting a particular meat, side dish, or special dietary arrangement unless the operator confirms it. The clearest expectation is an included barbecue meal served on board.

The food is also part of the value calculation. At $90.02 per person, you are paying for the boat ride, the wine tasting, the barbecue lunch, and the long lagoon stop in one package. You are not buying just a bottle flight. For someone already planning a Latchi and Blue Lagoon boat day, adding a guided tasting can make the price reasonable.

Is $90.02 a fair price?

The price is easiest to judge by looking at what you would otherwise arrange separately. You receive about 4 hours 30 minutes on the water, a selection of Cypriot wines, lunch, and a substantial Blue Lagoon stop. Paphos pickup is also available, which can be valuable if you would otherwise need to arrange transport to Latchi.

The price feels stronger for wine lovers than for someone who only wants to swim. If your main goal is a low-cost boat ride, a standard cruise may be a better fit. If you want local wine, a barbecue meal, and a long stop in one booking, the package offers more than a basic sightseeing trip.

Group size is the one variable that can affect the sense of value. The boat may carry as many as 80 people, so you should not expect an intimate private cruise. Yet the wine tasting itself can be small, and that can give you the personal contact that a large boat normally lacks.

The 95 percent recommendation rate and 4.8 rating from 21 reviews point to consistently strong satisfaction, though the number of ratings is still modest. I would treat that as encouraging rather than absolute proof that every departure will feel identical.

The little details that shape your day

The wine host can make or break the tasting. Gergana, Geny, and Gerry are each described as attentive and well informed, with Gergana especially noted for taking photographs while people swam and suggesting places to visit elsewhere in Cyprus.

That kind of help is useful when you want more than a sequence of pours. A good host can make local wine less intimidating, especially if you know little about Cypriot producers. You can ask questions as the day unfolds rather than waiting for a formal presentation.

The boat also gives you a setting that changes throughout the trip. You start at the port, pass Latchi Beach, cruise the coast, anchor at Blue Lagoon, eat, swim, and then return. The changing pace helps the 4.5 hours pass without feeling like one long tasting session.

Still, plan around the basics. Wear something suitable for a boat and swimming, bring the items you need for time in the water, and keep your schedule open for the full duration. The tour is not suited to someone who needs to leave early or wants a tightly controlled timetable.

A moderate level of physical fitness is requested. That wording suggests you should be comfortable with the ordinary movement involved in a boat trip and swimming stop. Service animals are allowed, and the activity is near public transportation, though the exact transport details are not supplied.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it first to couples and small groups who want to combine local wine with time on the water. It also suits people who have already seen enough historic sites for one day and want a slower Cyprus experience built around food, views, and swimming.

Wine beginners can enjoy it too. You do not need to arrive with technical knowledge. The host-led format gives you a chance to ask simple questions and try several wines without committing to a full winery visit.

This is less suitable if you dislike boat rides, do not drink alcohol, or want a tightly planned sightseeing program with many shore stops. The tour spends most of its time traveling and anchored at one lagoon, so its pleasure comes from lingering rather than collecting attractions.

It can work well for mixed groups because the wine tasting, lunch, and swim stop offer different ways to spend the same hours. Just remember that the boat may be shared with a large number of people, and the tasting group may be much smaller than the total passenger count.

Booking, cancellation, and weather

Confirmation is sent at the time of booking. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time, but changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted and are not refunded.

Weather is an important part of the booking decision. If poor conditions force a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not reached, with the option of another date or experience.

The activity is offered in English, and pickup from Paphos is available. If you choose the Latchi option, make sure you allow enough time to find the Demetris Chara boat at the port.

FAQ

Where does the boat trip begin?

You can choose pickup from Paphos or meet the Demetris Chara BBQ boat at Latchi port.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately 4 hours 30 minutes. About two hours are spent traveling out and back, with about 2 hours 30 minutes at Blue Lagoon.

Is lunch included?

Yes. An included barbecue lunch is served during the Blue Lagoon stop.

Are Cypriot wines included?

Yes. The experience includes tasting a variety of Cypriot wines with an onboard wine host.

How many people can join the boat?

The maximum group size is 80 travelers.

Is swimming part of the experience?

Yes. The boat anchors at Blue Lagoon, where you can take a swim or relax on board.

What happens if the weather is poor?

If the experience is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund.

Should you book the Demetris Chara wine boat?

Book it if you want your Blue Lagoon outing to include a real wine component, a barbecue lunch, and enough time to enjoy the lagoon without being rushed. The strongest reasons are the long stop, the personal wine hosting, and the chance to taste Cypriot bottles in a setting that feels distinctly coastal.

I would skip it if you want the cheapest possible boat ride, dislike shared excursions, or prefer a formal winery visit on land. For the right person, though, $90.02 buys a well-rounded half-day: cruise the coast, taste local wine, eat barbecue, and spend a generous stretch of time in the Blue Lagoon.