Ayia Napa Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Ayia Napa

What was once a small fishing village in the south-eastern corner of Cyprus is now a hotspot for holiday-makers looking for a lively vacation - over 250,000 clubbers swarm into this party capital each summer and the phenomenal atmosphere in its scores of bars and nightclubs is nothing short of explosive.

Located in the centre of the market garden area of the island, Ayia Napa also boasts a string of superb golden sandy beaches and vestiges of its cultural heritage - there is a Venetian decorated monastery fronted by a 600-year-old Sycamore tree, and a quaint harbour filled with colourful fishing vessels.

Just a few miles away, the resort of Protaras is more restrained and is much more suited to family holidays. Both resorts have excellent beaches, the most famous being Fig Tree Bay. Other popular beaches include Nissi Beach and Nissi Bay, two miles (three km) west of Ayia Napa; Cape Greco to the east, where the challenge is to leap from the rocks into the sea; and Konnos Bay, just past Cape Greco, where there is a beach café and speedboats for hire.

Entertainment and attractions in Ayia Napa are largely centred around the extensive, silvery sandy beaches along the coast of Ayia Napa which are washed with warm waters that provide a myriad of opportunities for watersports, including water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, pedal boats, motor boats, parasailing, scuba diving and snorkelling.

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation supervises the beaches, many of which have Blue Flag status. Visitors can take excursions to places like Agia Thekla, four miles (six km) to the west, with a small offshore island, Makronisos Beach, a cluster of three sheltered bays, or to the historical city of Larnaca, 25 miles (40km) along the coast.

Jeep safaris around the island itself are popular, with attractions like the Caledonian Falls and the Byzantine Monastery of Kykkos waiting to be explored. The island's position in the Mediterranean also lends itself to making excursions to other countries, even Jerusalem or Cairo, for a night or two of sightseeing.

Ayia Napa is also a very popular attraction for the nightlife. Visitors to Ayia Napa soon learn that it is essential to plan an afternoon siesta, if they are to make the most of the sensational nightlife for which the resort has become world-renowned.

The Cypriot's appreciation for the good life and good times comes to the fore after the sun sets, with bars, discos, nightclubs and bouzouki clubs open well into the early hours of the morning. Most hotels have their own nightly entertainment with a resident band, and Greek nights with folk dancing are offered. The resort's clubbing scene is legendary with big name DJ's appearing frequently at popular clubs like Starsky & Hutch (70's Funk, Soul and Jazz disco), Grease (70's - 90's disco) and Insomnia (Garage, House and R&B).

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Population: 780.100
Languages: Greek, Turkish (both official); English
Currency:
Local Times:
Cyprus - Nicosia

Country Dialling Code: +357
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 Parallel circular prongs

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily and Sardinia), and lies at its north-eastern end, closer to the Middle East and North Africa than it is to Europe. If you could sneak your way past the Green Line, Cyprus would be two countries for the price of one. Unfortunately, this really is a country divided - since 1974, visitors have had to choose between the Turkish experience of the north and the Greek experience of the south.

Politics aside, the landmass of Cyprus is home to great beaches and popular holiday resorts. It is also full of relics and ruins of ancient history, from the beehive style huts of primitive man to some classical Greek and Roman ruins.

The country capital, Nicosia, is the dividing point of the north from the south (and vice versa). The line, enforced by the United Nations is a peacekeeping buffer. Despite the obvious tourist problems associated with this location, Nicosia itself, has not dampened the appeal of Cyprus as a holiday mecca.

Cyprus has wide appeal as a holiday destination. The weather is sunny and dry for the majority of the year and the beaches washed by the turquoise waters befit the modern luxury hotels in the coastal resort towns. There are also historic restored city precincts, tavernas and the nightlife (depending on where you stay) can be amongst the liveliest in all of Europe. Cyprus also holds an appeal due to its remote picturesque monasteries and mountain villages, quaint churches, Crusader castles and intriguing museums. All of this added to the legend of Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love who rose from the sea here) means that Cyprus is also a popular honeymoon destination.

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Ayia Napa Travel Guide

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