Ayia Napa is widely considered the premier nightlife location of Cyprus, small enough to be considered just about walkable. Greek for “Saint Napa”, the patron saint of the town, whose Venetian-era monastery is in the centre of the town, next to the square which today is clubbing central...

Located in the far eastern end of the Cypriot Republic, adjacent to the UK Sovereign Base, Ayia Napa has become synonymous with clubbing on the island, having made a transition in recent years from a popular, all-ages family holiday destination to a “dance party capital”, similar to Ibiza in Spain. British tourists are by far the most prevalent here, as elsewhere on Cyprus. Beyond the clubbing, however, Ayia Napa attracts tourists world-wide on account of its fun-loving (some would say, totally hedonistic) outlook by night and its sandy Mediterranean beaches by day.

Most travellers arrive at Ayia Napa by flights to the island of Cyprus that land at Larnaca airport. From there, it is a 45 minute taxi ride to Ayia Napa. Total fare should be around €55 (based on 2011 prices).

Ayia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a party capital together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos. As of late, it has become particularly popular with the black music community, UK Grime, House and Garage artists/MCs, and more recently, Scottish grime music for holidays and gigs in its clubs and other venues.

The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian-era monastery of the same name, located in the centre of the town, next to the square that today is the clubbing centre. The word “Ayia” (Agia) means “holy” in Greek. “Napa” is archaic and means “wooded valley” or dell. In ancient times the area surrounding the town was covered with thick forest.

According to local legend, the now renowned original icon was accidentally discovered by a hunter in hot pursuit of his prey. Upon discovery, the icon of the Virgin Mary was called Virgin Mary of Napa, eventually shortened and now known as Ayia Napa. The present monastery, built in 1500, was built around the cave, in honour of the Virgin Mary of Ayia Napa. According to local tradition, until 1790 no-one lived within close vicinity of Ayia Napa. The first inhabitants who actually appeared and settled were twenty men from Salonica, Greece.

In Cape Greco many locals claim that there exists the Ayia Napa sea monster, reported to resemble a cross between a porpoise and a dragon, of which there have been only a dozen or so reported sightings and photographs. Some suggest that it is a direct descendant of a creature of prehistoric times.

Geographically, Ayia Napa lies near Cape Greco at the eastern part of Cyprus, just south of Famagusta and forms part of a larger area known as Kokkinochoria (a name derived from the red colour of its soil). It is a town of Famagusta District, in the remaining southern part of the district not occupied by Turkish forces in 1974. Ayia Napa is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Protaras, a town that has recently seen similar development, but still manages to remain low-key and remains more favourable for families and Cypriot locals.

Ayia Napa attracts a large number of tourists and features a number of bathing beaches, on which water sports such as water-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing, scuba diving and speed boating are popular. The most popular of these beaches is Nissi beach, which is visited mainly by younger people in the summer and gets quite crowded. Another is the Harbour beach, which is one of Cyprus' longest, and the longest in Ayia Napa. Harbour beach caters more for families. The New Golden Bay (or Lanta / Landa beach as it is known to the locals) is less crowded, but there are still a number of activities available. All beaches in Ayia Napa have been awarded the EU blue flag for their level of cleanliness and facilities. Cyprus, with 53 Blue Flag beaches has three records: the most Blue Flags per capita in the world, the most dense concentration of Blue Flag Beaches, the most Blue Flag beaches and per coastline length in the world.

The Square, central to the town, is filled with high end restaurants, night clubs and shops, such as The Castle Club and Nikita's. Ayia Napa has changed its image somewhat over the years, from a fishing village to a Mediterranean paradise and has now found its place as a multicultural town, catering to all tastes.

Ayia Napa is famous for its nightlife. The Square should be your first choice for nightlife in the area. Although the area is a lot smaller than you might expect, there is a lot packed into the area and there are plenty of places to drink. Competition between various bars is fierce and most bars employ promotional staff who will accost you on the street with offers of free shots or drinks. Clubs and bars are open until daybreak and as a result, the scene doesn't really begin to pick up until around 11-ish. Those expecting a cheap night out are also going to be slightly disappointed.

See and Do

Ayia Napa Monastery is the best known landmark of the Agia Napa area, the present building dates to around 1500. It has a charm that represents a time when Agia Napa was a sleepy fishing village. It seems that in ancient times, the location where the monastery and the village exists today, was covered by thick forest, visited only by hunters from the neighbouring villages.

Beaches

Agia Napa attracted its first tourists on the back of its incredible beaches. There is a selection of powder white sand beaches. The water is crystal clear with a lovely blue-green colour. The water tends to be quite shallow. Food, drinks, umbrellas and sun beds are all available but you need to get there early to reserve yours.
Nissi Beach the most infamous of them all. Blond beauties and well oiled hunks flock here. In the height of the summer you need to get there early to reserve your patch. About 4 km from the central square. Nissi Bay Beach bar features the club and bar DJ's spinning the decks each day.
Makronisos Beach a bit further away, at times less busy and more family orientated.
Grecian bay The closest sandy beach to the centre of Agia Napa, this is a beautiful beach that stretches along three coves to the east of the small fishing harbour. Not so fashionable as the two above, but just as nice a beach.