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Holidays to Ayia Napa
Originally a small fishing village in the southeast corner of Cyprus, an Ayia Napa holiday is now the Mediterranean hotspot for lively holidays and clubbing on sun kissed beautiful shores. 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.
Ayia Napa is home to some spectacular shopping opportunities, with real Cyprus deals and bargains available, especially on designer goods. Top name watches, sunglasses, clothing, cameras and jewellery are available at prices up to 30 percent cheaper than in the United Kingdom, so you can enjoy shopping for bargains on your holidays to Ayia Napa. Shops and boutiques are generally small and friendly, opening until 11pm every night except Sundays. The local handcrafts make for good souvenir shopping, including beautiful embroidered Lefkara lace, original ceramic pottery, artistic silver jewellery, baskets, woven and silk goods and high quality leatherwear. Major credit cards are accepted everywhere.
Dining in Ayia Napa is varied and offers a vast amount of choice, with international cuisine readily available and menus catering to the finest gourmet down to the cheapest pub meals. Whether it is a Big Mac, fish 'n chips, a Chinese or formal French you fancy, you won't have to go far to find it. Visitors are well advised to try the Cypriot fare, however, particularly in the delightful, traditional tavernas clustered around the harbour. Highly recommended on an Ayia Napa holiday is the typical Cypriot 'meze', made up of between 15 and 30 island dishes. Other local specialities include taramosalata, tsatsiki, moussaka, stifado (beef or veal stew), aphelia (pork and red wine), and loukoumades (doughnuts dipped in syrup).
The nightlife in Ayia Napa is so lively that many visitors plan an afternoon siesta to make the most of the resort's world famous spectacular after dark activities. 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).
Daytime activities on an Ayia Napa holiday are just as extensive as the evening ones, with long stretches of silvery sand beaches and a vast array of water sports, including water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, pedal boats, motorboats, 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 predominantly a clean and well-kept resort, which is favoured by a variety of visitors due to its vast range of attractions. Those who do not enjoy noise and bright lights, however, are advised to stay clear of the central monastery square area, which is where most of the popular nightclubs are situated. The main clubbing season is between June and September, and during this period the resort is packed with young people from all over Europe. Older holiday makers may prefer to enjoy the resort during the 'shoulder' months (April, May, October and November), when the weather is still good, the sea relatively warm, but the tempo quieter. The island can be windy, but the geographic locations of the surrounding beaches means that it is possible to find a sheltered beach even on windy days. Nissi Beach tends to be overcrowded, but there are other beaches within easy reach where it is possible to enjoy peace and quiet.
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