Ayia Napa is a holiday city for all categories of people. It is for those who want a relaxing family vacation, as well as for those who like noisy parties. There are many beautiful beaches, white sand, and crystal clear waters.
This city also provides its visitors with a water park, an amusement park, and various attractions. Here you will not be bored, we promise. Let’s find out more about the city.
Information about Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is a small town. It belongs to the Greek part of Cyprus. The population of the city is approximately 3000 people. If you look at the number of people who live here, we can say that Ayia Napa is more suited to the title of a village, rather than a city. It may be so, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island.
The currency here is the euro. But of course, you can exchange any other currency here at exchange offices.
British, Ukrainians and Russians love to visit this city. Therefore, if you do not know Greek, it is not a problem. In Ayia Napa, in restaurants, hotels, shops, you can safely speak English, and you will be understood. In principle, like on the entire island of Cyprus, it will not be difficult to find Russian speakers either.
In general, it seems to us that Cyprus is an ideal place for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and everyone who speaks Russian or Ukrainian, who wants to go somewhere, but is afraid to travel abroad for the first time. Firstly, it is warm here, with beautiful landscapes, emerald sea, palms, tangerines, and secondly, in Cyprus, you will feel at home. In the sense that people speak and understand Russian and a little bit Ukrainian.
So you are welcome. And you can start your journey from Ayia Napa. It will not disappoint you.
Where is the city located?
Ayia Napa has located approximately 50 km from Larnaca airport, on the southeast coast of the island in the province of Famagusta next to another popular Cypriot resort town, Protaras.
It can be considered that the location near the city is ideal. On the one hand, you are near the coastline with beautiful beaches, on the other hand, you are close to the border of Northern Cyprus. Just 20 minutes and you are already in Famagusta. If you have never been to Famagusta, we definitely recommend that you visit it. We also recommend reading about Famagusta in this article.
The history
The name of the city is of religious origin. Ayia Napa was once a small settlement. Then Christianity came to this land and the inhabitants began to profess Orthodoxy and began to build churches.
In the 7th – 8th centuries, many icons were destroyed. But thanks to the inhabitants of the city, a certain number of icons were preserved. One of them was the ancient icon of the Mother of God.
In the 13th century, a local peasant found the icon of the Mother of God in a cave in the forest. As a result, this icon was given a new name “Panagia Napa”, which meant “Holy Mother of God from the forest”. And over time, this combination of words was reduced to “Ayia Napa”.
In the place where the icon was found, a chapel was built, then a monastery was erected. It was named after the icon – Ayia Napa. Gradually, the village grew around the temple. And the whole area around the temple on the Mediterranean coast to Protaras began to be called Ayia Napa.
This monastery has survived to this day, it is located in the center of the city. Now services are not held there. But it is open to the public as a museum.
Things to do in Ayia Napa
You will not be bored in this city. This is really a very good place to relax, as you can have fun at a noisy party one day and go to the beach and relax.
We will give you a list of entertainment.
Water park “WaterWorld Ayia Napa”
This is a great place for water activities in this area of the island. You can read more information about “WaterWorld Ayia Napa” and other water parks in this article.
Nissi beach
A beach with white sand, a transparent sea, a large number of different bars and clubs await its visitors. It is considered one of the most popular beaches on the island. So if you are a fan of beach parties, this is the place for you.
Amusement park “Parko Paliastro”
If you are still bored in Ayia Napa, we advise you to visit this amusement park. This is the largest amusement park in Cyprus. It is located in the center of the city and on its territory is located the largest Ferris wheel on the island, its height is 45 meters. It is an ideal place to see what the island looks like from above;).
Nightlife in Ayia Napa
Well, for lovers of night parties, Ayia Napa has prepared a large number of nightclubs and bars in the very center and by the sea. But the biggest parties still take place in the central part.
The city is so prepared for its guests that you don’t even have to look for clubs, they will find you :D. More precisely, barkers. People here work who invite people to different parties, offer discounts and can take a tour of different clubs. Of course, they are interested in you buying something, for example, cocktails at the bar or a hookah, but we advise you to be careful and use their services for your own benefit ;). Then your vacation will go well and without losing a lot of money at a boring party.
Among the most popular clubs in Ayia Napa are the following:
- Castle club
- Club ice
- striptease club Toga Toga.
What to see in Ayia Napa?
Despite the fact that Ayia Napa is a small town, it is also rich in attractions. This, of course, is not the most ancient city on the island, but historical sites are still present.
Here is a small list of what you can see in Ayia Napa:
- Museum of the Sea (Thalassa Museum)
- Ayia Napa Monastery.
- Cactus park, where more than 10,000 species of cacti are collected.
- Sculpture park with 155 statues
- Cape Cava Greco, for those who are bored of active rest
- Love bridge
How to get to Ayia Napa?
If you have chosen Ayia Napa for your vacation, we would advise you to fly to Larnaca airport. Since this is the closest airport to this city.
There are different ways to get to Ayia Napa from the airport
- Direct bus: inexpensive, inconvenient, since such buses run very rarely, and you also need to take into account that you will need to get from the stop to the hotel in Ayia Napa
- By bus with transfers: cheap, inconvenient if you have a lot of luggage and it might take you a lot of time.
- By transfer from the airport: convenient, fast, comfortable, the price is slightly more expensive than a bus, but you need to plan and book in advance.
- Rent a Car. On the one hand, this is a comfortable way to get to your destination, since you are not tied either to time or to a taxi meter – you can stop by and have a snack on the way :). On the other hand, you need to rent a car, choose the right one, get insurance. Although all this is resolved quickly at the rental location, which is located near the airport, which is also very convenient.
- By taxi. This method is convenient because you don’t need to plan anything in advance. There will be many taxis waiting for you at the exit from the airport. But this is one of the not cheap ways, as the price for a taxi from the airport to Ayia Napa is 60 euros.
We tried to briefly describe all the methods with their pros and cons. Now the choice is yours. We wish you a good time in Ayia Napa and Cyprus in general.
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