Travel guide to Ayia Napa
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Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is a coastal resort situated at the far eastern end of Cyprus south coast, and is very popular for attracting a great number of tourists annually due to its striking sandy beaches. It was initially an insignificant fishing village until 1974 when the Turkish people invaded the area and made it impossible to access Famagusta hence the tourists began to slowly visit Ayia- Napa. In the present day, it is a major tourist destination in Cyprus for both its beaches and its exotic nightlife.
Ayia Napa’s history can be traced back to a hunter who discovered it while pursuing a prey and the town was formerly referred to as Virgin Mary of Napa, which was with time shortened to Ayia Napa. It is generally believed that the first inhabitants of the resort were some men from Salonica in Greece.
The town attracts a vast number of tourists and features several beaches where water sports such as skiing, surfing, speed boating and others are popular. The beaches are supervised by the tourism organization in Cyprus which also protects tourists’ interests. Nissi Beach is the most well-known beach among young people and is mostly visited during summer. Harbor Beach one of the longest in Cyprus is another popular beach especially for families since it’s quite relaxing. Another one is the Golden Bay which also hosts several water activities. The beaches along Ayia Napa have an elevated level of hygiene and have the EU blue flag as an award for that.
The town has several museums such as the Tornaritis founded in 1992 exhibiting past and current marine life. There is also the Thalassa, a municipal museum and the Makronissos Tombs located west of the city. The inhabitants hold the annual Ayia Napa festival in September which consists of concerts, theatre performances, folk dancing by foreigners etc. Additionally there is the Ayia Napa youth festival which was launched in the year 2010.
For those after an exotic nightlife the square is the area to be and though it is small, it is well packed. Most visitors get there by planes flying to the Larnaca airport in Cyprus. From the airport you can hire a taxi which takes about 45 minutes to Ayia Napa and charges are affordable. You can also use Anycarhire.com for car hire in Ayia Napa services which is useful when you want to explore a wide area.
