Ayia Napa Cyprus
Cyprus
Frequently Asked Questions
Offshore on the southeast coast, with tender landing a few steps from the centre. Yachts and small vessels berth at the modern marina. A few minutes on foot puts you in the middle of the resort.
Yes, and that is the misunderstanding worth clearing up. By day the resort shows a surprisingly peaceful face: a Venetian monastery, a fishing harbour and golden cliffs dropping into unusually clear water. That is the Ayia Napa cruise passengers meet.
The monastery, half an hour, grilled fish at the old harbour, a swim at Nissi Beach or above the MUSAN sculptures, then a run out to Cape Greco. It all happens within a few kilometres, with no complicated logistics.
A complex built around 1500 in the Venetian period, arranged around a shaded cloister and an octagonal fountain. Part of the church is set into the rock itself, and a sycamore several centuries old shades the forecourt, ten metres from the neon signs.
An underwater museum whose sculptures were sunk a few hundred metres off Pernera beach: a forest of figures and concrete trees slowly populating with coral and fish. You explore it with mask and snorkel, on scuba, or from a glass-bottomed boat.
A crescent of pale sand facing an islet you can wade to through shallow water, about 3 kilometres west of the harbour along the coastal promenade. It draws crowds — the colour of the water explains why. For quiet, continue to Makronissos.
A national park east of the resort where limestone cliffs stand over an indigo sea, cut by sea caves that boats skirt at water level. Paths follow the coast between junipers and everlasting flowers, and a natural arch carved by the waves draws photographers. A short taxi ride or excursion.
The morning's catch and grilled halloumi, the Cypriot cheese that holds up on the grill, at the old harbour tavernas. It is the simplest stop between two swims.
The euro and Greek. English is spoken everywhere — Cyprus was long British and English-speaking visitors are the majority. Cards are accepted throughout the resort.
May to October for swimming, with water that stays pleasant late in the season. July and August are very hot and Nissi Beach fills from early morning: go early or choose Makronissos.
