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For those who don't know, Ayia Napa is the up and coming resort and is certainly the place to be this summer. What was once a small fishing village in the south-eastern corner of Cyprus is now a hotspot for holiday-makers looking for a lively vacation – 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.
Location:
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.
Beaches:
Both resorts Protaras and Ayia Napa 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.
Shopping:
Shopping in Ayia Napa is pure pleasure, with real bargains to be had particularly 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. 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.
Attractions:
There is a Venetian decorated monastery fronted by a 600-year-old Sycamore tree, and a quaint harbour filled with colourful fishing vessels.
Activities:
The extensive, silvery sandy beaches along the coast of Ayia Napa are washed with warm waters that provide a myriad of opportunities for watersports, including water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, pedal boats, motor boats, 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.
Nightlife:
Visitors to Ayia Napa soon learn that it is essential to plan an afternoon siesta, if they are to make the most of the sensational nightlife for which the resort has become world-renowned. 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).
Gastronomy:
Variety is the spice of dining out in Ayia Napa, where countless restaurants specialise in a host of cuisines from around the world, everything from the romantic and traditional, to fast food and pub-grub being on offer. 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 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).
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