“Hello!” – we hear from all sides, instead of the expected “Yasas!” The evening streets in bright lights are filled with crowds of cheerful white youth and respectable, but no less cheerful old men. It seems that the whole Foggy Albion has gathered here …
The Cypriot Ayia Napa is very loved by the British, who on vacation prefer not only to lie on the beach, but also to “buzz” all night long, as long as they have enough strength and health. Basically it is, of course, students and schoolchildren. However, there are also many pensioners. The English, of course, prevail, although you can hear German, French, Russian. The local Greeks have mastered all possible languages, but when they suddenly hear “Yasas!” native to their ears from tourists, their joy knows no bounds. We were even treated to wine for such a plezir.
“Orthopedic” sand
In September-October it is still warm and comfortable to rest in Cyprus. The water temperature reaches +28 C. In addition to nightclubs, Ayia Napa is famous for its beaches. Although they are not too big, they are very convenient for families with children. The secret is that they are all sandy, and the sea is very shallow, go and go to the depths. We, adults, will most of all like the sand – soft, downright “orthopedic” for your feet: walk and enjoy a therapeutic walk.
Well, children frolic in “paddling pools”, which, as if especially for them, were made by mother nature herself. And one more thing, which is very important for lovers of non-extreme swimming: on the local beaches there are no strong winds familiar to Cyprus.
To the monastery for water
The fact is that the town is well located in the northeastern part of the island, where these winds, due to natural features, have nowhere to turn around. The forests interfere with them. They are quite dense, but once they were even more luxurious and even gave the name to the village itself: Ayia Napa means “sacred forests” in translation.
And they became sacred for the simplest reason. At one time, they found a miraculous icon of the Mother of God in a cave. In honor of this event, a monastery was built over a cool grotto, and a village arose around it, the same one where we now rest.
The monastery, which remains the only historical landmark of Ayia Napa, does not differ in size, but it makes a very good impression. That cave with the icon still exists. Traces of ancient frescoes have been preserved on its walls. Under the ground is the image of the Mother of God in a silver setting, and nearby is a holy spring. At the top of the well there is always a full bucket on a chain, and next to it is a glass for general use, with which you can scoop up water from a bucket and, as they say, kiss.
Honorary Old Man
And very close to the southern entrance to the monastery grows a giant sycamore tree. It is from the ficus family. Locals claim that it is 600 years old. It must be so. After all, the trunk of an honorary old man can only be embraced by a large company of five or six people.
It turns out that it appeared here during the reign of the Venetians. Or maybe even earlier, when the Christian community had just been founded. For tourists, the sycamore also serves as a kind of landmark, as it stands on the path between the old monastery and the new temple, opened in 1993.
In the realm of Scylla
There are many excursions in Ayia Napa, but probably the most original is a trip to Cape Greco, the extreme eastern cape of the Greek part of Cyprus. It is here that you will see a sea of indescribable azure beauty and rocky arches, under which, according to legend, the terrible Scylla lives. She gets tangled in fishing nets and knocks down the readings of the location station installed here by the British in a closed area.
And they became sacred for the simplest reason. At one time, they found a miraculous icon of the Mother of God in a cave. In honor of this event, a monastery was built over a cool grotto, and a village arose around it, the same one where we now rest.
The monastery, which remains the only historical landmark of Ayia Napa, does not differ in size, but it makes a very good impression. That cave with the icon still exists. Traces of ancient frescoes have been preserved on its walls. Under the ground is the image of the Mother of God in a silver setting, and nearby is a holy spring. At the top of the well there is always a full bucket on a chain, and next to it is a glass for general use, with which you can scoop up water from a bucket and, as they say, kiss.
Honorary Old Man
And very close to the southern entrance to the monastery grows a giant sycamore tree. It is from the ficus family. Locals claim that it is 600 years old. It must be so. After all, the trunk of an honorary old man can only be embraced by a large company of five or six people.
It turns out that it appeared here during the reign of the Venetians. Or maybe even earlier, when the Christian community had just been founded. For tourists, the sycamore also serves as a kind of landmark, as it stands on the path between the old monastery and the new temple, opened in 1993.
In the realm of Scylla
There are many excursions in Ayia Napa, but probably the most original is a trip to Cape Greco, the extreme eastern cape of the Greek part of Cyprus. It is here that you will see a sea of indescribable azure beauty and rocky arches, under which, according to legend, the terrible Scylla lives. She gets tangled in fishing nets and knocks down the readings of the location station installed here by the British in a closed area.
There, further behind the cape, begins Protaras, the most extreme resort, literally adjacent to the Turkish part of Cyprus. The Greek and Turkish coasts are similar, which is very clearly visible from the board of the “pirate” yacht that rides tourists. But life is in full swing on the Greek part, and silence on the Turkish part has been quiet for forty years …
Note to the tourist
The best beach is Nissi Beach. It is the largest: its length is almost 500 m.
The Greeks themselves do not live in Ayia Napa, they come here to work from the villages. Therefore, prices in stores are designed for tourists with tight wallets.
Entrance to nightclubs is paid. However, if before that you drank a cocktail in some bar, even in a bar at your hotel, you can be presented with a flyer with which they will let you into the club for free or at a big discount.
In October, next to the monastery, the main events of the festival of medieval Cypriot culture are played out. At the opening you will find a fair, a carnival, concerts and free wine.
The first settlers in the Ayia Napa area were the Greeks from Thessaloniki, who fled here from the plague in the middle of the 18th century.
Until 1668, the monastery in Ayia Napa was for women. According to legend, at the beginning of the 16th century, a Venetian girl found shelter in it, who fled from a marriage forced on her by her parents. She also planted a sycamore tree.
In the new church of Our Lady, a miraculous belt is kept, at which women pray for children.
Cape Greco is considered a natural reserve. It occupies 384.9 hectares. Rare plant species, including orchids, are found here.
The theme water park in Ayia Napa is one of the largest in Europe. It has 18 rides.