Ayia Napa is a resort town in Cyprus, located in the eastern part of the island. Life on the local streets is in full swing 24 hours a day, and popular swimming spots with their spicy contests and the incessant rumble of “strawberries” resemble a bizarre hybrid of a beach and a dance floor.
Drowning in foam parties, absorbing exotic cocktails by liters and famously dancing on the bar, Ayia Napa is an ideal resort for those “who like hot” and crave the most unexpected adventures. And if during the day tourists who are eager to drive are warmed by the scorching rays of the Cypriot sun, then at night this task falls entirely on the shoulders of local bars and nightclubs, which they, it is worth noting, masterfully cope with. Adherents of passive recreation and families with children Ayia Napa will also find something to hook and where to shelter: there are enough clean and secluded beaches in and around the city that a desperate party-goer has never set foot on. The main thing is to book a comfortable family hotel in advance, as spontaneous searches for rooms in local hotels in the height of the high season are obviously a failed idea.
The name of the very youth resort of Cyprus was given by an ancient monastery located in its center. The monastery itself was named in honor of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God found in these parts, which, according to historians, was hidden here by a Christian community fleeing from the persecution of the Byzantine emperor. At first, the Cypriots dubbed the image of the Blessed Virgin “Panagia Napa”, which in the local dialect was supposed to mean “The Virgin of the Forest”, but later the phrase was shortened to Ayia Napa. Gradually, the grotto in which the icon was hidden was expanded to a full-fledged temple, and Ayia Napa began to be called the entire area on the Mediterranean coast, extending to modern Protaras.
The best time to travel to Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa belongs to the subtropical zone, so the climate in the city is typical Mediterranean, characterized by long hot summers and short and very mild winters. The holiday season here lasts from April to November, but the peak of tourist dominance falls in the summer months, when the air and water are warmed up as much as possible, and most entertainment establishments work non-stop. The average temperature in July is +32 °C.
In autumn, the youth party gradually fades away, and hotels sharply lower the price bar, so during this period the beaches of Ayia Napa belong entirely to age vacationers and families with children. The most pleasant bonus attached to the autumn months can be considered the absence of sizzling heat, while the water in the sea still remains comfortable for swimming. The average temperature of Ayia Napa September is +22 °C. The only thing that can spoil the impressions of the velvet season a little is the torrential rains and winds that periodically visit the resort at this time of year.
From November to March, there is a dead calm in the city, so in the low season, only fans of excursions rush to Ayia Napa. If you want to catch the Cypriot spring in all its splendor, it is better to plan a tour for April. For almost two months, Ayia Napa literally blooms and smells, and the city flowerbeds and the surroundings of the resort are covered with a colorful floral-grass carpet. In addition, in the spring, local bars and nightclubs begin to come out of “hibernation”, which gives tourists a chance to have a good night out.