Ayia Napa (Cyprus)

Ayia Napa (Agia Napa) is a resort town on Cyprus Island's southern coast (on the Greece-controlled island portion), with resident population around 3,000. The largest city located near Ayia Napa is Famagusta (approx 18 km / 11 mi to the north via highway E327) Another major resort town located nearby is Protaras (approx 10 km / 6 mi to the south-east via the coastal road Cape Greco).

Cyprus' principal cruise port is Limassol. Smaller ships may also visit Larnaca and Paphos. As cruise port, Ayia Napa is visited mainly by superyachts like SeaDream 2 (on May 25, 2022) but also by bigger-sized liners - like Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody OTS (on Aug 3, 2023).

The settlement (as a village named Panayia) was founded in the late-18th-century, when the entire island was part of the Ottoman Empire (1299-1922). Like all beaches on the Greek part of the island, Ayia Napa's beaches are public and under the management of the municipal authorities.

Currently, by total bedding capacity (~27000 beds/175 hotels plus thousands of apartments for rent) Ayia Napa is ranked Cyprus' largest tourist resort. In 2017, Ayia Napa served 700,000+ tourists and reported 5+ million overnight hotel stays (~1/3rd of Cyprus' all overnights). Ayia Napa received city status in 2014, in recognition of its economic importance to Cyprus' economy.

Under Mayor Yiannis Karousos, since 2013 the resort's premium status is steadily growing. The destination's attractiveness and popularity are constantly growing due to strict control over the local establishments (bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, beachside venues, etc), upgraded infrastructure, new and modern facilities - like the 2021-built Yacht Marina (on the above photo) and the 2021-opened MUSAN (Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa - the world's first underwater "forest" museum with 93 artworks representing trees).

The EUR 250 million Ayia Napa Marina was completed in 5 years (2016-21) and was Cyprus' largest private project at the time. The facility's main investor was Naguib Onsi Sawiris (1954-born Egyptian billionaire businessman). MUSAN (off Pernera Beach) groups 93 artworks by Jason deCaires Taylor (1974-born British sculptor) who is best known as the creator of the 2006-opened Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park (off Grenada/Caribbean West Indies) and MUSA-Cancun Underwater Museum (500 sculptures in Mexico's Cancun National Marine Park). MUSAN's sculptures are fixed at depth ~10 m (33 ft). The unique underwater museum can be accessed via snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as from above the water via glass-bottom boats.

Ayia Napa is actively competing to become one of Europe's Top-3 destinations for beach resort vacations and nightlife tourism. Most tourists are foreign and young adults. Ayia Napa has a total of 27 beaches. By the number of Blue Flagged beaches (14 total granted the international award Blue Flag for well-managed beaches with excellent water quality), Ayia Napa is behind only Croatia (80 beaches plus 18 marinas). Ayia Napa's largest and most popular beaches are Nissi Beach and Makronissos Beach.

Other tourist attractions are the Parko Paliatso (amusement park), WaterWorld (Ancient Greece-themed aquapark), Cactus Park (has 10000+ cacti and other desert plants). Popular annual events are the Ayia Napa International Festival (held in September since 1985 in Ayia Napa Monastery, features theatrical performances, classic music, domestic and foreign folk dancing, craft workshops, culinary shows) and Ayia Napa Youth Festival (music festival inaugurated in 2010, features foreign and Greek band music performances).