The Square
Let’s get straight to the point, this is what you’re coming for! In terms of size, the ‘Napa Square’ is the biggest dedicated bar street of all the party resorts.
Unlike other resorts where the main strip is just as it sounds; one road with a beginning and an end, Ayia Napa is different. The whole central area of the town is literally dedicated to partying, with one massive loop of bars and clubs!
With countless bars playing all kinds of music genres, it won’t take you long to find your favourite!
The Town
As you venture away from the main square, you’ll find a different kind of vibe as the resort stretches down towards the beaches and the harbor. Here you’ll find the more ‘chilled’ places like cocktail bars and beach bars dotted all along the coastline. There’s also plenty of sports bars, karaoke bars and live music venues all over the resort for something a bit different.
Beaches
Ayia Napa is famous for having some of the best beaches in Europe!
By far the most popular is Nissi Beach, which is consistently voted in the top 5 on the continent on tripadvisor. Spend the day topping up your tan on a sunbed listening to the music from the beach bar behind you, or get yourself right involved at the bar itself, where they have different DJs every day from one of the many venues in town!
The other extremely popular beach is located right next to the harbor. Stretching across around 3 kilometres of coastline, this beautiful golden sandy beach is where you’ll find some of the ‘classier’ places to eat and drink during the day. You could easily find yourself spending a whole day sat with a cocktail in hand (not the same one obviously) watching the world go by!
Going towards the other side of the town you’ll find more pristine stretches of golden sandy beaches such as Landa and Makronnisos beach, of which all have plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas to rent!
Another consistent sight on every major beach is at least one watersports place, with everything from jet skis, banana boats, parasailing, water-skiing and paddle boats on offer!
If you fancy finding something a bit more quiet and out of the way of the major beaches, there are many smaller coves and bays dotted all down the coast to recharge those batteries. Some just a short walk from the main town and others slightly more off the beaten track, but well worth the effort to get there!
Eating Out
In the same way there are a ridiculous amount of places to go out, the amount of different types of eateries in town is insane. Pretty much all the major chains you’re accustomed to are here, like Hard Rock Cafe, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, Ocean Basket, Wagamamas etc.
Obviously you have to try some local cuisine when you’re in resort and there are plenty of places to have a traditional (seemingly never ending) Meze.
If fresh seafood is a favourite of yours then again, you won’t be disappointed! This is a speciality of the majority of the restaurants on the harbor, where the fishing boats come in with their fresh catch every day.
Its needless to say that you have your fair share of fast food and kebab places in and around the square, just for that quick pit stop mid-way through your night to re-fuel, or when you’re all partied out and you’re craving that Gyros or a couple of pizza slices to end the night with.
Must Do Events
There are certain events in resort that are considered a ‘must do’ on your holiday in Ayia Napa.
The first is the Pambos Pool Party. This is arguably the biggest event you’ll do with up to 2,000 people in peak season and a huge lineup of major artists and DJs throughout the summer. Over the years this has become one of the staples of the Ayia Napa party scene, with the opportunity to either pay for a bed or booth with your group, where you’ll have your bottle service and dedicated host/ hostess.
The second ‘must do’ is the Fantasy Boat Party, a 5 hour party cruise along the Ayia Napa coastline, with swim stops, DJs, fully stocked bars and party games. In peak season the boat goes every day, while in July and August going out twice a day for a midday cruise and a sunset cruise also.
This one is not so much an ‘event’ but a must do day out. You need to spend a day at the Waterpark, whether you’re a thrill seeker navigating the big rides, or you’re just happy to float around the lazy river nursing that hangover from the night before, it’s definitely well worth the visit!
Venturing out of the Resort
There are many things to see and explore outside of the resort of Ayia Napa. Just how much depends on how far you want to travel.
If you wanted to stay around the local area, the best way is to hire a quad bike or buggy. This gives you the freedom to travel around at your own pace! Although there are also plenty of taxis all around the resort and are always cheap (you’re looking at no more than €10 for a trip anywhere in Ayia Napa, so as little as €2 each for a group of 5)!
A five minute drive to the edge of Ayia Napa, you’ll find the sculpture park and the sea caves in the same area. There is no better place to watch the sunset than the sea caves, where you can get some truly incredible photos!
Going the other way out of Napa, just past Nissi Beach, you’ll find the waterpark and just opposite, the brand new multi-million pound marina, which is well worth a walk around.
Venturing a little further out of the resort, you’ll find the Cape Greko national park, where you can go on your own off-roading adventure, or go with an organized group run by many of the hire places! In this area you’ll find hidden beaches, spots for cliff jumping, incredible views and many off road trails to explore!
Just a little further past Cape Greko, you’ll find the next resort along, called Protaras. Here again you’ll find some more incredible beaches, these ones being a little more chilled than the ones you’ll find in Napa but still very busy and still rated as some of the best in Europe!
Protaras is a much smaller resort than Napa, with pretty much everything on one long strip. Given that it’s smaller, you still won’t be short of restaurants, pubs or bars to explore! Here you’ll find a different type of venue, focusing more on karaoke bars and live shows/ tribute acts.