MORE THAN JUST PARTY CENTRAL
AYIA NAPA IN CYPRUS MIGHT HAVE A REPUTATION FOR WORLD-CLASS NIGHTLIFE, BUT CHRISTINA BLANEY FOUND THERE IS SOMETHING THERE FOR EVERYONE
HERE are a few things they say about Ayia Napa: “The food is wonderful, the beaches are incredible and the weather is great. “Perfect for families and couples seeking solitude alike.
“The biggest foam party in Cyprus with unlimited shots and a prosecco canon.
“Enjoy an adventure holiday or come for a relaxing break.”
One of these statements about Ayia Napa really doesn’t appeal to me, and it’s probably the same reason it is often overlooked as a holiday destination.
I took my mum away for a week to prove that this beautiful corner of Europe can be a haven for absolutely everyone.
Ideally located in a quiet spot on the outskirts of Ayia Napa, in the eastern part of Cyprus, we stayed at the Makronisos Holiday Village courtesy of Olympic Holidays.
Recently refurbished bungalows, studios and apartments with terraces or balconies, are set among extensive gardens which create a stunning backdrop to the large, beautiful lagoon-style swimming pool.
The complex has a wonderful buffet-style restaurant and snack bar with theme nights and signature cocktails.
And next door its sister restaurant The Garden of Eden is a beautiful setting with an extensive menu sure to please everyone.
A wealth of facilities and an extensive leisure programme for all ages meant we were never stuck for something to do and we also booked two full day excursions as part of Olympic Holidays’ activity programme.
But if I’m honest all I wanted to do was lie on the beach, and thankfully we were in the right place.
Nissi Bay is where you’ll find most of Ayia Napa’s best beaches.
From our accommodation we were within walking distance of Macronissos Beach, Landa Beach, Nissi Beach and Sandy Bay.
All have gently shelving soft, white sand and safe swimming waters as well as a selection of beach bars, restaurants and water sports facilities.
Levels Beach Bar at the Asterias Beach Hotel, was my favourite eating experience of the holiday.
Situated right on the beach, with white bean bag chairs in the sand and a vast canopy to shade you from the hot sun, you can enjoy delicious food including Cypriot classics such as gyros and souvlaki as well as signature cocktails.
A club sandwich and passion fruit Mojito on the beach is pretty much all I need to enjoy myself but even mum, who wanted to be in the shade, eat cheaply and not have alcohol at 2pm, was more than suitably satisfied.
Olympic Holidays have their own activities programme that caters for everyone, from cultural tours, boat trips, shopping excursions and quad biking.
My mum was very keen to go shopping (as mums always are!), but I was more interested in cultural sights, so to satisfy both our needs we went on a full day trip to the island’s capital Nicosia on the ‘Cross the line tour.’
As well as being given a history of the city, including its cultural divide as a result of the Turkish invasion, and illegal occupation in 1974, our guide took us to some of the most prominent sights the city had to offer.
Our guide assisted us across the border into the occupied area, first going through Cypriot passport control, crossing ‘no man’s land’ under the watchful guard of UN soldiers and then through Turkish passport control.
Despite not wanting to visit the northern side initially, it was interesting to see such a contrast between the two sides, and also see how buildings were changed.
The Buyuk Han, originally built by the Ottomans in 1572, used to be a market square on the lower levels which would attract traders from all over Europe.
It now houses craft stalls on the upper levels and has a few restaurants, catering for the hordes of tourists in its centre.
Upon crossing the border we were immediately greeted by the Islamic call to prayer, and so knew a mosque would be nearby.
Historically known as the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, after the occupation its iconography was destroyed and the building was converted into what is now the Selimiye Mosque.
Visitors are allowed inside as long as women are covered and feet are washed before entering.
After a day of sightseeing we were both ready for a lazy day, and what better way to relax than a full day on a luxury catamaran with an all inclusive bar!
But it wasn’t all lying in the sun with a cocktail in hand and the wind in our hair, the cruise also had many sights for us to see.
The cruise sails up to the ghost town of Famagusta, once a popular tourist destination, it now lies abandoned after the Turkish
invasion, you can also see sea caves, the Cape Greco National Park with its famous ‘lovers bridge’ and beautiful churches as well as the beautiful blue lagoons at Protaras’ Fig Tree Bay.
A really tasty buffet lunch is included and there is an open bar so you can enjoy a few drinks whilst you relax and enjoy the sunshine.
Snorkels and kayaks are available for use so you can choose to be as active or as lazy as you wish.
We both agreed that this was the perfect holiday activity and were actually very tempted to book it again.
Our remaining time was spent soaking up the sun by the pool or strolling along the beautiful coastline and swimming in the crystal clear waters.
Cyprus enjoys year round sunshine but is particularly warm and lovely from May to October.
Ayia Napa has seen the emergence of more five star resorts and spa hotels, attracting a different kind of traveller to this truly spectacular part of the world.
It goes without saying that the nightlife in this area is world renowned, and don’t get me wrong, I’d happily party away until the sun comes up with the girls if I didn’t have mum in tow!
This wonderful week away proved to us both that you don’t have to spend a fortune or fly long haul to find white sand, turquoise seas and real cultural trails.
It was also evident that even in the quiet season (late September to May) there were still plenty of places to eat, drink and be entertained for all ages and budgets.
I realised that my mum enjoys making friends with absolutely everyone and anyone, and she realised that I prefer to be left alone with a good book!
But most importantly of all, we realised there is so much more to this island paradise than we originally thought and we would most definitely return... but maybe I’ll take my man next time!