Ayia Napa Has A Charm Of It's Own If You Know Where To Look

Ayia Napa Monastery

Ayia Napa or Agia Napa as it is sometimes spelled, has a charm of it's own if you know where to look.

It is on the South East coast in the region called Famagusta or Ammochostos in Greek, and sits alongside its equally beautiful neighbour Protoras.

This area is not to be confused with the occupied town of Famagusta over the green line which  before the 1974 division was a complete resort area.

Clearly it has a reputation for golden sandy beaches and lively nightlife and is a paradise for lovers of turquoise sea and beautiful sand and the water sports crowd, but there is more to this place than that.

Inland there a number  of Frankish and Byzantine monuments and museums.

There was a famous Greek Cypriot Nobel Poet Laureate called George Seferis and he was inspired by the landscape of this region.

There are many Byzantine Churches in the Protoras-Paralimni region and surrounding villages, many windmills and lots of sprawling fields so you feel you have open space as you travel around.

The region is the main potato producing area on the island and it is known as Kokkinochorio or the "Red Soil Villages" because of the very fertile red earth in which they are grown.

Side Bar: One of the great pleasures in life is eating Cyprus potatoes and if you ever get the chance then you must, they make the most wonderful chips, which sadly are disappearing from many restaurant kitchens nowadays, because frozen chips are more economical to buy. A sad affair in my book. Frozen chips have taken over the world.

On a different note...

The villages of this area are just as renowned for their poets as well as their potatoes.

Folk poets and traditional song performer who hailed from this neck of the woods are regarded as inspirational to the nation...

So Just Where Is The Real Cyprus In This Region?

Cape Greco National Park Area

Places of interest to visit in this area are:

Ayia Napa

• The Monastery In The Centre Of Town
• Thalassa Marine Museum
• Cape Greco National Park

Derynia Village

• Derynia Folk Art Museum
• Cultural Centre of Occupied Famagusta

Sotira Village

• Ecclesiastical Museum

Paralimni Village

• Church Of The Virgin Mary & others in the wider area

Frenaros Village

• Several Byzantine Churches

Avgorou Village

• The Ethnographic Museum

Xylofagou Village

• 15th Century Ayios Georgious Monastery

Liopetri Village

• 15 & 16th Century Churches

Potamos Liopetriou

• Fishing Port & Small Chapel

Potamos Liopetriou Area

Are You Looking To Stay In This Region

If so then perhaps you need to check out some of the most popular hotels on the entire island, the accommodation is excellent quality and you have a lot to choose from.

Make the most of reviews from people who have already stayed before you.

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