Ultimate Ayia Napa Travel Guide & Itinerary (+ Map)
TL;DR
Complete travel guide including the best things to do in Ayia Napa car-free, using buses, tours, and your own two feet.
Thinking about visiting Ayia Napa but unsure if it’s worth it – or doable without a car? We had the same questions. Often labelled as just a party hotspot, Ayia Napa actually offers turquoise beaches like Nissi Beach, dramatic coastal scenery around Cape Greco, boat trips, scenic walks, and relaxed restaurants.
Our guide is based on our own car-free stay and is designed especially for travellers who explore by bus, on foot, and with the occasional tour – whether you’re a backpacker, a couple, or a family.
Ayia Napa Travel Guide
Ayia Napa Cyprus Map
Is Ayia Napa Worth Visiting?
Ayia Napa is often labelled as just a party hotspot for young travellers, but that reputation only tells part of the story. Beyond the nightlife, the area is home to some of Cyprus’s most beautiful beaches, with clear turquoise water and soft sand that rival many Mediterranean destinations. The surrounding scenery is just as impressive, especially around Cape Greco with its sea caves and cliffs. Add in boat trips, water sports, and relaxed restaurants, and Ayia Napa becomes a surprisingly well-rounded destination that can suit both fun-seekers and travellers simply looking to unwind by the sea.
Where We Stayed in Ayia Napa
We stayed at A Maos Hotel Apartments. The location is quiet but very central – up a hill, but we didn’t mind. The rooms are well equipped with a kitchenette and a small workspace. We had a distant sea view from our balcony. We also used the swimming pool often and think it’s a nice touch.
All in all, we think it’s a great base – also if you plan to stay a bit longer in Ayia Napa.
How to Get to Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is easy to reach from Paphos and Larnaca airports.
- From Larnaca, you can take one of the direct shuttle buses, which run several times a day to Ayia Napa.
- From Paphos, you have two options: a. You can take the shuttle to Larnaca and from there one of the frequent buses to Ayia Napa. b. You can go to the main bus station in Paphos (Municipal Market Station) and take the direct bus from there, which runs once a day. The bus from Paphos airport to Paphos runs several times a day.
How to Get Around Ayia Napa
The centre of Ayia Napa is very walkable.
Additionally, there’s a decent bus network that can bring you to destinations that are further away, like Cape Greco or Ayia Thekla Beach.
24 Things to Do in Ayia Napa
Our list of things to do in Ayia Napa is mostly geared towards travellers who don’t have a rental car (like us). This is why we grouped the activities by location:
Things to Do in Central Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa was first mentioned in the 16th century, but legends date even earlier. Take some time to explore the city itself. The main sights include:
- The Central Square with the Ayia Napa sign, Church of Ayia Napa, and Country House Museum.
- The medieval Monastery of Ayia Napa, which is open to visitors.
- The Thalassa Municipal Museum that showcases the significance of the sea upon the history of Cyprus.
- At Ayia Napa Harbour, keep your eyes open for the many statues and the cute Church of St. George!
- The Agia Napa Promenade connects the centre of Ayia Napa with its beaches to the west.
- Parko Paliatso Luna Park is a theme park with many rides. The entrance is free, and you can either buy tickets for a single ride or an all-inclusive pass. We sure had some fun there!
- Glyki Nero Beach is the best beach close to the centre of Ayia Napa. It’s sandy with sunbeds, beach bars, and options for water sports.
- The Ayia Napa Sculpture Park is a large area full of cool statues with the sea as a backdrop.
On the way here, walk along the Roman Aqueduct. It’s a bit hidden, but it will bring you most of the way to the park.
On the way back, walk along the shore. Start at Love Bridge and keep your eyes open for more sea caves and lovely bays.
- The Ayia Napa nightlife is quintessiential so we felt the urge to recommend checking out at least some of the cool bars around Ayia Napa square. We sure did (and we’re over 30)!
Things to Do Around Cape Greco
Cape Greco is not only the easternmost point of Cyprus but also of the whole EU. Sights in the area include sea caves and bays like:
- The famous Ayia Napa Sea Caves.
- Cape Greco Viewpoint. The highest point in southeastern Cyprus with great views.
- The Cape Greco Lighthouse.
- Blue Lagoon, where you can swim in clear blue water.
- Crow's Arch, a natural rock bridge.
- The super picturesque Ayioi Anargyroi Chapel and Sea Cave.
- Konnos Bay, which is great for swimming with turtles.
How to Get to Cape Greco
If you don’t have a rental car, you can either
- Take a bus (lines 101 and 102 go from Ayia Napa to Cape Greco). Be prepared for a lot of walking!
- Go on a cruise. We went on the Aphrodite 2 Lazy Day Cruise, which is a great “lazy” option to see all the sights around Cape Greco from the water. We have written a full review of our cruise:
- Go on a jeep safari. The combination of sightseeing, swimming, and off-roading is immensely fun!
Nissi Beach and Other Beaches West of Ayia Napa
The beaches to the west of Ayia Napa are lovely, with Nissi Beach being the prettiest. Here are our favourites:
- Pernera Beach with comfier sun loungers and fewer people.
- Vathia Gonia is a beautiful, calm bay with soft sand and crystal clear water.
- Nissi Beach is the most famous and probably the prettiest beach in Ayia Napa. It’s not exactly a hidden gem anymore, but still very much worth a visit. Don’t miss out on walking to Nissi Island, which is a tiny islet that is connected to the mainland by a sand bar.
We only went as far as Nissi Beach, but for completeness sake, we also wanted to include:
- Makronissos Beach, a nice sandy beach with turquoise water. It’s named after the Makronissos Archaeological Site next to it. Here, you can find 19 rock-cut tombs from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, a small sanctuary, and an ancient quarry.
- Ayia Thekla Beach next to the super scenic Ayia Thekla Chapel. Due to its rather remote location, it’s not overrun by beach lovers yet.
How to Get to Nissi Beach and Beaches West of Ayia Napa
If you don’t have a rental car, you can either
- Walk along the Ayia Napa Promenade. This is what we did on the way there. For reference, it’s around 4 km (2.5 mi) to Nissi Beach, 6 km (3.7 mi) to Makronissos Beach, and 7 km (4.3 mi) to Ayia Thekla Beach.
- Take a bus (lines 101 and 102 go from Ayia Napa towards the Waterpark). This is what we did on the way back.
The Best Tours in Ayia Napa
- We thoroughly enjoyed Scuba diving in Ayia Napa. We are certified Scuba divers, but used this Discover Scuba Diving as a refresher because we hadn’t been underwater for a while. We highly recommend diving with sea turtles among sunken statues in the secluded Konnos Bay.
- A tour to the Ghost Town of Famagusta is a must if you’re into lost places. It used to be a lively seaside resort until the Turkish invasion in 1974. On this tour, you’ll cross the border into Northern Cyprus to visit
- Famagusta’s old town centre and its Venetian walls.
- Varosha, the Ghost Town of Famagusta.
- The ancient city of Salamis.
- Saint Barnabas Monastery.
- In case you only stay in Ayia Napa and don’t travel around Cyprus, we also recommend visiting other cool spots around the island, like Limassol with the Archaeological Site of Kourion, the divided capital Nicosia, or the Troodos Mountains.
Here’s our full list of the 5 Best Ayia Napa Tours and Excursions:
Travel Guides
10 Amazing Ayia Napa Tours and Excursions
10 Amazing Ayia Napa Tours, Excursions, and trips!
Carina
Where to Eat in Ayia Napa
We chose a hotel with a kitchen, so we didn’t eat out a lot, but these are the places we like and recommend:
- Taverna Napa is a great restaurant for Cypriot cuisine. Make sure to try their meze, a taster of around 20 different delicious dishes.
- We enjoyed Karamelomeno Kremidi for a late-night snack in the form of a gyro.
- For cheap happy hour cocktails, head to Tommy's Pub.
- The Square Bar is amazing for live music.
- Asylum Rock Bar for a different kind of music.
How Many Days in Ayia Napa Do You Need
No matter if you’re on a longer (backpacking) trip around Cyprus or want to spend more time at the beach, we recommend allocating at least 3 days for sightseeing around Ayia Napa.
Here’s a full 10 day Cyrpus itinerary including 3 days in Ayia Napa.
Ayia Napa Itinerary
We would spend three days in Ayia Napa exactly how we structured our list of things to do:
Day 1: Explore the sights around the centre of town and check out the nightlife.
Day 2: Head to the sea caves and bays around Cape Greco – preferably by boat or jeep.
Day 3: Head to Nissi Beach and some of the other beaches west of Ayia Napa.
With more than three days in Ayia Napa, we would add on more tours like Scuba diving and day trips, e.g. to Famagusta.
Ayia Napa Tips
ATMs in Ayia Napa
There’s no shortage of Euronet ATMs in the centre of Ayia Napa. If you don’t want to pay their high fees, we recommend stocking up on Euros before heading there.
Supermarkets in Ayia Napa
There are many mid-sized supermarkets dotted around town. They are very tourist-friendly and feel like a mixture of kiosk (Späti as we call them in Berlin) with loads of (alcoholic) drinks and snacks, a tourist shop with souvenirs and beach supplies, and a grocery store. The prices are rather high, but they do the trick.
Internet in Ayia Napa
The internet in our accommodation worked well. For mobile data, we just used our regular German SIM card, as Eu roaming regulations apply in Cyprus.
Is Ayia Napa Safe
Ayia Napa is as safe as other beach towns in Europe. Petty crime does occur (pretty much as anywhere else). If you go out, make sure to keep your drink safe.
Best Time to Travel Ayia Napa
Personally, we went in the shoulder season (spring, autumn), which is the season we recommend for travel.
In summer, the weather will be nicer for a beach holiday, but it will be busier and pricier.
In winter, Ayia Napa can get very quiet with many places and activities closed for the season.
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