Ayia Napa - Protaras - A short History and explanation

The northernmost coastal are of Cyprus before you come to the deserted town of Famagusta, just after Dherinyia, past Paralimni and Protaras is one of the prettiest stretches of coastline in Cyprus. Many years ago it was mainly an agricultural and fishing area only recently cashing in on the relatively new tourism market. New since 1974 for this part of the island anyway, for when Famagusta was invaded by Turkish troops, the local inhabitants found themselves on the front line of a divided island, with many of the newly made displaced refugees falling further back to Larnaca and even Limassol.

 
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In the Scandinavian boom of the late 1970's early 1980's Ayia Napa first realised that the white beaches of Ayia Napa and Nissi Beach in particular, where what the sun seekers were looking for exactly. Clear turquoise waters, interesting little coves, undisturbed flora and fauna and cheap food and drink. Later in the 1990's the area would, because of its expansion to accommodate the swelling hordes of tourists, be in a position to become the 'in' haunt for the lotus eating youth to party the summer away, mostly at night, many of the veterans of Ibiza finding a new playground that as as yet, un commercialised completely.

Ayia Napa Days, AgiaNapa Nights

 

 
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I remember visiting from the sea to the area of chapel cove in the 80's, there was very little development.. Visiting the fishing port and having a sandwich  in one of the glorified coffee shops taverna's in the days when there was a big open drain just to the right of the port which was big enough to shelter in!, the fishing boats were working, (although the reputation for the dynamiting of the fish by the local hoteliers didn't do much for the local diving fraternity, the funfair moved in, McDonalds came trumpeting to town with another bunch of fast food outlets , the bars and dance halls proliferated and everyone thought the boom would go on forever.

When it didn't and the dancing club aficionados moved on to greener pastures, the by now greedy Ayia Napa business brigade thought they would make up for the drop in income by putting the prices up, thus discouraging the lager louts, causing another year of tourist famine. Possibly the best thing that could have happened for the worst reasons, as the surrounding areas developed a number of villa resorts and upmarket hotels

    
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The resultant well equipped holiday resort within a smallish area plumped out the population of the satellite villages with both ex pats and supporting staff for the tourism industry until the area no has a pretty large stable population in the periphery as well as the central boom and bust seasonal centre of Ayia Napa proper.

The monastery, being a charming garden in the centre of it all, has increased the migrant wedding population too, those temporary inhabitants who come with their entourages specifically to tie the knot in a romantic and peaceful place.

      
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 Paralimni, Fig Tree Bay and Ayia Thekla

Paralimni is great for shopping and for a more authentic look at a working Cyprus village, there are proper supermarkets there rather than just the tourist mini supermarkets with the resultant inflated resort prices.  The other side, Ayia Thekla began growing properly about 15 years ago, it was adopted quite enthusiastically by both the Scandinavians and the British ex pats and now even boasts its own car boot sale.

The small church of Ayios Elias is perched on a flat topped hill to the north of the village.,

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Ayia Napa Holiday Villas - Agianapa –Cyprus