One of the surprises of the summer 2007 season was the increased popularity of Cyprus as other sun destinations filled up.
Cyprus is the sunniest island in the Med, and the 33,000 Irish holiday makers who went scattered in two directions when they get there, Paphos for the upmarket holiday and Agia Napa the definite favourite, where 70pc of Irish visitors go.
Agia Napa used to worry that its popularity was getting out of hand. It got a reputation as a noisy destination about four years ago and the Cypriots are anxious to reclaim the resort’s family credentials. In Agia the families are back.
The introduction of the euro in 2008 has boosted the appeal of the resort. The Cyprus pound was one of the most weighty currencies in the world giving an appearance that everything was quite expensive. Joining the euro should cancel that problem out.
Walking, cycling, family meals and water sports is the flavour of the new Agia.
To see where the reputation came from, check out the cluster of pubs and clubs on the L-shaped main concourse with signs offer double vodkas with red bull for two Cyprus pounds (u3.75): the Love Shack and the Car Wash discotechs, Bedrock where the staff wear Flintstones costumes, Titanic with its scaled down liner being scratched by an iceberg, bars showing repeats of Friends and Only Fools and Horses, Senior Frog (yes, not Senor – you can tell by the big frog in a suit sitting outside), the Luke Kelly (live GAA every Sunday), and the Anonymous pub (live Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Eastenders).
Agia Napa is trying to get back to what it does best, as a family destination and the tourist board are working to win back the town’s reputation from the clubbers. Irish party-goers are particularly welcome.
Says Lakis Avroamides, a former international footbaelr who now looks after marketing for Cyprus Tourism: “compared with other nationalities we love the Irish due to their behaviour. They know how to behave when they are drunk, something which you cannot find in other nationalities.”
Jimmy Milton in the Paloma pub agrees. He is in the process of converting his premises to a Celtic-Irish team theme at the moment (see thebhoysbar.com). It is already festooned with photographs of Irish supporters around his bar and mementoes of his own close relationship with Robbie Keane.
The 1974 invasion helped created Agia Napa…
The resort had a total of two hotels, built by hoteliers who saw the Famagusta craze would have to expand south, and a few wooden barracks rented from a British army base which served as beach-shacks.
The refugee restaurateurs and hoteliers were given incentives by the Cypriot government to build a new Famagusta south of the border and Agia Napa was born.
The beach huts are now the Adams hotel, once of the finest five star properties on the island.
And, like all noisy resorts, Agia Napa has its quiet secrets.
The Thalassa Municipal Museum has a replica of the Kirenia ship, the oldest commercial ship every unearthed. The wilderness trail of Cape Greco is easily accessible on a cheap bus ride. (35 varieties of orchid) with its natural bridge, and the pristine Agioi Anargyroi Church within its own nature park.
It is fifteen minutes along the coastline to Protaras, built around a fig tree grove in the heart of the red soiled district and its agricultural villages, the eclectic collection of fishing boats on the mouth of the Liopetris River and the spiritual oasis of Gia Taekla, a shoreline cave with a miraculous icon.
Further afield you can find the wildbird reserve at the Dam of Ahna but the trump card of a Cyprus sun holiday is the terrific itinerary of excursions: to Larnaka (45 minutes), Nicosia, the mountains with their ski resort, Pafos and Limassol.
Or the fabulous two day mini cruises from Limassol to Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon (Bald) with prices starting from Cy70 (u135) depending on cabin choice.
More Irish are going to the south-west corner of the island, to Pafos, where the area’s three golf courses, Aphrodite with its spectacular par three seventh hole, the Tsada Golf club and Secret valley.
They are a first step towards turning the country into a full-par golf destination with 14 courses including one near Agia Napa sports centre.
Historic Cyprus used to export sugar and salt. Now its big export is potatoes. And they wonder why the Irish keep coming back.
- Tomb of the Kings in Paphos, a short bus ride from the city.
- Roman mosaics at the entrance to the harbour, part of a larger archeological site that includes a theatre and a ruined castle.
- Ayios Neophytos Monastery, with view over Paphos from height of 1694 feet, the skull of founder saint Neophytos is on show
- Aphrodite Hills Golf Club the signature course in the area. +357 26 828200
- Paphos Aquarium 72 tanks in total, including one tank with 3 medium size sharks, 2 large crocodile tanks and a very large turtle tank. tropical and Carribean fish and also some Mediterrean fish, +357 26 953920
- Ancient Vouni, burned in 380 BC and never re-established a spectacular palace consisting of a three-sided rectangular room with a central hearth and throne.
- Cyprus Museum Leoforos Mouselou +357 2286 5888. Check out the figures dating back to the 7th c BC, demons servants & snakes.
- Kolossi Castle +357 2593 4907. Very like the fortified town houses we have at home, a Knights of St John crusader capital.
- WaterWorld Waterpark Agia Napa Massive waterpark +357 23724444
- www.waterworldwaterpark.com
- Dolphin Boat Safari +357 99607181
- Camel Park www.camel-park.com
- For more information on Cyprus contact: Cyprus Tourism Organisation Tel: (01) 662 9269 Email: cyprusinfo@eircom.net Web: www.visitcyprus.com.cy
- Direct Flights from Dublin to Cyprus are available from Eurocypria Airlines. See www.eurocypria.com
- Adams Beach Hotel, five star, overlooking the picturesque Nissi Beach. See www.adams.com.cy
- Aeneas Hotel, five star, which features the largest surface area swimming pool in Europe See www.aeneas.com.cy
- Cyprus Tourism Organisation 71 Lower Leeson Street Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 662 9269 Fax: (01) 662 9270 Email: cyprusinfo@eircom.net
