It's time to pack your bags, because the long-awaited vacation that you plan to spend in one of them is just around the corner. If you find it difficult to make a decision and give preference to Limassol or Ayia Napa, read this article, which may help you make the right choice.

Location and climate Recreation and entertainment

The holiday season in Ayia Napa is generous with carnivals and festivities that attract both locals and tourists. The most spectacular are Green Monday; carnival held on the eve of Maslenitsa; Easter celebrations, Day of the Light. If noisy events are tiring for you, then the city of Ayia Napa has entertainment that you are sure to enjoy. Visit, which is famous for theatrical shows with the participation of dolphins. Children will also be delighted to visit. And beach lovers in the city of Ayia Napa will be pleased with the cozy beaches with clean sand, where you can relax from the bustle of the city and get a little tan.

The cultural life of Limassol is very interesting, which is represented by such annual festivals as the wine festival and the festival of dramatic art, which many foreigners dream of visiting.

After going around the historical buildings and museums of the city, you can go to the Limassol water park, which is located in the central part of the city and is called "Wet`n Wild". It is famous for its numerous slides, which you will definitely want to conquer. As for the beaches, they are covered with sand, which has a slightly unusual gray tint. This is due to the high silicon content and volcanic origin. Staying on such beaches, according to cosmetologists, is very useful for all skin types.

Resort restaurants and nightlife

Young people love Ayia Napa because of the rich nightlife, many bars, discos that work until the morning. There are thousands of entertainment establishments of this type, so there should be no difficulty in choosing. Ayia Napa also has many hotels of various classes of service, each of which is equipped with its own restaurant. In addition, on the streets of the city you can easily find a cute restaurant, a cozy tavern, which offer both traditional dishes and favorite dishes from the cuisines of the world.

The nightlife of Limassol is in full swing, and its lovers will be pleased with the rich choice of establishments where you can pass the night. The city is famous for its excellent street restaurants and taverns, where you can have a delicious lunch and taste the collectible Cypriot wines.

Transport

Transport links in Ayia Napa are very developed, but it is forbidden to visit the city center by car, which is possible here, so the local population and tourists move by bicycle or on foot.

Cyprus is popular with travelers all over the world. But there are many resorts, how to determine the best one? Paphos, Larnaca, Protaras or Ayia Napa: what to choose to make your vacation a success? Let's try to consider from different angles the two most popular resorts - Paphos and Ayia Napa. Despite the many positive reviews about both places, they are still different from each other. And if you learn more about them, it will help you plan your vacation correctly.

Location and climate

The city of Paphos is located in the western part of the Republic of Cyprus, and Ayia Napa is in the east. This leaves its mark on the local weather. On average, in Ayia Napa, the air temperature is slightly higher than in the Paphos region. However, if you arrive in the middle of summer, you are unlikely to feel this difference. Temperatures above +30°С in the shade (even hotter in the sun!) are not very comfortable for city walks or excursions. On such days, it is nice to spend time on a sun lounger by the sea or sit under an umbrella in a cafe. And Ayia Napa and Paphos are suitable for this!

The same can be said about the ratio of sunny and cloudy days. Their number differs so slightly in both resorts that there is no need to talk about a significant difference in the weather. In most cases, you will spend your entire holiday under the bright sun! In the season (and it starts in Cyprus in spring and ends by mid-autumn), there is little rainfall. Both Paphos and Ayia Napa will delight tourists with cloudless days.

Attractions

Paphos or Ayia Napa: what to choose if you are planning not only a beach holiday, but also an excursion program? All the resorts of Cyprus have interesting sights, especially a lot of ancient monuments here. Archaeological excavations are still ongoing in some regions. The island of Cyprus has a rich history, it will be interesting for any tourist to get acquainted with it.

In Ayia Napa, there are much fewer archaeological sites than in the Paphos region, but they are also present. Take at least the tombs of Makronisos, located next to the beach of the same name. Excavations are still underway there, but tourists can visit these ancient tombs.

In Paphos, you can make a whole list of interesting antiquities:

• Church of Panagia Christopolitissa,
• archaeological park,
• paphos castle,
• Catacombs of Saint Solomon.

And that's just archaeological sites! And there are museums and temples visited daily by hundreds of tourists. So in terms of the excursion program, Paphos outperforms Ayia Napa.

Entertainment and beaches

If you want uninterrupted fun, then between Paphos or Ayia Napa, choose the last resort. This does not mean that there are no nightclubs and discos in Paphos, but there are clearly more of them in Ayia Napa. No wonder this resort is considered a place of youth recreation.

If we consider other entertainment, then there are enough of them at both resorts. Both Ayia Napa and Paphos have water parks and amusement parks. There are also beautiful places where you can admire natural landscapes: bays, rocks, wild beaches.

In terms of hotel comfort, these two resorts may well compete. There are inexpensive hotels, and there are luxury hotel complexes. Paphos is traditionally considered a more expensive resort, but this applies mainly to high-level hotels. Prices in restaurants, tour desks and shops in Paphos and Ayia Napa are quite comparable.


All beaches in Cyprus are municipal. They have good infrastructure, are equipped with rescue stations, many are marked with the Blue Flag. It is only worth noting that in Ayia Napa most of the beaches are sandy, and in Paphos they are pebbly. And for many tourists, this becomes an important selection criterion. Some vacationers consider sandy beaches more comfortable. And in this parameter, Paphos is slightly inferior to Ayia Napa.

Where to go?

You can't go wrong if you fly to any resort in Cyprus! Limassol or Ayia Napa, Protaras or Paphos - all of them will impress tourists. Of course, each resort is unique in terms of sights or picturesque bays. But each of them awaits you: the sun and the sea, high-level service and interesting excursions, hospitable locals and the famous Cypriot cuisine. Choose your favorite hotel and start planning your holiday in Cyprus!

In addition, the distance between Paphos and Ayia Napa is 200 km, so if there is no goal to explore the island of Aphrodite completely, you should not wind up kilometers. I will try to help those who have doubts or who are going to Cyprus for the first time with a choice.

Paphos or Ayia Napa

Very briefly, then

• Paphos is a rich sightseeing life, history and a bit of the sea
• Ayia Napa - 90% beach holiday and a trip along the coast and very few excursions

You just have to choose what you want more, so as not to spend extra money and time on empty transfers. Below I will dwell in more detail on Paphos, Ayia Napa and their environs. On their pros and cons. In order not to upset those who want both, I will say that with any choice, you can dose the sea and excursions yourself in any proportion. I'm just giving directions.

Paphos, pros and cons

About the cons of Paphos

Paphos has its own airport, but it does not serve many international destinations. Therefore, most flights arrive in Larnaca, and from there it is much further to Paphos than to Limassol or Ayia Napa. The solution to the problem is to rent a car.

There are far fewer good beaches in Paphos compared to Ayia Napa. The most famous and cool is the beach coral bay, but it is quite far from the Paphos waterfront. If you want to live near a beautiful beach, book accommodation near Coral Bay .

The second option to live near a decent beach suitable for swimming is to choose hotels on the coast east of Paphos, to the left of the embankment, if you look at the sea. There are good, but quite expensive options out there.

Most of the beaches are rocky, near expensive hotels on the shore there are artificial small bays with dark brown and golden sand.

Pros of Paphos

It has a promenade and is full of establishments overlooking the sea where you can spend the evening. And this is the main difference from Ayia Napa, which is essentially a tourist village with hotels and apartments.

In the very Paphos many more attractions than Ayia Napa and this is his forte. There is something to do in non-beach time.

And in Paphos and in Ayia Napa there is a long walking trail along the sea. There is about parity, although Paphos is more walkable and more lively - good opportunities for cycling.

AT Ayia Napa full of city restaurants, but all the same, Paphos and the surrounding area will be more abrupt in this regard. And if you are relaxing in Ayia Napa, then you can have a good and inexpensive lunch with a sea view in Larnaca or the village of Zygi near Larnaca.

Plus and minus at the same time Ayia Napa can be considered a vibrant nightlife, the peak of which is reached in July-August. If you are a party-goer, you definitely need to come here!

Summing up: Paphos vs Ayia Napa

If you are going to Cyprus for good beaches, nightlife with one, maximum two excursions - you are in Ayia Napa. If you are a party-goer and clubber, you are in Ayia Napa. Ayia Napa - a place about the sea and beaches, bars and clubs! Ayia Napa is for the young at heart and lovers of beach activities and boat trips. If you prefer a family vacation with a beach priority, while not ready to overpay - you are in Protaras. It is very close to Ayia Napa which can be reached for a couple of euros by bus. Protaras has a long, well-equipped and beautiful promenade along the sea, which stretches all the way to Cape Greco, a dozen good cozy beaches, a long urban Sunrise Beach and the iconic Fig Tree Bay.

If you love outdoor activities and despise beach chairs and sea activities, if your priority is outdoor activities - cycling, quad biking and wildlife with minimal time at sea - you are in Paphos or Polis. If you want to immerse yourself in local life and color, walk around wineries and see ancient history in order to understand Cyprus better, you Pathos or Policy.

At the same time, Paphos also has several beautiful beaches, so you will not be deprived of the sea. And evenings can be beautifully spent on the waterfront in one of the restaurants with your beloved.

If you want to ride in Troodos mountains, to see the ancient monasteries and villages - choose Paphos, it is closer and more convenient to get from here and you can meet it in one day.

Is it possible to combine all this in one vacation? Easy, for this plan a minimum a week in Paphos and surroundings and the second week or at least Spend 3-4 days in Ayia Napa. Then you will put a fat and beautiful point on your vacation, you will remember and love Cyprus and you will come every year just like we do. Use Larnaca only for transit and transfer from / to the airport, there is nothing to do there for more than half a day.

Is there some more Limassol, but this is a cross between the two locations described above, I would not recommend it to those who first decided to try a vacation in Cyprus. The main advantage of Limassol is its equidistance from almost all places in Cyprus, it is perfect for traveling around the island if you live in one place.

Why is it important to rent a car in Cyprus

I still think that traveling around Cyprus by public transport is masochistic, and frequent use of a taxi is quite hard financially.

Moreover, a car in Cyprus is not a luxury, but a democratic means of transportation, from 8 Euros in the low season and from 15 Euros in the high season, there are options without a deposit and always a meager prepayment.

Such correct wheels we find on the site Myrentacar- here, under one roof, the main players of the local car rental market are gathered. Checked - ideal for a traveler, use it, I recommend it.

Guys, help! We are going with a friend to Cyprus for the first time. Until I went to the forum, I was sure that I wanted to go to Ayia Napa. We chose Ayia Napa, because we also want entertainment (were in Spain in Loret de May - I liked it), but then I read that the Tour to Ayia Napa has a minus that you won’t see Cyprus, it’s worse with excursions. And I really want to see Cyprus ... How about excursions from Ayia Napa? Or still choose Limassol? And another question, there is a desire to rent a car and see the sights on your own, but how difficult is the traffic in Cyprus? How narrow are the roads? We are both blondes ;-)

1) Excursions from Ayia Napa are good. There are everywhere with these well - see the dimensions of the island. It is almost five times smaller than Mosk. region
2) There is a desire to take a car - take it. Rights are desired. Driving on the left, steering wheel on the right.
3) The roads are wide paved. The signs are easy to read and easy to see. In English and Greek.
4) Greeks love blondes.

How to compare a city and a village? Do you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg? When do you plan to go to Cyprus, during the season? Some young people live there according to the schedule: getting up at lunchtime - a beach full of hanging out peers - a nightclub. And so the entire period of vacation - everyone has the right to their own type of recreation, no questions asked. Are you in this mode? Do you like to go shopping on vacation to get in the mood?

Hello Lawyer. Thanks for the answer. I am also a lawyer, by the way:-) I live in Krasnoyarsk. We fly to Cyprus on June 9th. From rest I want: the sea; beach; see Cyprus: monuments and historical places; and in the evenings - cafes; nightclubs - yes, but definitely not every day. On vacation, I like to rent a car myself, because there is a lot to see and not depend on anyone (she traveled a lot in Spain and the Canaries by car), although if the traffic is very difficult, then it’s hard for me. In the Canary Islands, for example, there were very narrow roads to the mountains and I was very uncomfortable. Group tours are not excluded. I really like to go shopping for mood :-) and buy something too, but sometimes it's a pity to waste time on a good vacation.

Quote: Cypriots are NOT Greeks
Calypso, judge for yourself
Napa is a village with a good sea, nightlife and no shopping. For a lazy break. But, if you're going to take a car, then you can easily see the island and get to the right shops
Lim is a city. As a resident of the capital in the past, it would be wonderful for me to go on vacation from city to city. Although this is what attracts many to Lima. There are also discos there, the beaches are worse, but again, you need to know the places)))

Hello Callipso. You see, on vacation I am NOT interested in youth discos and beaches filled with teenagers. On vacation, I prefer to live without any plan, so my place of rest should have a theater and a cinema, good sports clubs, restaurants with a local flavor, places for quiet walks and large shopping centers. All this is in Limassol and all this is available on foot and by city bus, well, it will be very lazy - I'll take a taxi. There is no similar presence of anything different in one place, as in Limassol, in Cyprus.

Lawyer, thanks for the reply! I understood :-) Fortunately (or unfortunately :-)) I have not been interested in youth discos for a long time either ... If I went alone, I would choose Limassol based on your recommendations, but now I am going with a friend who is younger than me and in this regard, there is also a need for a budget option. If you like it in Cyprus, which I really hope for, then next time you will definitely go to Limassol. Thank you.

Well, Limassol is really a city, and not of any particular beauty, frankly, but it’s convenient for moving without a car, by bus, there are shops, if needed, although it’s much better in Nicosia, the promenade is chic, you can safely walk along it at any time of the day and not feeling the crowd, in general, even in the season it didn’t seem to me that the beaches were all just so crowded with people, only in the center, but in the Amathus area somehow without crowds, by the way, there are clubs and bars in the tourist zone, they are all packed with young people in the summer, so and Limassol is quite a youth for those who need it. And who said that Napa is so much cheaper than Limassol? Maybe in Lima there is simply less choice of inexpensive hotels, especially of a good standard, the fact that they are missing is felt very acutely.

Quote:

Cypriots NOT Greeks Then who?

Cypriots are Cypriots. This is a separate nationality, in the passport they write cypriot. There are Cypriots who speak Greek, and there are those who speak Turkish. The artificial division of the nation into Greek and Turkish Cypriots began in the 60s of the 20th century ... which resulted in the division of the island and the war

As for the car, rent it and don't hesitate. The roads are flat and wide. Yes, driving on the left takes some getting used to, but that's not a problem. They drive in Cyprus very carefully and politely. Rental cars have numbers that differ in color from ordinary cars, so they are immediately visible and some flaws are forgiven :-)
We lived in Ayia Napa, got into the car in the morning and drove along the coast, choosing pretty beaches and coves. We especially liked the Governor's Beach, there is black sand and white rocks - very unusual and beautiful. It's easy to get to Paphos and Nicosia (if shopping, then it's probably better to do it in the capital :-))
All excursions "in stock" are from Ayia Napa, if you like group tours.
Limassol is a big city
and in Ayia Napa I got up in the morning, 5 minutes and already on the beach
According to my impressions, I will say that I really liked Ayia Napa precisely because of its intimacy and walking distance to everything. By the way, a party place where nightlife is in full swing - in the very center of the village, but as if hidden in a lowland, the noise does not interfere with others at all.

Quote: driving in Cyprus is ugly and dangerous. BUT seeing red numbers, they get scared
Py Sy just for your information .... rights are issued without re-registration until the age of 70 ... I personally know several deaf-eyed people, after a stroke, after bypass surgery - driving Hurray !!!

Before choosing one or another city in Cyprus as the main base, which you define for yourself as the best, you first need to decide how you see your future vacation on this island. Each resort in Cyprus has its pros and cons. Let's try to describe both of them, and you decide what is more important for you.

Consider the most popular places, arranging them geographically, from west to east: Pathos, Limassol, Larnaca and Protaras(Paralimni). To make it clearer to you where which city is located, we will first show them on a map of Cyprus.

Now let's talk a little about the pros and cons of each.

Pathos

Not far from Paphos is a very interesting monastery of St. Neophyte the Recluse. In addition, there is a Botanical Park and a Zoo nearby. And if you rent a car, then it’s not so far to go to the Troodos from here, and to the protected Akamas peninsula. The only thing to keep in mind is that some of the hotels are not located in Paphos itself, but in the Coral Bay area, which is located away from the city.

There are many hotels in this area, and the beaches here are very good, but you will have to get to the city by bus 615, which, however, runs quite often. But in Paphos itself, with good beaches, it is quite tense. There are good ones, but not every hotel, so often vacationers ride on Coral Bay beach.

Limassol

The coast of Limassol is an almost continuous beach with good entry into the water. Not shallow and not deep. The long promenade allows you to make long walks or bike rides along the sea. The only "flaw" is the grayish color of the sand, which is of volcanic origin. For some reason, when choosing Limassol as a vacation spot, this confuses many. But those who stop here stop noticing it on the second day.

Limassol stretches along the sea for 14 kilometers. From the eastern edge is the so-called "touristaria" (tourist aria), which houses most of the hotels, including almost all "five-star hotels". From here you will have to get to the center of Limassol and its "Old Town" by bus number 30, which often runs along the coast. In the central part of the city, the choice of hotels is also not small. We prefer to stay closer to the center, although we probably just got used to it over the years.

For independent travelers who intend to rent a car and move around the island a lot, Limassol, in our opinion, is the best choice. Its location (almost in the center of the coast of the island) allows you to travel around more interesting places in Cyprus, including, of course, Troodos, with less time.

Larnaca

In addition, in the Larnaca region there is a very "shallow" sea. To swim normally, you need to go far enough into the water. For children, this expanse, and for adults - a small problem. :) In Larnaca itself, the beach is very long and wide, and outside it is also no worse. It is in this area that you can find the most budget hotels, which, coupled with the proximity to the airport, makes Larnaca attractive for many tourists.

The color of the sand here is light yellow, which is why the color of the sea water on the beaches acquires an azure hue, which cannot but please the eye. Not as shallow as in Larnaca. In general, the beaches here are hard to find fault with. Ayia Napa is located to the right on the map from Larnaca, that is, about 50 km to the east. This means that it will be a little more difficult for those who planned to travel a lot around the island. All the same, in all honesty, the main attractions, starting with Troodos with its mountain villages and ancient churches, are located on the other side of Larnaca. Nevertheless, the main flow of tourists tends to this area or even further.

Protaras

The beaches in Protaras are no less gorgeous than in Ayia Napa, and maybe even better - it's hard to find the right criterion. But in terms of the "mentality" of vacationers, these places differ quite a lot. If Ayia Napa is distinguished by "incendiary", then in Protaras it is much more calm. Couples with children of different ages love to stay here, so Protaras is known as a quieter resort, where various entertainments can also be found. The central one-way street, stretching slightly above the coastline, is crammed with bars, taverns, shops and other joys of resort life. Yes, one fountain show is worth something, where many tourists from other areas strive to get!

We hope that our short introductory story about the resorts of Cyprus will help you choose the right city of "dream". :) From the beginning of May to the end of October, any of them is good in its own way. Separately, let's say a few words about the rest in the off-season, that is, from the beginning of November to the end of April. It is better at this time to choose between Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca. But Ayia Napa, and even more so Protaras, which are almost "dying out" at this time, should be left for another time.

If for you the beach is one of the main criteria for choosing a city or hotel, be sure to check out the comparative characteristics of the beaches of Cyprus before making a final decision. When you are interested in just one of them, the circle of hotel choice will narrow sharply. But if you plan to rent a car, then the beach may not be a determining factor, because you can get to any of them on your own if necessary.

Well, now that you have already decided on the place of residence, it remains to choose the right hotel for you. We will share about the features of choosing a hotel in Cyprus in the next story.