Agia Napa, Coastal resort town in Famagusta District, Cyprus.
Agia Napa is a coastal town in Famagusta District, Cyprus, stretching along the southeastern shore of the island. The beaches spread across several bays with fine sand and shallow water, while the old center clusters around a stone monastery complex from Venetian times.
The village began in medieval times as a fishing settlement around a monastery from the 14th century, built on the ruins of a Byzantine chapel. During Ottoman rule in the late 18th century, a few Greek families settled permanently and started growing citrus and vegetables.
The town's name comes from a Byzantine monastery at its center, which drew pilgrims for centuries. Today visitors gather in the squares around the old stone walls, where cafés under arcades provide shade and music drifts from the lanes in the evening.
Most hotels and guesthouses sit close to the beaches and connect through footpaths that run parallel to the shore. Buses operate regularly during the day to nearby towns and the airport, while many restaurants and shops in the center stay open until late in the evening.
The monastery at the center sits partly below ground level because it was built into a natural rock hollow that once served as a hiding place for worshippers. The stone stairway down leads into a courtyard where an old mulberry tree casts shade over the well.
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