All the sights of Ayia Napa can be seen in a couple of days. But they are definitely worth your attention.
First, visit the monastery built on the site where the icon of the Virgin Mary was discovered. This attraction of Ayia Napa is described in Russian in all guidebooks. The object is located in the center of the city, partially cut into the rock and has preserved its original appearance. Entrance to the monastery is free of charge. Opposite the southern gate, there is a fig tree that is more than 600 years old. Tie a ribbon on it and make a wish.
The monastery, which has the same name as the resort, has many stories to tell: how the landmark Aia Napa managed to avoid becoming a mosque, about a Venetian woman who fled here because she couldn't be with her lover, and more. Not far from the ancient structure, a new temple of the Virgin Mary has been erected, where childless women come to pray every day. Various holidays and festivals are held near it. There are also several chapels in the city.
Opposite the monastery, you will find the Ethnographic Museum "Village House." It is located in two rooms and resembles more of a store than a museum collection. Here you can buy Cypriot textiles, cosmetics, pottery, and so on. The guidebooks do not tell much about it, focusing much more on the description of Ayia Napa's other attraction, the aqueduct. It has been preserved since Roman times and is a complex 2-kilometer-long structure that supplied water to the entire region and ended in the courtyard of the monastery. The aqueduct was reopened in 2006.
