Ayia Napa, Cyprus

Ayia is widely considered the premier nightlife location of Cyprus. Ayia Napa is Greek for "Saint Napa", the patron saint of the town, whose Venetian-era monastery is in the centre of the town, next to the square which today is clubbing central... Located in the far eastern end of the Cypriot Republic, adjacent to the UK Sovereign Base, Ayia Napa has become synonymous with clubbing on the island, having made a transition in recent years from a popular, all-ages family holiday destination to a "dance party capital", similar to Ibiza in Spain. In particular, it has become popular as the summer holiday destination for followers of London's UK Garage music scene (British tourists are by far the most prevalent here, as elsewhere on Cyprus). Beyond the clubbing, however, Ayia Napa attracts tourists world-wide on account of its fun-loving (some would say, totally hedonistic) outlook by night and its sandy Mediterranean beaches by day. Ask Cypriots about Agia Napa and they'll all tell you the same thing: ‘Before 1974, this was a tiny fishing village, with two houses, a monastery and some fishermen. Look at it now!' Look at it now, indeed. The village started its new life as a tourist resort after the 1974 division, when Famagusta's Varosia (Maraº) beach strip and resort were locked behind barbed wire and oil barrels. Now infamous as the debauched tourist's heaven, Agia Napa shoulders the mantle of Cyprus' top sun-and-fun tourist resort. An entire little town has been made for (package) tourists, and a lot of it is, frankly, horrific. There are bars that look like dodgy sandcastles, and the Flintstones' cave bar that greets you with (if you cringe easily, look away now) a ‘Yabba Napa Doo!'. There are pubs with names like the, ahem, ‘Organ Grinder'. Tourists wander about in bikinis, sleep their hangovers off on the beach, and go at it again at night. But such is life in Agia Napa, and there are plenty who love it and large it. If you arrive in high season (mid-July to mid-August), it will be hard to find accommodation. While hoteliers are more used to package-tour visitors, most places will cater for individuals if a room is available