Этот прекрасный Кипр! This beautiful Cyprus!

About the hotel. The check-in went quickly (perhaps because we arrived at the hotel at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and it just starts at 2 o'clock). There was even an impression that we had already been assigned to rooms for a long time. We lived in a bungalow, the so-called garden suite. Large enough room with mini kitchen and free fridge. So that the drinks always remain cold, and the milk does not spoil, we took the second key at the reception and inserted it where it should be, where it remained for all 10 days. There was also an air conditioner, however, during the day it did not work at all for a long time, 10-15 minutes at most, apparently due to the heating of the building. But in the evening - as much as you want.
Small ants were seen in the living room (mainly in the bathroom), they didn’t bother us much, but we didn’t leave food anywhere except the refrigerator. In the evening, mosquitoes could fly in, so it would not be superfluous to take an electric fumigator with you.
The safe is paid, it seems 2 euros per day + a deposit of 10 euros. But we never use it, and leave all valuables and documents in a suitcase, which is under lock and key. And who can hang from your room? Cleaning woman? Scandal then the hotel can not escape, but they hardly need it. Well, if the robbers swoop in, then they should crack this safe or take it with them how to do it!

The sea is very clean and pleasant. The sand is almost white. The coastal part of the bottom is sandy, a little further into the sea - stones with algae, in which various fish hide. An umbrella - 2.5 euros, a sunbed - 2.5 euros, not everyone uses these benefits, but, as usual, half of the population of municipal beaches sunbathe without towels. On the territory of the hotel, sunbeds, of course, are free, there is no need to borrow them early in the morning, there are plenty of free places.
We had half board, so drinks at dinner were chargeable. We absolutely did not want to pay extra for this, therefore, on the recommendation of one of the former vacationers, we did the following: we approached a vat in a restaurant with 3-4 types of diced fruit. They give juice. There is a ladle there. They took it, pressed it down and this juice got into it. They poured it into a bowl. Everything. A delicious and free drink is ready. Or we just came to lunch / dinner with a beach bag, which always included a bottle of water. By the way, if necessary, dinner can be easily changed for lunch, having warned the reception about it the day before.
The food at the hotel is decent and varied. I would like to mention a very tasty ice cream, as many as four types, which were served for lunch and dinner. You can pour some syrup on top of it - delicious!
Internet in the hotel is paid (another extra, unnecessary item of expenditure), but in all the cafes in the city it is free, which, in fact, we used.
The hotel has a tennis court, but rackets are paid: for one racket - 4 euros / day. Therefore, if you have your own, and you are tennis fans, take yours!
From the hotel 15-20 minutes to the street of cafes / bars through numerous shops - not tiring. And there you can already turn off anywhere, there are a lot of people everywhere.

Goods/Products/Shops. Firstly, you should not stock up on a large amount of alcohol in a dutik, it is in Cyprus at the same price (in our country, these products have large import duties, so the price tag soars 2-3 times). There is a large supermarket PLUS (7-10min) not far from the hotel towards the center of Ayia Napa, it is quite decent, it has everything from washing powder and dishes to alcohol and clothes. In it, as well as on the shelves of other stores, you will find good local drinks. The traditional drink "Zivania" is moonshine made from grapes (this is an amateur, of course). Keo beer - also served in many cafes, delicious. Various wines, from 3 euros per pack/bottle. Dessert wine "Commandaria" - sweet, strong, fragrant. I liked dry red wine Κ Ρ Α Σ Ι "KRASI" - 3 euros, as well as Santa Marina wine (s/l) - 4.5 euros. It is cheaper to buy water in packs of 6 bottles of 1.5 liters (about 3 euros for the entire package), and not in 5 liter canisters (3.65 per 1 piece), and even more so not just one 1.5 liter bottle! There are glasses in the room, take an opener with you)
They took for themselves and as a gift: 1. Olive oil. In most shops you will find Greek-made olive oil, but you can also find original Cypriot olive oil. From 4 euros for 250 ml, from 6 euros for 0.5, etc. 2. Honey - has an excellent taste. 3. Soap based on olive. From 1 euro. I think the price tag increases depending on the beauty of the packaging)) 4. From souvenirs, of course, magnets. They are represented by a very large assortment, of different quality and prices - from 1 euro. In general, if you buy souvenirs, it is best to go to the center, it is much cheaper there. No "natural cosmetics based on olives" - creams, gels, etc. did not buy. Because Natural cosmetics do not exist in principle (except perhaps homemade masks from fresh products), only chemistry, the price tag is not small, so why?
Cafes, restaurants. In one of the reviews they read, “that alcoholic drinks in all discos in Ayia Napa are “DO NOT INSERT”. At least you get drunk on them, but you still won't be drunk. And in the morning you will find "SURPRISE". The condition is worse than a hangover, rather poisoning. I don’t know about everyone, of course, but in several establishments we tried different cocktails - they taste very pleasant, but really they don’t insert in any way.
To Nissi Avenue on foot for 20-30 minutes). There is McDuck, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.
Of the restaurants located near the hotel, we visited only the Mexican Restaurant (distinguished by the presence of huge parrots). Not bad, prices are the same everywhere.
In the Vassas restaurant near the lighthouse, they took Caesar with shrimp - 11 euros and fried squid (which turned out to be breaded) - about 10 euros. The price tag is not small, the quality is lame.
Cool cafe Bedrock, stylized as the Flintstones. In the evening there is live music, a young man plays and sings + the visitors themselves can sing, some arrange dances. We smoked a good hookah there, 10 euros.
Transport

Bus. There is a bus stop next to the hotel, it runs every 20-30 minutes (the schedule was taken at the reception). The cost to nearby destinations is 1-3 euros per person.
You can go to Larnaca - there and back - on the 711 bus.
20min drive to Protaras by bus 101.102 (one of them goes there, the other goes back). We went to the singing fountains on our own, while we didn’t go to the show itself, but walked around the city, because. ticket - 25 euros per person, and on the main street in my city, all this action is absolutely free. True, we managed to watch this hour-long performance from the street (it is clearly visible from some places).
Rent a Car. When you rent a car in Cyprus, insurance is issued, which comes with a franchise and, which is rare, without a franchise. The deductible is the amount you pay if your vehicle is damaged. For example, the franchise amount is 200 euros. If a headlight is broken at a repair cost of 150 euros, you will pay 150 euros. If the bumper is damaged, the repair cost of which will be 500 euros, then you will pay 200 euros, and insurance will cover 300 euros. Insurance without a deductible is more expensive, but the insurance company pays for all damage.

There are many companies offering car rental in Cyprus, there are well-known in Europe Avis and Champion, there are local car rentals. You can book a car in such companies in advance via the Internet, but in this case you need to make an advance payment (from 10% to 100%), so we decided to take the car on the spot for cash. We took a Honda Civic, automatic, for 3 days, in an agency located on the way to the lighthouse, to the right of Avis, a little deeper. It cost us 115 euros with insurance. The franchise was 200 euros. Plus, a full tank of gasoline was filled in - somewhere for 70 euros. They brought us the car the next morning, we made an inspection for damage and took the keys. In the glove compartment of the car, we found a navigator in Russian, which helped us a lot, in case there were problems with orienting on the maps (we typed them in the agency). They took it exactly 3 days later, early in the morning, while simply asking the day before to leave the keys at the reception.
Other transport. The hotel rented bicycles, 8 euros per day. Of course, they are not ice, the wheels are lowered a little (and there is no pump in the hotel), on my chain it fell off a couple of times, but you can ride. It’s just that we had to go very far to rent normal bikes, we met them already driving around the city. They were driven to Cape Greco, a stunning view from the observation deck! Then we went down the path, to the very foot, and along not the most convenient stones we reached the sea in order to swim in a small lagoon, which is clearly visible from above. At first glance, this may seem like a dangerous occupation, but the transparency of the water is magnificent, besides, we had masks, so we cooled there, observing other worlds, magnificent underwater rocks, abruptly breaking off and giving the feeling of flying over the abyss, because the visibility is wonderful. We also drove to the famous Nissi Beach. Moreover, they did not get to it through the city, but along a perfectly laid out path along the sea, which began after the lighthouse, which is also good for evening walks at sunset. I don’t know what this most ordinary beach is so famous for: the same clean water, white sand, quite shallow, darkness for people . . As for me, it’s better to move around the island on something to stop on wild or sparsely populated beaches . .
There are also a lot of rented scooters, buggies, quads.
Learn more about the itinerary by car. General recommendation - obey the brown tourist signs at the entrance to the sights you are looking for, on which these same sights are indicated). And before traveling, mark them all on a large printed map and try to solve the problem of finding the most comfortable way (sometimes we asked the reception staff, hotel guide, etc. for these ways).

1st day. We visited one of the most famous monasteries - Kykkos, where the Orthodox shrine is located - the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, written by the Apostle Luke. The monastery is located very far away, so we left early. Along the way, we decided to stop by a mountain village called Kakopetria. Of the interesting things, we saw colorful houses and a stormy mountain stream flowing through the entire village, forming even a small waterfall. After wandering around the local streets for a bit, we drove on. Somewhere halfway we stumbled upon a pointer to Olympus - the highest point of Cyprus in general and the Troodos (mountain range) in particular, 1952 m. klevtiko - a traditional lamb dish, for only 12 euros - enough for two! ), We got to the monastery.
2nd day. We set off to explore the ruins of the ancient city of Kourion, having previously stopped in Limassol, to the castle of Richard the Lionheart, in which he married his bride in the 12th century. The castle, of course, is small, but nice)) In the traditional English style, nothing more. Wandered inside the castle, climbed onto the roof. Inside we saw medieval weapons, armor, remains of dishes, etc. But the most interesting were the internal passages in the walls, as well as preserved photographs of other castles located throughout Cyprus. Then we headed to the ancient city, at the foot of which is the beach of Kourion, the beach is quite large, and first we decided to swim. Getting to the beach, to the city is a bit difficult, but here one review helped us: “On the way from Limassol, we go towards Paphos along the A6 highway. There will be an exit to Kolossi, we go there, but do not turn left to Kolossi, but drive straight along the B6 highway. We will pass the villages of Erimi and Episkopi. And only then there will be a sign - a turn to the beach of Kourion. After the beach, we finally reached the city of Kourion. We wandered there for a long time, examined the preserved mosaics, the ancient amphitheater. There we talked with one guide, and he said that this is not the whole city, and if we drive a little further and turn right after about a couple of kilometers, then we will find ourselves in another part of it, smaller in size, but no less interesting. Entrance there was paid separately, also 1.7 euros per person.
3rd day. In the morning we went back to Cape Greco (we went there already on bikes, but without a camera), to take wonderful photos until the sun was at its zenith. And then we went to the Blue Lagoon beach, which is located just behind the cape, that is, when you go to the cape, the road goes to the right, and you don’t need to turn to get to the lagoon, keep going. We had a great time there: swimming, sunbathing. Few people - beauty! After lunch, we decided to look at the caves, which are all in the same direction, only a little earlier. Not reaching 200 meters before turning to the cape, there will also be a turn to the right (in general, this place is clearly visible from the cape, from above, cars stop there). You can easily go down to the caves, take pictures, swim in this small cove. There will also be a small platform, benches, sitting on which, drinking delicious Cypriot wine, we watched the sunset.
Excursions. We were on one: Real Cyprus, 55 euros per person, from 7.20 to 17.00. Since we were riding a big bus into the mountains along a serpentine for an hour, it was very seasick. Some pills or icicles won't hurt. The route is next. St. Thekla Convent (the monastery is known for its endless source of healing mud that helps people with skin diseases, which you can collect in a bag, also stock up on a bottle of holy water). Machairas Monastery (in a shop on its territory they bought olive oil made by monks), for everything about everything - an hour of festivities. Then there was lunch with a traditional Cypriot meat meze - quite tasty. The village of Kato Lefkara is famous for its embroidery/lace and silverware. They were given only 10 minutes to walk around the village, but they kept them in the store for half an hour, what to do there? Lace is similar to our Vologda, and not cheap, but there are plenty of silver shops in Ayia Napa, even if you choose to go all day. An olive shop in the village of Skarinu (they didn’t show the village itself, they only brought them to the shop to taste olive oil and buy goods, cosmetics, the choice of which is much smaller than in ordinary stores, and the price is higher! ). When visiting the monasteries, do not forget to cover your shoulders and knees!