Ayia Napa Monastery

The monastery was built in the Venetian period around a cave where an icon of the Virgin was found, and the church is partly cut into the rock so that it sits below the level of the courtyard, reached down steps. Round it are a walled quadrangle, a marble Renaissance fountain under a domed canopy, and a sycamore fig said to be six hundred years old. The town that grew round it since the 1970s could hardly be more different, which is exactly what makes the contrast worth the twenty minutes.

What you actually see

• The sunken church - partly rock-cut, below courtyard level down a flight of steps.
• The fountain - a Renaissance marble fountain under a domed canopy.
• The cloister - the walled quadrangle with vaulted ranges around it.
• The old fig tree - a sycamore fig by the south gate, said to be six centuries old.

When to go

Year round; the courtyard is a cool spot in summer. Mornings are quietest. The monastery is no longer a working community and keeps regular visiting hours.

Honest expectations

It is small and takes half an hour. The surrounding town in high season is loud right up to the walls. Modest dress is asked for at the church.

Nearby

Nissi Beach is west, and Fig Tree Bay is northeast at Protaras.