The Ayia Thekla church complex sits on the coastline about 5 km west of Ayia Napa, and it is one of the more unusual early Christian sites in Cyprus. The main draw is the underground cave chapel, a natural cavity in the limestone that was converted into a place of worship in the early Byzantine period — possibly as early as the 4th century AD. The cave contains frescoes and religious icons and is still used for occasional services.
Above ground, a small whitewashed church stands beside the cave entrance, and the coastline here is rocky and quiet — very different from the busy beaches to the east. The site takes its name from Saint Thekla, an early Christian martyr said to have passed through this area. It is popular with local Cypriots as a pilgrimage site and tends to be calm even in high season.