Larnaca: a first-timer's guide to Cyprus's easygoing seafront city

Why go

Larnaca is relaxed, walkable and convenient. It has a real town centre rather than a resort strip, it is just minutes from the airport, and buses run often to Nicosia, Limassol and Ayia Napa. If you want a calm first or last night, or a central base for a week, Larnaca works very well.

The seafront and old town

The **Finikoudes** promenade, named after its palm trees, runs along a sandy town beach lined with cafés and restaurants. At its southern end is the small **Larnaca Medieval Castle**, and behind it the old Turkish quarter of **Skala**, with pottery workshops and the **Grand Mosque**. A few streets inland, the **Church of Saint Lazarus** is one of the finest Byzantine churches in Cyprus, built over the tomb of the man Jesus raised from the dead, who, by local tradition, later became bishop of Kition. The **Pierides Museum** has an excellent private collection of Cypriot antiquities, and the ruins of **Ancient Kition** show the city's Phoenician past.

The salt lake and Hala Sultan Tekke

Just beside the airport road, the **Larnaca Salt Lake** fills with water in winter and attracts thousands of greater flamingos, usually from about November to March. A walking trail follows the shore. On its far side, **Hala Sultan Tekke** is a beautiful mosque and one of the most important Muslim shrines in the region, set among palm trees by the water. In summer the lake dries to a white crust of salt.

Beaches and diving

**Mackenzie Beach**, near the airport, is the trendiest town beach, with bars, restaurants and planes passing overhead. **Finikoudes** is right in town, and quieter beaches lie east along the bay towards Dhekelia. Larnaca is famous for diving on the **Zenobia**, a ferry that sank in 1980 and is now one of the best wreck dives in the world. Several dive centres in town offer trips for certified divers and introductory dives.

Day trips

**Lefkara**, a hill village known for its lace and silverwork, is about half an hour away; Leonardo da Vinci is said to have bought an altar cloth here. **Kiti** has the Panagia Angeloktisti church with a rare sixth century mosaic, and the **Choirokoitia** Neolithic settlement, a UNESCO site, shows how people lived nine thousand years ago. **Nicosia** is about forty minutes by bus, and the beaches of **Ayia Napa**, **Protaras** and **Cape Greco** are under an hour east.

Festivals

Larnaca hosts **Kataklysmos**, the Festival of the Flood, at Pentecost, usually in May or June. The seafront fills with stalls, concerts and water fights, and it is a joyful time to visit.

Where to stay

Stay near **Finikoudes** to walk to restaurants and the bus station, or around **Mackenzie** for beach bars. Hotels along the coast road east of town suit beach holidays. Larnaca generally offers better value than Limassol or Ayia Napa.

Getting around

Airport buses and taxis reach the centre in about fifteen minutes. The centre is easy to walk, with city buses for the beaches and salt lake. Use the free trip planner to plan day trips and the places to visit list for tavernas and bars.