An Idiot’s Guide to Larnaca

If you are visiting Cyprus, you will almost certainly fly into Larnaca airport. The largest airport in Cyprus, and in fact the 64th largest airport in Europe, it is also the entry point for reaching Ayia Napa by air. Don’t travel there just because it’s easy, as Larnaca is a hidden gem.

With temperatures during the summer reaching 80 degrees, a good time to go is during the summer school holidays if you are a family, a teacher, or a college student. For a relaxed and beautiful holiday, Larnaca’s wonderful palm-fringed marina is great for people-watching.

Larnaca attracts divers. The reason for this is the shipwreck known as the Zenobia Shipwreck. It’s also pretty cheap, around £18 per dip.

The city has a variety of places of interest to visit, with the main place of interest being the ruins of ancient Kition, which was built in the 13th century. As in Petra, much of this ancient architecture has yet to be excavated. You can also see the marble bust of Zeno, the founder of the famous Stoic school of philosophy.

For religious sites, you can take a trip to the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, which is said to contain the Umm Haram ate. In the vicinity is the salt lake of Larnaca. Visit here from November to March and you can enjoy a view of the pink flamingos. Unfortunately, during its busiest period, summer, the lake dries up. Another place of religious interest is the Church of Lazarus. An Orthodox church said to be the tomb of Saint Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha.

Larnaca lacks bars and clubs. It is quite limited to choose from with only a small number of bars and restaurants, and the restaurants here can be quite expensive. While they are some cheaper restaurants, they appear to be less traditional tourist traps selling seafood. The alternatives are to eat basic street food (hot dogs, fish and chips) or travel to nearby Ayia Napa for a much more intense nightlife of bars, clubs and restaurants.

Depending on what time of year you arrive, you may be able to catch a soccer game. Larnaca is a proud football city and is home to AEK and ALKI Larnaca, as well as Famagusta, Anorthosis and Nea Salamina.

Unfortunately, Larnaca is often overlooked as merely a way to get to the more popular areas of Cyprus. But if you don’t stop here for at least a short while, you’re missing out on a different kind of Cyprus.