An Idiot’s Guide to Larnaca

If you are visiting Cyprus you will almost certainly be flying into Larnaca Airport. The largest airport in Cyprus and, in fact, the 64th largest airport in Europe, it is also the entry point to reach 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 the 80s, a great time to go is during the summer school vacations if you are a family, teacher, or college student. For a relaxed and beautiful holiday, the wonderful palm-fringed Larnaca Marina is great for people-watching.

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

The city has a variety of places of interest to visit, the main place of interest being the ruins of ancient Kition, which was built in the 13th century. Similar to 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 ate Umm Haram. In the surroundings is the salty lake of Larnaca. Visit here from November to March and you can enjoy a view of the pink flamingos. Unfortunately, during its busiest period, the 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’s 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 closer to Ayia Napa for a much more intense nightlife of bars, clubs and restaurants.

Depending on the 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 reach the more popular areas of Cyprus. But if you don’t stop here for at least a short time, you’re missing out on a different kind of Cyprus.