Larnaca
Larnaca (Greek Λάρνακα Larnaka) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus. With 85,000 residents in 2015, metropolitan Larnaca is the island's third largest city.
Understand
Larnaca has a reasonable claim to being the oldest city in Cyprus, with evidence of habitation up to 6,000 years ago. Major landmarks are the Church of St. Lazarus, and the Hala Sultan Tekke.
Modern Larnaca, like other Cypriot coastal towns, is divided into an older city centre and a wide sprawl of hotels and restaurants along the beach.
Get in
By plane
- 1 Larnaca Glafcos Clerides International Airport (LCA IATA) (6 km to the west of the city centre). The largest airport on Cyprus. Taxis to the city take 15 minutes, and there are also scheduled city buses. You'll likely take bus 425 to and from the airport. There are left luggage/baggage storage facilities at the airport by departures. €10 per large bag.(update April 2024)
Shared taxis (dolmus) connect Larnaca to Nicosia and Limassol.
Get around
The city center of Larnaca
On foot
Larnaca is a thin ribbon of a town and you can walk around most of it. The seaside Larnaca Promenade (Phinikoudes) is particularly pleasant for a stroll in the evening.
By bus
Bus fares (daytime) cost €2.40 cash or €1.80 with a pre-paid card (April 2024). A card costs €5 and is valid for 10 years. It can be used for multiple passengers on the same journey.
The bus 425 goes from the airport to the town centre every 20 minutes during the day.
By taxi
By law, taxis should charge by the meter, but many cabbies will refuse to use it. Metered fares should be 65 cent; to get in plus 22 cent/km, night surcharges apply after midnight.
See
- 1 The Church of St. Lazarus, Ayios Lazaros Sq. An Orthodox church dating to the 9th century. It is reputedly built around the tomb of the biblical Lazarus, brother of Mary.
- 2 Larnaca Salt Lake (to the west of town near the airport). In winter (November to March), flocks of pink flamingos can be seen here.
- 3 Hala Sultan Tekke (perched by the side of the Salt Lake). The mosque is said to be the tomb of Umm Haram, the foster mother of Mohammed.
- 4 Faneromeni Church (Ekklisía tis Faneroménis). This mashup of various architectural styles used to stand in the centre of the city — until 1974. There is a marble mausoleum next to it.
- 5 Archaeological Museum of the Larnaka District, Kalogreon Sq. Small but interesting museum. It displays objects from Prehistoric times up to Roman times. There's also a replica of the Stele of King Sargon II (722-705 BC) of Assyria. The original is on display at Berlin Pergamon Museum.
Do
- Football: AEK Larnaca play soccer in the First Division, the top tier in Cyprus. Their home ground AEK Stadium (capacity 7400) is 2 km west of the city centre.
- Anorthosis also play in the First Division. They were forced to relocate from Famagusta, now part of Turkish Cyprus, and play at Papadopoulos Stadium (capacity 10,200) 2 km north of the centre.
- Diving: the main reason to dive in Larnaca is the wreck of the Zenobia, a ro-ro ferry that sank in 1980 on her maiden voyage only a few hundred metres from the harbour due to a fault in the ballast computer. Fully laded with trucks and their cargo, the ship now lies on its side at a depth of 42 m, with the top of the wreck at 18 m and thus easily accessible even to PADI Advanced Open Water divers. If your flight comes in right, you can even see the shadow of the wreck as you land at Larnaca airport.
- @lpha Divers (Alpha Divers), 2, Pyla Gardens, Dhekelia Road (next to Lordos Beach Hotel and Mariandy Hotel), fax: +357 24-647519. A PADI Five Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre and a British Sub-Aqua Club Premier & Technical Centre.
- Dive-In Cyprus, Blu View Residence, 132 Piale Pascha, ☏ +357 24-627469. A PADI 5-star dive center and Regional SDI/TDI office that specializes in dives to the Zenobia, it can also arrange nitrox and penetration dives for the technical diver. Full range of PADI, TDI, TecRec and SDI courses available.
- Aquadream Scuba Diving Academy, Adonidos 13 (directions), ☏ +357 99397287, +357 24103257, aquadream.cy@gmail.com. A safe and friendly dive centre in Larnaca centre. Daily dives to the Larnaca wrecks and to the best dive sites on the island.
- 1 Windsurf City, Piale Pasa, ☏ +357 99 555886. Wind surfing, foil, standup paddle boards and more. Staff are extremely friendly and lessons enjoyable.
Buy
The nearby village of Lefkara is famous for its lace and silverware, and Larnaca being the nearest large town to the village, sells both in plentiful supply.
Independent jewellers and watchmakers are abundant, particularly among and just off the main Ermes/Ermou Street.
- Oro Fino Jewellery, Pavlou Valsamaki 26 (50 m from Foinikoudes beach, near St. Lazaurs), ☏ +357 24-654666. Italian and Greek designs, diamonds to zircons, precious to semi-precious stones. The shop features Newd Skin Jewel and brand watches like Guess, D&G and DKNY.
- 1 Academic & General Bookshop, Ermou 41, ☏ +35724628401. An excellent bookshop with a wide selection of English books
Eat
The beaches of Larnaca are littered with identikit seafood restaurants catering to tourists. The easiest way to find a good place is to simply walk along until you find a restaurant packed not with tourists, but with Cypriots!
Budget
Eating in Larnaca can be quite expensive. However, if you're travelling on a budget, there are a few bargains to be had. Possibly the cheapest way is by grabbing a hotdog at the 'Enjoy kiosk' on, you guessed it, Phinikoudes Avenue. Hotdogs are just €1 and rather enjoyable.
All these are in the city centre:
- 1 Edesma Cyprus Taverna - Souvlaki Place, Lordou Vyronos 50. Amazing place. Authentic Cypriot taverna, great food, service, atmosphere. The specialties of the kitchen are seasoned with white wine and home-made zivania. Direct, friendly welcome. Delicious halumi, chicken, feta salads. The chef knows what he's doing.
- 2 Falafel Abu Dany, Akamia Center, Grigori Afxentiou 10. Something divine. It doesn't compare to any other Lebanese restaurant. It's a small veggie place on the street, with three tables outside. Buda bowl, Faul, Falafel salad to be loved. Milos makes not only falafel but different kind of meals that are not only incredibly tasty but also healthy.
- 3 Souvlaki.gr, Pavlou Valsamaki. Want to feel real Greek Cypriot cuisine? You have to visit that street bar. Delicious food and staff very friendly. Massive portions. Really good souvlaki wrapped in pita. Everything is fresh and super tasty. It's usually pretty crowdy there.
- 4 Za'atar Lebanese Bakery, Faneromenis 21. This is a nice simple restaurant with some options on the menu. Everything is freshly made. The pizza and the falafel sandwich is delicious. Highly recommended if you fancy some Mediterranean food or a quick bite. The best freshly baked lahmajun. Delicious baked goods like baklava for around €3 (Nov 2022). Nice area to sit outside and under cover.
- 5 BIGBUN, Kleanthi Kalogera 39. Very nice and cool place to grab a bite. Legit taste of burgers, they even have veggie ones. Crispy and golden fried potatoes were made from fresh potatoes. Interesting options. Very nice service.
- 6 Yummy India, 58, Zenonos Pierides Kiteos Street. Tasty and the amount of spices is perfect. Lots of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Chana Masala, Dhal Makhani and Mattar Paneer are amazing. The ambience is good.
Mid-range
- 7 Militzis, 42 Piale Pasha, ☏ +357 24 655867. A long-running favorite serving honest Cypriot fare washed down with their own wine. No points for presentation, but the food is good and the restaurant is often packed. Figure on €15-20 (April 2018) for a meal.
- 8 Hobo's Steak House, Phinikoudes Promenade. A lively cafe/restaurant popular with many Cypriots, right on the main promenade. You can't miss it, and its often full but doesn't take telephone reservations. Food is varied from Cypriot to International Cuisine.
- 9 Vlachos Taverna. On the Dhekelia Rd, 400 m past the Palm Beach Hotel on the same side is a fantastic place to eat local food. Sheftalia is just great and the salads are lovely.
Splurge
- 10 Nippon, Stadiou 120, ☏ +357 24657555. Expensive, but renowned Japanese restaurant serving sushi. Bookings are essential, as it is packed every night. Offers a wide range of delicious maki, California rolls and teppanyaki.
Drink
In the city centre an area just off the main promenade called "Laiki Yeitonia" fulfils the need for most Bars and Small scale Nightclubs. 1 Club Deep is the most popular of these, along with Times.
Driving about 15–20 minutes away from the City Centre to the east in the direction of Ayia Napa is the Larnaca-Dhekelia Road. This is the main 'strip' for high quality hotels, nightclubs, bars, etc., and is where most British Tourists can be found.
- 2 Blue Pine Bar, Louki Pieridi 3, ☏ +357 24 646553. Near the American Academy has a huge selection of spirits (all real which is unusual for Cyprus) and has a real atmosphere. The decor is wood and dim lighting and lots of Jack Daniels and Blues music paraphernalia. Comes alive after 22:00. By far the best bar in Laranaca for chilled music and spirits.
- 3 Caramel Club, 2 Agiou Spyridonos. 23:30-05:00. Disco club. Music of all tastes from international Dj sets till morning and elegant dress code. Mixed Russian/Greek/Briton crowd
- 4 Savino, Watkins 9, ☏ +35724620861. Lively rock bar with many seats and often a good crowd. Live music on occasion. Shots cost around €5.
- 5 Nusa Beach Bar, Piale Pasa 11, ☏ +35724646434. Cocktail bar on Kastella beach with outdoor seating facing the sea.
Sleep
There are countless hotels and hotel apartments of varying degrees of luxury by the seaside.
Budget
- 1 Le Mat Hostel, Hadji Ibrahim 26, ☏ +357 99 833333, lemathostel@gmail.com. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. €20/night.
- Frangiorgio Hotel Apartments. A modern hotel 1-minute walk from the town's main beach and shopping areas. It has 24 furnished apartments with equipped kitchens, air-conditioning systems, heating, satellite TVs, double glazed windows, private balconies and telephones. Other facilities include: daily cleaning of rooms, laundry service, bar, fax service, internet facilities, 24-hour reception and an in-house 24-hour mini market. Rates range from £16 to £40 depending on the season.
- [dead link] Sandbeach Castle Hotel, ☏ +357 24-655437. Piale Pascha. A fairly typical 2-star hotel, a bit of a hike from the city centre, but not too far from the dive shops. Clean and generally acceptable. Rooms from £18.80 and up (with breakfast) in the low season, add in another £5 for the winter high season.
Mid-range
- 2 Golden Bay Beach Hotel, Dhekelia Rd (take Highway to Ayia Napa from the airport, then teke Pyla Exit, turn on the first right, and then right again, then left when you reach the end of the road), ☏ +357 24645444. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Part of the Lordos Golden Hotels in Cyprus. 5-star hotel located near the town of Pyla, 10 km from central Larnaca.
Apartments
- Blue Serenity Private Villa. Pervolia 10 min in car. A brand new family villa - 3 bedrooms - fully air conditioned - private pool. Nice quite getaway place. Prices in low season from £400 per week, rising to £600 in the high season.
- 3 [dead link] Paschalis Hotel Apartments, 2 Olympou Street, Pyla (Exit the airport directly onto the A3 motorway in the direction of “Ayia Napa”. Exit at junction 60 for “Pyla/Dhekelia”, at the end of the slip road turn right onto the B3 road and follow directions for Dhekelia. At the end of the road, at the lights, turn right onto Dhekelia Road. Continue for 1km along Dhekelia Road. Paschalis Hotel Apartments is on the right, just after the Golden Bay, Sandy Beach and Lordos hotels), ☏ +357 24 64 52 22. Check-in: 14:30, check-out: 11:00. About 200 m from the beach. 10 minutes by car from Larnaca town and 20 minutes from Larnaca International Airport. A family run complex offering 12 modest and spacious one-bedroom, self-catering apartments with equipped kitchen, bath or shower room, lounge/dining room and private balcony. All apartments are light and refreshing with open-plan living space totalling 50 m², sleeping up to four adults or families of up to five including children and/or infants. Private swimming pool or the local beach via an easily accessible path across from the apartments.
- Pyla Village & Pyla Palms & Pyla Gardens Resorts Apartments, Pyla (take A1 from Airport to Ayia Napa come off at 2nd turn for Pyla Village, Pyla Palms on right 3.2 km and Pyla Village Resort 800 m on right). Private apartments with pool, 10 km from Larnaca. 5 minutes drive from beach, and 8 to 12 minutes walk to Pyla town. from £119 pppw.
- [dead link] Sveltos Beach Apartments, Piale Pasha, Mckenzy (Mckenzy Beach), ☏ +357 246 57240. Self-catering apartments 10 m from the sea with views over Larnaca Bay towards Cape Greco. Rates from €35 a night in low season for a one bed apartment sleeping two to €65 a night for a 2-bedroom apartment sleeping 4 in high season. €35.
Go next
- Agia Triada
- Ayia Napa
- Cape Greco
- Kapparis
- Lefkara, a small, beautiful town, 30 km away.
- Protaras
- Paralimni