Larnaca

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.

Getting there

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) (updated Apr 2022) Shared taxis (dolmus) connect Larnaca to Nicosia and Limassol.

Getting around

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. (updated Mar 2015) 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. (updated Mar 2015) 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. (updated Mar 2015) 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. (updated Mar 2015)

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 loaded 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, [email protected]. A safe and friendly dive centre in Larnaca centre. Daily dives to the Larnaca wrecks and to the best dive sites on the island. (updated Feb 2017) 1 Windsurf City, Piale Pasa, ☏ +357 99 555886. Wind surfing, foil, standup paddle boards and more. Staff are extremely friendly and lessons enjoyable. (updated Nov 2022)

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, ☏ +357 24628401. An excellent bookshop with a wide selection of English books

Eat

The beaches of Larnaca are littered with identical 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. 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. (updated Jan 2023) 2 Falafel Abu Dany, Akamia Center, Grigori Afxentiou 10. Delicious small veggie place on the street, with three tables outside. Buda bowl, faul, falafel salad, lovely and healthy. (updated Jan 2023) 3 Souvlaki.gr, Pavlou Valsamaki. Delicious food and staff very friendly. Massive portions. Really good souvlaki wrapped in pita. Everything is fresh and super tasty. It's usually pretty crowded there. (updated Jan 2023) 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. Delicious freshly baked lahmajun. Delicious baked goods like baklava for around €3 (Nov 2022). Nice area to sit outside and under cover. (updated Jan 2023) 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. (updated Jan 2023) 6 Yummy India, 58, Zenonos Pierides Kiteos Street. Tasty and well spiced. Lots of options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Chana masala, dhal makhani and

Drink & nightlife

In the city centre an area just off the main pro