Larnaka (Cyprus)

We moved to Larnaka in Cyprus a little over six years ago, now. As a place to live for a family, it has many advantages: a low crime rate, general safety for children, relatively low cost of living, and friendly people, nearly all of whom have excellent English.

Inevitably we've had several visitors from the UK, but as as general holiday resort Larnaka is less well-known than Paphos or Ayia Napa, despite containing the main airport ...
...wants to explore the island, Larnaka is a good starting point. There are daily flights from most destinations in Europe, with BA and Cyprus Airways being the most popular. Note that Larnaka is sometimes spelled 'Larnaca', and the airport code is LCA.

• What sort of climate is there? •

Cyprus seems to be associated in many people's minds with sunshine and beaches, and indeed the statistics say that for 350 days per year ... more

We moved to Larnaka in Cyprus a little over six years ago, now. As a place to live for a family, it has many advantages: a low crime rate, general safety for children, relatively low cost of living, and friendly people, nearly all of whom have excellent English.

Inevitably we've had several visitors from the UK, but as as general holiday resort Larnaka is less well-known than Paphos or Ayia Napa, despite containing the main airport on the island. There is quite an influx of holidaymakers from Easter until the end of August, but in the winter months there are very few.

• Where is Larnaka? •

It's set in a bay at the South East of the island. About 40 minutes' drive from Ayia Napa, popular with 'singles' and infamous for its night-life, and about an hour in the other direction from Limassol, a much larger town with a busy port. Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is inland about 45 minutes' drive from Larnaka, and Paphos is about 90 minutes' drive away. So for someone with a car who wants to explore the island, Larnaka is a good starting point. There are daily flights from most destinations in Europe, with BA and Cyprus Airways being the most popular. Note that Larnaka is sometimes spelled 'Larnaca', and the airport code is LCA.

• What sort of climate is there? •

Cyprus seems to be associated in many people's minds with sunshine and beaches, and indeed the statistics say that for 350 days per year the sun shines out here. Technically that's probably true: on 350 days of the year, the sun does shine at some point. Blue skies are the norm, even when it's cold and windy outside, and torrential rain, at least in the Autumn, is often followed by an hour or two of glorious sunshine.

However there's a distinct winter period, which starts early November and usually goes on until at least early March. I've been typing this during mid-February, the British school half-term week. It's been mostly grey outside when it isn't raining, and there have been several thunderstorms. A few days ago we had an extremely cold spell where the temperature didn't rise above about 9C during the daytime, and was down to 3C with a bitterly cold wind overnight.

Summers, by contrast, are almost guaranteed to be hot and humid, typically 35C for most of July and August, sometimes even hotter. There's virtually no rain at all from the beginning of May until the end of September, and inevitably this attracts those who want holidays in the sun. October and April are my favourite months, reminiscent usually of the UK in July, with pleasant temperatures usually in the high twenties, and a little rain too. Don't bother to come in February if you're after sunshine!

• Beaches •

The main sea-front in Larnaka is famous for the 'palm tree promenade' - a row of palm trees on each side of the main road. It does indeed look attractive all year round; and there's a small, sheltered beach with shallow water for some considerable distance. The beach is up to high European standards, and is very safe for swimming as there are almost no currents, and very little tide. During the summer this beach is covered with tourists packed like sardines, usually spending far longer in the sun than is advisable. They arrive like pale lilies and return to the UK a week or two later looking like beetroots! Sunbeds and beach umbrellas are available for a fee of about one Cyprus pound (roughly two euros) from May to October.

There are ice-cream stalls at frequent intervals along the edge of the beach, also selling cold drinks and sweets, and there's a basic (but adequate) toilet block for those who need it. On the other side of the road is a huge selection of restaurants, with Cypriot or international cuisine of every flavour imaginable. There's the inevitable McDonalds through to high-class hotel restaurants, and plenty of bars. There are also games arcades and internet cafés, coffee shops which stay open late (though not all night) and tourist shops selling everything from cheap beachware and postcards to good quality locally produced silver and lace.

A little further from Larnaka itself are some much nicer beaches: our favourites are McKenzy beach, which is further from any main roads, but next to the airport, and Kiti beach, which is secluded and natural, but with no cafés or toilets anywhere near. There is also a selection of beach areas attached to hotels and holiday apartments, for several miles out of the town. However those who like water-sports such as parascending or water-skiing probably need to go to Ayia Napa or Limassol rather than Larnaka.

• For children •

Other than the beach, there is very little for small children in Larnaka itself. For some families, this is an advantage - they can swim, and read, and generally relax rather than rushing around expensive theme parks and other attractions for the young. Others might prefer to be nearer activities designed for children, but Cyprus is generally taking a long time to develop these. There are Water-World parks at both Limassol and Agia Napa, open during the summer months, and a camel park at Mazatos, not far from Larnaka, but not much else.

• Parks •

There is a lovely natural Salt Lake not far from the airport, with a fairly large unspoilt park next to it. This has wide paths suitable for roller-blading or cycling, a few swings and roundabouts, and plenty of trees for resting in the shade. The Salt Lake itself is a natural wildlife preserve, full of salty water during the winter, and attracting migrating flamingoes for several months of the year. In the Summer it mostly dries up, although the ground underneath is still boggy and potentially dangerous.

For younger children there's a modern brightly-coloured plastic playground near the municipal theatre, with swings, slides and climbing equipment for children under the age of ten. My sons were almost too old for this when we arrived, but we've taken younger children there and they've thoroughly enjoyed it.

• Tourist Office and Larnaka walks •

Since Cyprus thrives on tourism, each town has a well-stocked tourist office with plenty of leaflets detailing current attractions, guides to the town, and free maps. The staff are usually helpful and can advise on almost anything. The Larnaka Tourist Office is near to the sea-front and open during most weekdays. It sponsors two free guided walking tours each week, which are fascinating: one gives some of the history of Larnaka, pointing out statues, museums and some of the significant buildings; the other is a tour of some of the potteries, at the far end of the town. Each takes about an hour and a half, and is well worth doing.

• Museums and the fort •

Inevitably there are three or four museums containing ancient pottery and other artefacts of ancient Cyprus. Historically-minded visitors have enjoyed these, but for me personally they're not very exciting, and one is quite sufficient. Perhaps the most interesting is at the Larnaka fort, at the far end of the sea-front: this is the remains of an ancient fort, with canons displayed, and an excellent view over the sea and the town from the battlements. There is a small museum attached, which has a good selection of items well-labelled in English as well as Greek.

Most museums charge for entry, but the fees are reasonable, usually about two Cyprus pounds per person.

• Churches •

Cyprus is almost entirely Greek Orthodox in religion, and there are some stunning churches and monasteries which can be visited, although one or two of the monasteries can only be entered by men. The best-known Orthodox Church in Larnaka is the one dedicated to St Lazarus, and is not far from the fort. This has been cleaned and repaired in recent years, and the outside wall re-built, making it an attractive focal point even from the outside. To go in to any Orthodox church, women must have shoulders covered, and wear either long trousers or a skirt; men must be wearing long trousers and some sort of shirt. There are stunning mosaics in some of the churches, and beautiful architecture and metalwork.

For those wishing to attend a church on Sunday, there are four English-speaking Protestant churches in the town, as well as the large number of Greek-speaking Orthodox churches. All welcome visitors, and most have details of services available at the Tourist Office.

• Where to stay •

There is almost every possible type of accommodation available, from five-star hotels (mostly out of town) through to hotel apartments, at a wide variety of prices. These change from season to season, so it's always worth checking online or with a travel agent. You can see some of the classier hotels at the page http://i-hotels.iagora.com/hotels-in-Larnaka.htm (prices given in euros) or a wider selection including some hotel apartments at http://www.cyprushotelsguide.net/larnaca.shtml - and many more. Search for 'Larnaca' as well as 'Larnaka', since both spellings are used.

The youth hostel is not recommended. It's very run-down, and badly maintained. We were told that Cyprus was removed from the International Youth Hostelling Association a few years ago due to the low standards.

• Car rental •

There are many car rental companies; see for instance http://www.cyprus-car-rental.co.uk/ or http://www.carrentals.co.uk/car-hire/larnaca-guide.html

As with hotels, prices are widely variable depending on the season. You may get the best deal by booking directly with your travel agent.

• Public transport •

There are no trains or trams in Cyprus at all. There is a reasonable bus service which goes between the major towns several times a day, although these stop running at about 5pm so it's important to check the timetables. In Larnaka the bus stops are along the sea-front, so they're easy enough to find. They travel along the coast roads rather than the motorways, meaning the view is scenic but the ride a little bumpy and considerably longer than going by car.

Taxis are easy to find for trips locally, and there is also a Middle Eastern type of transport called 'service' (pronounced the French way, 'ser-VEECE') which functions like a cross between a taxi and a bus. These are either American style stretch limousines, or mini-buses, and usually carry about 10 people at a time between towns. They have to be booked in advance by phone, and will collect from houses or hotels, delivering customers to any spot within the city boundaries of another town. They are a little more expensive than buses, but considerably cheaper than taxis.

• Theatre and music •

There is a reasonable sized Municipal Theatre about a mile from the sea-front, which hosts a variety of concerts, plays, ballets and other events during the year. There is also a youth theatre group which does children's shows or puppet theatre some weekends during high season. Most Sundays of the year there is some kind of short concert at the bandstand on the sea-front, in the morning, featuring local musicians or dancers. The Tourist Office always has details of current cultural events, or see http://www.cyprus-art.com/ for up-to-date listings for the whole of Cyprus.

• Summary •

If you want guaranteed sunshine, and a relaxing week or two to lie on the beach, then Larnaka is ideal between mid-May and early October. If you want a base for explorations of the island, then it's also ideal at any time of year, depending on your preferred weather. However if you want lively night-life, or energetic water-sports, then try Ayia Napa or Limassol instead; if you want lots of wonderful mosaics and history, try Paphos. If you have small children who are easily bored by beaches and want excitement and entertainment, you may be better off in another country altogether.

There's plenty more information available on the Internet; a particularly useful starting point is http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus/larnaca.html

(note that some of the categories below aren't relevant but I had to select them anyway) 

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