The Kamares aqueduct, Bekir Pasha's arches

The Kamares aqueduct is one of those monuments you see from the car on your way out of Larnaca that deserves a stop. A long line of stone arches in the middle of the modern town, lit up at night and also the gateway to the salt lake trail.

A governor’s gift

The Larnaca Tourism Board says the Turkish governor of Larnaca, Bekir Pasha, had it built in 1746 and paid for it himself. He built it in the Roman style to bring water to the town from a spring about 10 km away. It worked for almost two centuries, until in 1939 it was abandoned and replaced by modern pipes.

The district it stands in, on the road towards Limassol, is called Kamares precisely because of its arches, which is what the word means in Greek.

What you’ll see

More than 20 arches still stand, and they’re lit up at night, which is when I think they look best. There’s a cobbled area with benches and a footpath beside it, and in 2026 an accessible bench was installed so wheelchair users can enjoy the view. The photos on this page show the row of arches over the grass and their perspective from the path.

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Opening hours and price

It’s an open-air monument, with no ticket and no published hours, so you can see it at any time. I have no official information on parking, but as it’s beside a main road it’s easy to reach by car or taxi from the centre, which is a little over 3 km away in a straight line.

The salt lake trail

What makes the aqueduct special is its link with the Larnaca Salt Lake. The path from here joins the lake’s 4 km trail, which has two starting points, one at the aqueduct itself and the other beside Artemis Avenue, where the salt is gathered. If you come between November and March, with luck you’ll see flamingos.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Kamares Aqueduct and pick one that fits your day.

Bekir Pasha and the Kebir mosque

The aqueduct’s water didn’t only go to homes. The tourist board explains that the Kebir mosque, opposite the medieval fort, is first mentioned in a 1747 document by Bekir Pasha himself, ordering that its public fountain be fed from his aqueduct. That fountain still stands by the mosque, which was once a Catholic church dedicated to St Catherine, from the 13th and 14th centuries. If you pass Larnaca Castle, it’s worth looking for.

Combining it

The salt lake and Hala Sultan Tekke, some 3 km off in a straight line, fit into the same afternoon. For the rest of the town, head back to the centre, to St Lazarus and the Finikoudes promenade.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Larnaca before you arrive rather than at the desk.

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