Lapithos, on the slopes of the Pentadaktylos

Lapithos is one of those names that crop up when you look into the north coast of Cyprus, and its history goes back further than you’d guess. Citable official sources say little about it, so here’s all of it, along with how to get there. For the wider setting, read Kyrenia district.

Where it is

Lapithos lies on the north coast, on the slopes of the Pentadaktylos range, and the Union of Cyprus Municipalities places it 14 km from Kyrenia. By OpenStreetMap coordinates, it’s about 25 km in a straight line from Nicosia. In Turkish it’s Lapta, the form OpenStreetMap uses. Like the rest of the district, it ended up on the far side of the line in 1974.

One of the ten kingdoms

The most interesting thing about Lapithos is its past. Its Union of Cyprus Municipalities page lists it among the ten ancient kingdoms and as a municipality since 1878, and from that page, written from the displaced side, I take only the facts.

Right next door, in Karavas, the same Union places the acropolis of Lambousa, by the sea, destroyed in the 7th century. I’m not giving opening times or access details, as I have no source I can quote for them. How all this fits into the island’s story is in the history of Cyprus.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.

The Union of Municipalities’ account

The Lapithos entry describes a town built like an amphitheatre on the slopes of the Pentadaktylos, among lemon groves that run down to the sea. According to the tradition it records, the city was founded by Achaean settlers around the 13th and 12th centuries BC, led by Praxandros from Laconia, and in the 4th century BC it appears among the island’s nine kingdoms, with Praxippos as its last king.

The same entry says Cretan pottery and bronze objects were found at Lapithos, a sign of contact with Crete from the Early Bronze Age, and that it had pottery workshops and copper working. In early Byzantine times the city was also known as Lambousa, “the shining one”. Its remains lie on the coast, opposite today’s Lapithos and Karavas, where the monastery of Panagia Acheiropoiitos and the Byzantine church of Agios Evlalios stand. I have no citable source on their condition or visiting hours.

Getting there

There’s no Green Line crossing nearby. Drive through Agios Dometios in Nicosia, buy cover there and follow the coast road on from Kyrenia. Remember lira is the local currency, euros are widely taken, and military buildings are strictly off-limits for photos. The crossings are covered in crossing to northern Cyprus. Bear in mind that, according to gov.uk, the Ledra Palace and Ledra Street crossings are for pedestrians only, so drivers must use a different one.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Nicosia and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Nicosia on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.