Larnaca Airport, the main way into Cyprus

If you’re flying to Cyprus, chances are you’ll land here. Larnaca handles seven in ten arrivals on the island, which brings plenty of flights and departure times, and a fair few queues in August. I go through the figures from CYSTAT and the government, then how I’d leave the terminal for each destination. The bigger picture is in how to get to Cyprus. Landing late? Places to sleep nearby are in Larnaca hotels.

An airport right next to town

It lies on the south-east coast, and OpenStreetMap’s coordinates put it roughly 6 km from Larnaca town centre. The Cypriot government calls it Larnaka International Airport ‘Glafcos Clerides’, after the former president of the Republic, and you’ll see it as LCA on booking sites. From here Nicosia is about 40 km away as the crow flies and Limassol about 56 km.

That makes it the obvious airport for the eastern half of the island. If your trip takes in Nicosia, Lefkara, Ayia Napa or Protaras, landing here saves driving. For Paphos and the west coast, look at Paphos Airport instead.

How busy does it get?

Very. CYSTAT counted 4,950,802 arrivals and 4,938,589 departures in 2025. The year has a sharp curve, with around 203,000 arrivals in each of January and February and 643,899 in August. From April to October it never drops below 420,000 a month.

For me that means two things. In summer, give yourself extra time for the flight home, and if your dates are flexible, spring and autumn are calmer. With Wizz Air passing ten million passengers here in September 2025, on its base’s fifth birthday, there’s plenty of low-cost choice. Booking tips are in flights to Cyprus.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Larnaca for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Getting away from the airport

You’ve three options, a hire car, a taxi or a private shuttle. Shuttle links appear on the transport ministry’s website, among them Kapnos Airport Shuttle, which says it began in 2008 and covers Nicosia, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Protaras and Paphos. Fares include a cabin bag and a hold bag of up to 20 kg, booking online stays open to the last hour, and cancelling a day ahead costs nothing. I couldn’t read its fares on a public page.

I’d choose by destination. For Larnaca town, 6 km away, a taxi makes sense. For Ayia Napa or Protaras, about 38 and 44 km away, I’d compare the shuttle with a hire car. And if you’re heading inland, pick up the car straight away, as I explain in airport transfers in Cyprus and car hire in Cyprus. Remember that traffic keeps left, just as at home.

What the operator says

Hermes Airports, which runs both of the Republic’s international airports under concession, gives these figures for Larnaca. One runway of 2,994 m, a 100,000 m² terminal with 16 air bridges and 72 check-in desks, around 2,548 parking spaces for the public and hire cars, and round-the-clock operation. As you leave the arrivals hall on level 0, the taxi rank is on your right and runs 24 hours, and the five car hire firms based at the terminal have their desks in the same area. What a cab costs to each town, at its fixed fare, is in taxis in Cyprus, and if you have reduced mobility, assistance is booked through your airline 48 hours ahead, as I explain in accessible travel in Cyprus.

For public transport, Hermes points to Cyprus Public Transport, which covers the airport and the Larnaca area on 1416. Since 3 August 2026 a single fare costs 2.70 euros on paper or 2 euros with a Motion card. The rest of the network is in buses in Cyprus. If you’re leaving a car, the 2026 tariff in the long-stay uncovered car parks runs from 1 euro for the first 20 minutes to 12 euros for 24 hours, then 8 euros a day, and Hermes offers discounts for booking online. For leaving the car in town, see parking in Cyprus.

If you land late and would rather not drive, the Golden Bay hotel, a five-star on the Dhekelia road, reckons on about 20 minutes by taxi, and the Asterias Beach hotel, west of Ayia Napa, says it’s under 50 km away via the A3. To pick your month, see the best time to visit Cyprus, and if you arrive around Pentecost, Finikoudes hosts Kataklysmos, the Festival of the Flood.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Larnaca on GetYourGuide.

One mix-up to avoid

There’s another airport in the north, Ercan, which isn’t one of the Republic’s. Gov.uk warns that entering the Republic through the north counts as illegal entry, with fines possible. If a cheap ‘North Cyprus’ fare pops up, read about Ercan Airport first.

And if your trip ends at Larnaca, give the town an afternoon. It’s the easiest base for your first and last nights. What you need at passport control is set out in Cyprus entry requirements.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Larnaca: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Larnaca for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.