Larnaca district, from the coast to the hills

For many travellers, Larnaca district is just where the airport is. I find it one of the most varied in Cyprus, because in under an hour by car you go from a city thousands of years old to a UNESCO-listed Neolithic village and on to hill villages where people still embroider as they did centuries ago.

Where it is and who lives there

The district covers the south-east of the island. It borders Limassol to the west, Nicosia to the north and Famagusta to the east, and on its eastern edge is the British base at Dhekelia, one of the two British Sovereign Base Areas. The 2021 census counted 155,765 residents, and the main town, Larnaca, 52,046. Next come Aradippou, Xylofagou, Athienou and Pyla, where, uniquely on the island, people from both communities share a village inside the UN buffer zone.

Ten thousand years of history

The Larnaca Tourism Board says this is the island’s longest continuously inhabited area. There are remains from before the Neolithic by the Tremithos river, and about 25 km west of the city lies Choirokoitia, a settlement occupied from the 7th millennium BC that UNESCO inscribed in 1998. In the Bronze Age the area was the most populous in Cyprus, thanks to copper and its port. Then came Kition, the city-kingdom of Mycenaeans and Phoenicians, and, according to tradition, the visit of Saint Helena in 326, who left a piece of the True Cross at Stavrovouni Monastery.

Under the Venetians the lake’s salt was big business and watchtowers went up around the bay. Under the Ottomans, Larnaca was the chief port and the city of the consuls.

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

The city and the lake

The main town is compact and best on foot. It has the church of St Lazarus, the Finikoudes promenade, the fort, good museums and, about 2 km away, the Larnaca Salt Lake, where thousands of flamingos stop in winter, with the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque on its shore.

The coast

The district’s coast runs from the Dhekelia road in the east, with beaches such as Yiannades and Pyla, to a string of villages in the west. Heading west out of town, one coastal village follows another as far as Zygi, with fishing harbours and fish tavernas. Beneath the sea off the main town rests the Zenobia wreck, one of the great wreck dives of the Mediterranean. I compare them all in Larnaca beaches.

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

The hills and villages

Inland, the area the board calls Orini rises towards the Troodos with villages of narrow lanes and rustic architecture, each with its own craft. Lefkara is the most famous, for the UNESCO-listed Lefkara lace, and around it lie Kato Drys, Vavla and Odou. Closer to the coast, Kiti keeps the church of Panagia Angeloktisti, with a 6th-century mosaic, and Tochni and Kalavasos make good rural bases near Choirokoitia. To the north, Athienou is known for its bread and lace, Kornos for its red clay pottery and Pyrga for the royal chapel of St Catherine.

Getting around

The international airport sits right next to the city, and everything about it is in Larnaca Airport. For the district, you’ll want a car, as the hill villages and archaeological sites are away from the main routes. I go through accommodation in where to stay in Larnaca.

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

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