Zygi, the village of fresh fish

Zygi is where I’d go for fish in this part of Cyprus. It has no great monuments, but its harbour of fishing boats and the tavernas around it are exactly what you want after a morning of Neolithic sites.

Where it is

Zygi faces the sea in the west of the district, about 28 km from Limassol, about 34 km from Larnaca and about 6 km from Tochni as the crow flies. It had 667 inhabitants in 2021. The board groups it with the district’s other seaside villages, alongside Pervolia, Mazotos, Alaminos, Agios Theodoros and Maroni. The main photo shows the Kalavasos reservoir, just inland.

The fishing harbour

The Larnaca Tourism Board describes Zygi’s fishing shelter as having room for about 220 vessels, the largest it lists in the district, surrounded by fresh fish tavernas. Traditional fishing trips also leave from the harbour, according to the same source, for anyone who wants to see how the catch is brought in.

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

The beach

Next to the harbour is Zygi Limanaki, a small organised beach. The board describes fine light-brown sand and calm, shallow water, with a lifeguard tower in season, sunbeds and parasols, a kiosk and tavernas around. I compare the district’s other beaches in Larnaca beaches.

Festivals and surroundings

Every August the village holds its fish festival, which the board includes in its listings. And on the road from Mazotos to Zygi stands the Petreon sculpture park, the life’s work of the artist Savvas Koulendros, who died in 2016, with an open-air stone exhibition, a small amphitheatre and an 8.5 m sculpture of the man born from stone. Visits are by appointment and cost €2.50.

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

A closer look at Petreon

The tourist board explains that the park takes its name from the Greek word for stone. Besides the sculptures, it has the Liasidion amphitheatre, a manor house, the Archontariki, where exhibitions are held, and a small stone church. The artist drew on his own experiences, the wisdom of earlier generations and the mythology and history of Cyprus, and the gardens are full of cacti and flowering plants.

The village coast

The board describes the coastal villages west of Larnaca as peaceful and natural places, increasingly chosen as year-round retreats thanks to careful development. Each has its own style of beach and sea activities, from traditional fishing harbours to good sailing conditions.

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.

Lunch after the sites

My plan would be Choirokoitia or Tenta in the morning and the drive down to Zygi for a fish lunch by the harbour. It’s the simplest way to balance a morning of stones with an afternoon by the water. For the rest of the coast and the inland area, see Larnaca district.

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