Larnaca: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Larnaca stands on ancient Kition, a city the Phoenicians ruled for centuries, and Christian tradition says Lazarus, raised from the dead by Jesus, came here and served as its bishop. The old town is small and flat, and everything on this walk is within twenty minutes of the church. Start early, when the church is quiet and the museums have just opened. Finish on the promenade for a late breakfast by the sea.
A short history of Larnaca
Beneath the houses of Larnaca lies Kition, a city founded in the 13th century BC that later became an important Phoenician city. Around 334 BC Zeno was born here; he went on to found the Stoic school in Athens. According to Christian tradition, Lazarus lived here after he was raised from the dead, and the church over his tomb was built in the 9th century. In the Ottoman period the European consuls resided in the city. Between 1946 and 1949 the British held tens of thousands of Jewish illegal immigrants in detention camps on Cyprus, and some of the camps stood at Dhekelia, near Larnaca. After 1974, when Nicosia's airport closed, the island's main airport opened here.
The ten best sights in Larnaca
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1Larnaca Marina
Boat trips and dive boats; a quiet walk at the north end of the promenade
2Church of Saint LazarusThe reason the town exists in Christian memory; go down to the crypt under the altar
3Larnaca CastleSmall fort on the beach with a medieval museum; climb the wall for the view of the promenade
4Hala Sultan TekkeMosque among palms on the salt lake shore; shoulders covered, shoes off
5Pierides MuseumA family collection of Cypriot antiquities in an old mansion — the best hour in town on a hot afternoon
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6Larnaca Archaeological Museum
Finds from ancient Kition, a few steps from the excavation itself
7Kition excavationsTemple foundations of the Phoenician city under the modern streets; short visit
8Panagia Angeloktisti, KitiA village church with one of the oldest mosaics on the island in its apse
9Chabad Cyprus, LarnacaSynagogue and Jewish centre in the town centre; ask here about kosher food and Shabbat meals
10Stavrovouni MonasteryMountain-top monastery with a huge view; men only inside, women can reach the gate
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Larnaca →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Larnaca:
Free walking tours in Larnaca
Lazarus' town
Larnaca stands on ancient Kition, a city the Phoenicians ruled for centuries, and Christian tradition says Lazarus, raised from the dead by Jesus, came here and served as its bishop. The old town is small and flat, and everything on this walk is within twenty minutes of the church. Start early, when the church is quiet and the museums have just opened. Finish on the promenade for a late breakfast by the sea.
- Church of Saint Lazarus · The stone church was built in the late 9th century by the Byzantine emperor Leo VI over what was believed to be Lazarus's tomb. After a fire in 1970, restorers found sarcophagi under the altar, one of them inscribed with his name.
- Larnaca Municipal Market · Halloumi is Cyprus's own cheese, and fresh, unaged halloumi from a village dairy is softer and less salty than what is sold abroad. Buy a piece for the road; it keeps well in a cool bag.
- Larnaca Castle · The Ottomans rebuilt the fort in its present form in 1625 to guard the harbour. Under British rule it served as a prison, and the gallows room is still shown inside.
- Pierides Museum · Demetrios Pierides began collecting Cypriot antiquities in 1839, when ancient objects were leaving the island by the shipload, and the family kept adding for five generations. It is the oldest private collection in Cyprus, shown in the family's own house.
- Kition excavations · Zeno of Kition, who founded Stoic philosophy in Athens, was born in this city around 334 BC. The foundations you see belong to temples of the Phoenician city he grew up in.
- Finikoudes promenade · Finikoudes means 'little palms', after the row of palm trees that lines the seafront. It is the town's living room: families walk it every evening, and the beach is right below the cafés.
Salt lake and the cape
South-west of town the land flattens into a salt lake, and on its shore stands one of the most important Muslim shrines in the Mediterranean. Further on, a village church holds a mosaic older than almost anything else on the island. This is a short drive with stops, about half a day. In winter bring binoculars for the flamingos.
- Mackenzie Beach · The beach lies right under the approach to the airport, so planes pass low enough to read the airline names. It is the town's liveliest beach strip after dark.
- Larnaca Salt Lake · From about November to March the lake fills with rain and thousands of greater flamingos come to feed on tiny brine shrimp. In summer the water evaporates and leaves a white crust of salt.
- Hala Sultan Tekke · Muslim tradition holds that Umm Haram, a relative of the Prophet Muhammad, fell from her mule here during an Arab raid on Cyprus in 649 and was buried on the spot. The mosque around her tomb was built by the Ottomans in the early 19th century.
- Kamares Aqueduct · The Ottoman governor Bekir Pasha built the aqueduct in 1747 to bring water to Larnaca from a river about 10 km away. It stayed in use until the 1930s, and its arches are lit at night.
- Panagia Angeloktisti, Kiti · The name means 'built by angels'. In the apse is a 6th-century mosaic of the Virgin and Child between the archangels Michael and Gabriel — one of very few church mosaics of that age to survive in the eastern Mediterranean.
- Cape Kiti · This low headland is the south-eastern corner of Larnaca bay, and its lighthouse marks the turn for ships heading into the bay. Swim off the rocks or just sit; there is little here but sea.
Stone, lace and a holy mountain
Inland from Larnaca the road climbs into dry hills where Cyprus is at its oldest: a village from before pottery was invented, a monastery said to hold a piece of the True Cross, and a stone village whose women have stitched lace for centuries. The stops are spread out, so this is a full day by car. Lefkara is hot at midday, so go there first in summer. End the day with camels if there are children in the car.
- Stavrovouni Monastery · Tradition says Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, founded the monastery in the 4th century and left a fragment of the True Cross here. The monks keep a strict rule: women may not enter.
- Kornos · Kornos is the island's pottery village, where large clay jars and pots have been made by hand for generations. Look into the workshops along the main road.
- Choirokoitia · People lived on this hillside from about 7000 BC, in round stone houses with flat roofs, before they made pottery. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998, and five houses have been rebuilt at the gate to show how it looked.
- Tochni · A small stone village in a valley, on the way between the Neolithic site and Lefkara. Its church of Saint Constantine and Helena sits on the spot where, by local tradition, Helena left another piece of the Cross.
- Lefkara · Lefkara lace, lefkaritika, is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage since 2009. Local legend says Leonardo da Vinci came here in 1481 and bought an altar cloth for Milan Cathedral.
- Lefkara lace and silver museum · The small museum in an old village house shows how the lace is worked and the silver filigree the men of the village made alongside it. Seeing it first helps tell real handmade lace from imports in the shops.
Getting to Larnaca and getting around
- Larnaca International Airport · Most flights from Tel Aviv land here, 10 minutes from the seafront — the easiest start of a Cyprus loop
- Larnaca Central Bus Station · Intercity buses to Nicosia, Limassol and Ayia Napa leave from the seafront end of town
Cheap eats in Larnaca
Cyprus eats from the charcoal grill: souvlaki in chunks of pork, sheftalia sausages and halloumi, the island's own cheese, which is grilled until it squeaks. A pita with salad and lemon is the standard quick meal, and a Lebanese bakery is never far away in Larnaca. Prices are in euros and close to Israeli prices, a little cheaper outside the seafront.
- Souvlakia · Pork souvlaki or sheftalia in pita with salad, about €5-7
- Za'atar Lebanese Bakery · Man'oushe with za'atar or cheese straight from the oven, about €2-4
- Felafel T · Falafel in pita, a quick vegetarian lunch, about €4-6
- Zorbas bakery · Cypriot bakery chain: halloumi pies, koupes and coffee, about €2-4
- Katina's · Snack bar for a toast or pita by the seafront, about €4-6
- Larnaca Municipal Market · Fruit and fresh halloumi for a picnic, a few euros
Museums in Larnaca
- Pierides Museum · Antiquities from every period of Cyprus in one house; give it an hour
- Larnaca Archaeological Museum · Finds from Kition and Choirokoitia; small and quick
- Larnaca Medieval Museum · Inside the castle: weapons, pottery and the view from the walls
- Lefkara lace and silver museum · Lace and silver filigree in a village house
- Choirokoitia · Neolithic village with rebuilt round houses
Nature and day trips near Larnaca
- Larnaca Salt Lake · Flamingos November to March; a flat path along the shore
- Cape Kiti · Rocks, lighthouse and clear water
- Mackenzie Beach · Sand beach close to town, with planes overhead
- Finikoudes beach · Shallow, calm water right in town
- Stavrovouni · Hilltop at about 690 m with views to the sea
Things to do in Larnaca with kids
- Camel Park, Mazotos · Camel rides, a pool and animals; half a day
- Finikoudes beach · Shallow water and ice cream on the promenade
- Larnaca Castle · Walls to climb and cannons to look at
- Choirokoitia · Walk into a stone-age house
- Larnaca Marina · Boats to watch and short trips on the bay
Where to eat in Larnaca
- Militzis · Village dishes from clay ovens on the seafront road; kleftiko is the order
- Stoa · A sit-down dinner in the centre
- Potiri · Wine and small plates for the evening
- Mpoukia Goylia · Cypriot meze, come hungry
- George's · Simple taverna food near the centre
Frequently asked questions about Larnaca
What is there to see in Larnaca?
The top sights in Larnaca are Larnaca Marina, Church of Saint Lazarus and Larnaca Castle. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Larnaca?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Larnaca without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Larnaca?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Larnaca, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Lazarus' town.
How do you get to Larnaca and get around?
The main ways are Larnaca International Airport and Larnaca Central Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Larnaca, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Larnaca that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Larnaca for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.