Statue of Zeno, Larnaca Promenade

Larnaca (Greek Λάρνακα Larnaka, [1]) is a city in Cyprus.

Understand

Larnaca has a reasonable claim to being the oldest city in Cyprus, with evidence of habitation up to 6000 years ago.

Modern Larnaca, like other Cypriot coastal towns, is divided into an older city center and a wide sprawl of hotels and restaurants along the beach.

Get in

Larnaca International Airport (LCA) is the largest airport on Cyprus, located 6 km to the west of the city center. Taxis to the city take 15 minutes, there are also scheduled city buses.

Shared taxis (dolmus) connect Larnaca to Nicosia and Limassol.

Get around

Larnaca is a thin ribbon of a town and you can walk around most of it. The seaside Larnaca Promenade (Phinikoudes) is particularly pleasant for a stroll in the evening.

By law, taxis should charge by the meter, but many cabbies will refuse to use it. Metered fares should be 65 cent; to get in plus 22 cent/km, night surchages apply after midnight.

See

• The Church of St. Lazarus (Ayios Lazaros Sq), an Orthodox church dating to the 9th century, is reputedly built around the tomb of the biblical Lazarus, brother of Mary.

• The Larnaca Salt Lake is to the west of town near the airport. In winter (November to March), flocks of pink flamingos can be seen here.

• The Hala Sultan Tekke mosque is perched by the side of the Salt Lake. The tomb of Umm Haram, the foster mother of Mohammed, is said to be here.

Do

Diving the wreck of the Zenobia

For divers the main reason to come to Larnaca is the wreck of the Zenobia, a ro-ro ferry that sunk in 1980 on her maiden voyage only a few hundred meters from the harbor due to a fault in the ballast computer. Fully laded with trucks and their cargo, the ship now lies on its side at a depth of 42 meters, with the top of the wreck at 18m and thus easily accessible even to PADI Advanced Open Water divers. If your flight comes in right, you can even see the shadow of the wreck as you land at Larnaca airport!

• Dive-In Cyprus (Seagate Hotel, 132 Piale Pascha; tel. 24-627469; [2]) is a PADI 5-star dive center that specializes in dives to the Zenobia, and can also arrange nitrox and penetration dives for the technical diver. Figure on around £18 for a dive.

Buy

The Nearby village of Lefkara is famous for its lace and silverware, and Larnaca being the nearest large town to the village, sells both in plentiful supply. Independent jewellers and watchmakers are abundant, particularly among and just off the main Ermes /Ermou Street.

Eat

The beaches of Larnaca are littered with identikit seafood restaurants catering to tourists. The easiest way to find a good place is to simply walk along until you find a restaurant packed not with tourists, but with Cypriots!

• Militzis (42 Piale Pascha, tel. 24-655867) is a long-running favorite serving honest Cypriot fare (read: meat and potatoes) washed down with their own wine. No points for presentation, but the food is good and the restaurant is often packed. Figure on £5-10 for a meal.

• Hobo's (Phinikoudes Promenade) is a lively Cafe/Restaurant popular with many Cypriots, right on the main promenade. You can't miss it, and its often full but doesn't take telephone reservations. Food is varied from Cypriot to International Cuisine.

Drink

In the city centre an area just off the main promenade called "Laiki Yeitonia" fulfils the need for most Bars and Small scale Nightclubs. Club Memphis is the most popular of these, along with Scaliano.

Driving about 15-20 minutes away from the City Centre to the East in the direction of Ayia Napa is the Larnaca-Dhekelia Road. This is the main 'strip' for high quality hotels, nightclubs, bars, etc, and is where most British Tourists can be found.

Sleep

There are countless hotels of varying degrees of luxury by the seaside.

• Sandbeach Castle Hotel (Piale Pascha, tel. 24-655437, [3]) is a fairly typical 2-star hotel, a bit of a hike from the city center, but not too far from the dive shops. Clean and generally acceptable. Rooms from £18.80 and up (with breakfast) in the low season, add in another £5 for the winter high season.

Get out