Larnaca – Under the Sea

Larnaca – Under the Sea

Larnaca revolves around its coastal location and is very popular with sun, sea and sand seekers. With its coastal position, the city has the best of both worlds as it has ancient culture as well as being a modern city in the Mediterranean.

History & Larnaca itself:

The mountainous parts of Larnaca extend up to the Troodos range with lots of little villages which continue to practice skilled handicrafts. One of the most well-known villages is Lefkara, which is known for its lace embroidery and delicate filigree silver for jewellery, for example.

Larnaca International Airport is the other of the island’s two airports, notably the other being Paphos International Airport in the west. Larnaca International Airport is the bigger of the two and is the hub for flights between Europe, Russia, Africa and the Middle East. Both of the island’s airports handle 10 million passengers every year. Moreover, there has recently been an agreement to set up a ‘satellite casino’ in the airport. There will be two different casino areas, one located in departures which will only be accessible to departing passengers; and the other in arrival which will be open to the general public. The first casino should be operational in the next 3 months whereas the second should open by the end of the year.

In addition, Larnaca is home to the famous Salt Lake which inhabits the island’s prized flamingos. The lake also welcomes many visitors in the winter months for its natural beauty.

Notably, the Finikoudes beach promenade  is the favourite hotspot for coffee and bars alike and is also known for its entertainment. The promenade hosts a stretch of palm trees which shelter numerous restaurants for various types of cuisines. The joining sea walkway of Piale Pasha hosts several lovely seafood restaurants.

Not to be missed:

In addition, Larnaca is the place to be when celebrating the day of Kataklysmos (Day of the Flood). The festival refers to the flood and originates from ceremonies in honour of Aphrodite, Cyprus-born goddess of love and Adonis, god of beauty. The festival takes place in June and the day is filled with lots of water games and fun activites.

For the adrenaline junkies out there, Larnaca is also home to the site of Zenobia, a Swedish-built cargo ship that sank in 1980. Zenobia is ranked as one of the top 5 shipwreck dives in the world. There are numerous routes through the decks and halls of the dives, inevitably according to your diving experience.

 

Fun Fact:

Finikoudes has recently hosted the French dj, DJ Snake, at the end of July this year.

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