Day trips from Larnaca
A Neolithic village, a lace village and two cities, and most need a car or an organised transfer
- Choirokoitia
- €2.50, 32 km from Larnaca
- Lefkara
- 43 km from Larnaca
- Antiquities card
- €8.50 for 1 day
A day trip from Larnaca comes down to one question, which is whether you have a car. Choirokoitia and Lefkara are the two that repay the effort, Stavrovouni turns women away at the gate, and Nicosia means walking across a checkpoint. The order below makes for an easy day, with the dry ruins early and the village afterwards.
The Neolithic on the UNESCO list
Choirokoitia is a Neolithic settlement 32 km from Larnaca, on the UNESCO list since 1998, where reconstructed round huts stand on a hillside. Entry is €2.50, and the site opens daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm between 16 September and 15 April, and until 7:30 pm from 16 April to 15 September. It closes on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Orthodox Easter. The paths run up a slope with almost no shade, so go early and carry water.
Getting there is the weak point of the trip. A hire car or an organised tour is the easy way, and no bus connection is confirmed, so do not build the day around one. Do the settlement first while the slope is still cool, and leave the afternoon for the village.
3-star hotel, double room, per person per night
Lace and silver
Lefkara is a hill village 43 km from Larnaca and 650 m above the sea, known for lace and silver filigree. Lefkaritika lace joined the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in 2009, with makers recorded since at least the 14th century, and women still sit in courtyards and along the lanes stitching it. By tradition Leonardo da Vinci bought an altar cloth here in 1481, a story the village tells happily. The museum of traditional embroidery and silverwork in Pano Lefkara is free and sits in the Patsalos House, open daily from 8:30 am to 4 pm in winter and from 9:30 am to 5 pm in summer. A winter visit therefore has to reach the museum before four.
A monastery for men
Women are not admitted to the Stavrovouni monastery, and cameras are not allowed inside. Women can visit the Church of All Saints in front of the fence, and everyone can use the shop. A mixed group is better off spending that time in Lefkara, where nobody is turned back at the door.
Ayia Napa and Nicosia
Ayia Napa and Protaras are the resort end of the island. Intercity buses connect them with Larnaca, and the airport shuttles also run to Limassol, Nicosia, Paralimni and Ayia Napa. A town base in Larnaca works better without a car, and Ayia Napa works better for a beach week.
Nicosia is the last divided capital in Europe, and the way across is Ledra Street, a crossing for pedestrians only that opened in 2008. You pass the Republic's control first and a second one after it. Goods bought in the north are limited, with 40 cigarettes per person as one example, and can be confiscated. The north is under a different administration, which only Turkey recognises.
Where to next
Where to stay in Larnaca
→Three zones in the town: the promenade, Mackenzie by the airport and quieter streets behind the centre
Cyprus
→An island with the euro, left-hand traffic and two views of the same map, entered through Larnaca
How well does Larnaca suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Larnaca
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Can you reach Choirokoitia without a car?
It is easiest by hire car or on an organised tour. No bus connection is confirmed, so plan on one of those two. The site lies 32 km from Larnaca.
Can women visit Stavrovouni?
No. The monastery gate stays shut to women, and cameras stay outside for everyone. The nearest alternative is the small church just before the fence.
How much does Choirokoitia cost?
Entry is €2.50. The Department of Antiquities card covers all its sites and costs €8.50 for one day, so it pays off only if you visit several sites on the same day.
Ready for Larnaca?
Front row for the next trip
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