Where to stay in Larnaca
Three zones in the town: the promenade, Mackenzie by the airport and quieter streets behind the centre
- Hostel
- from €14 (dorm bed)
- To the airport
- Bus 425, €2.70
- Beaches
- Finikoudes
Without a car, the choice in Larnaca comes down to noise. Three zones share the town: the promenade, the beach by the runway and the calmer streets behind the centre, and each suits a different kind of trip. Finikoudes is the safe pick for a first visit, Mackenzie belongs to planes and late nights, and Kastella to a slow dinner by the fishing shelter.
The promenade, everything on foot
Finikoudes is the zone for first-timers. The promenade is 600 m long and lined with palms, and within that stretch you find the marina, the fishing harbour, the fort and the Blue Flag beach. The Church of Saint Lazarus lies a short walk inland, and from here the sights are a walk apart and need no bus. The beach has sunbeds, showers and a lifeguard in season, and the boats for dives and short trips leave from the pier.
Light sleepers should know the other side. Kataklysmos around Whit Monday closes the seafront to traffic in the evening and fills it with people, and it is noisy until late. On such evenings bus 425 skips the Finikoudes stop, which leaves you walking to the next one with a suitcase, and a room away from the seafront saves the walk and the noise.
3-star hotel, double room, per person per night
Beach, planes and clubs
Mackenzie lies by the airport, and aircraft cross the beach so low that plane spotting became a pastime here. The beach is about 1 km long, with bars and cafés behind it, and the wind brings windsurfers and kitesurfers to the water. At weekends the bars turn into clubs and DJ events after dark.
That suits plane spotters and anyone who wants the nightlife a step from the sand. It does not suit people who need quiet, since aircraft pass low over the beach. A city bus into the centre costs the standard fare, €2.70 (cash, daytime).
Quieter streets behind the centre and by Kastella
Kastella lies beside the Psarolimano fishing shelter, with a beach of about 600 m and fish restaurants on the shore. It is the calmest of the three zones for anyone who wants a long dinner and a short walk. For the budget end, Hostelworld lists Le Mat Hostel, where the price is from €14 (dorm bed). Booking.com shows no price per bed for the other hostels in town.
When a car is the better choice
Yiannades and Faros lie farther from the centre. Yiannades is a shallow beach of about 300 m at Voroklini, and Faros, about 500 m long, sits by the lighthouse at Cape Kiti near the village of Pervolia. The Tekke at the lake is roughly 3 km west of the centre. No bus to the lake is documented, so anyone who wants the second day without a taxi bill should take a rental car. Remember that traffic keeps to the left. For a stay on the three seafront zones a car is unnecessary, since the airport bus costs €2.70.
Where to next
What Larnaca costs
→A cheap town with a city bus at €2.70; the bill is easiest to break on diving and on trips by car
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.
Where is the best place to stay in Larnaca without a car?
Finikoudes. The fort, the marina, the church and the beach lie within a short walk of each other, and bus 425 from the airport stops there except on event days.
Is it noisy next to the airport?
Around Mackenzie, yes, since planes pass low over the beach and the bars run late at weekends. The streets behind the centre and the area by Kastella are quieter.
Are there hostels in Larnaca?
Hostelworld lists Le Mat Hostel, priced from €14 (dorm bed).
Ready for Larnaca?
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