10 Best Things to Do in Larnaca (2026)

Larnaca packs a lot into a small area: a Byzantine church in the centre, a salt lake that turns pink with flamingos in winter, and one of the oldest settlements on the island a short drive away. Here are ten things worth doing between October 2026 and spring, with opening hours and prices from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Antiquities and the Larnaka Tourism Board. Prices are as of October 2026 and can change without notice, so check before you go.

The 10 at a glance

1. Church of St Lazarus

What it is: a stone church built by the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI in the 9th century over the tomb of St Lazarus, restored in the 17th century. The tomb can be seen under the sanctuary, and the gold-covered iconostasis is a fine example of baroque woodcarving.

Opening hours and entry: from November to February, Monday to Saturday 08:00–12:30 and 14:30–17:30, Sunday 06:30–12:30 and 15:30–17:30 (longer hours from March to October). Free. The Byzantine Museum in the adjoining cells displays icons and church treasures; it charges €1.

2. The Salt Lake and its flamingos

What it is: the second-largest salt lake in Cyprus, about 2.2 km². In winter it fills with water and hosts thousands of flamingos from November to March. It has been protected since 1997 and is a Ramsar and Natura 2000 site.

Why it's on the list: the flamingos are only here in winter. A 4 km signposted nature trail winds through the area towards the old Kamares aqueduct. As of December 2025, flamingo numbers in Cyprus had fallen by 14–31% since 2013, so keep your distance from the birds. More in our Salt Lake flamingos guide.

3. Hala Sultan Tekke

What it is: a mosque complex on the west bank of the Salt Lake, built mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries and linked to Umm Haram, who tradition says was buried here in the 7th century. It is still used for worship. Together with the lake, it has been on UNESCO's Tentative List since 8 February 2016.

Opening hours and entry: daily 08:30–17:00 from 16 September to 15 April; free.

4. Choirokoitia Neolithic Settlement

What it is: one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean, occupied from the 7th millennium BC and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Five cylindrical dwellings have been reconstructed near the site with Neolithic methods and furnished with replicas.

Where: 32 km from Larnaca, on the Nicosia–Limassol motorway.

Opening hours and entry: daily 08:30–17:00 from 16 September to 15 April; €2.50. The main site is not fully wheelchair accessible, but the reconstructed dwellings area is. See our UNESCO sites guide.

5. Kition and the District Archaeological Museum

What it is: the ruins of the ancient city-kingdom of Kition, where Mycenaean Achaeans settled in the 13th century BC and Phoenicians arrived in the 9th century BC.

Opening hours and entry: Kition is open Monday to Friday, 08:30–16:00 from 16 September to 15 April, and closed at weekends; €2.50. The Archaeological Museum of the Larnaka District, on Plateia Kalograion, displays finds from Kition, Choirokoitia and Tenta and is free, Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–16:30.

6. The medieval fort and Finikoudes

What it is: the fort at the end of the palm-lined Finikoudes promenade took its present form under Ottoman rule; the British later used it as a prison, and its gallows were in use until 1948. It now houses the small Larnaka Medieval Museum.

Opening hours and entry: from 16 September to 15 April, Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00 and weekends 09:30–17:00; closed on public holidays. €2.50, pensioners €1.25. Opposite stands the Kebir (Buyuk) Mosque, possibly the first Ottoman mosque in Cyprus. See our Finikoudes area guide.

7. Pierides Museum

What it is: the oldest private museum in Cyprus, in the Pierides family's colonial-style home built in 1815. The collection covers roughly 4000 BC to the 15th century AD.

Opening hours and entry: Monday to Thursday 09:00–16:00, Friday and Saturday 09:00–13:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays. Adults €3, students €1.

8. Angeloktisti Church, Kiti

What it is: an 11th-century Byzantine church whose name means "built by angels", standing on the ruins of an Early Christian basilica. Its rare 6th-century mosaic shows the Virgin and Child between the archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Where: Kiti village, 5 km west of Larnaca.

Opening hours and entry: October to April, Monday to Saturday 07:00–16:45 and Sunday 09:30–16:45; closed on public holidays. Free.

9. The free Wednesday walking tour

What it is: "Larnaka – Past and Present", a free walk run by Larnaka Municipality, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Cyprus Tourist Guides Association. It passes the 1919 colonial buildings, Finikoudes, the craftsmen's area, St Lazarus and the Kyriazis Medical Museum, ending at the New Municipal Market.

When: every Wednesday at 10:00 all year, except public holidays, from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism Information Office. It lasts about two and a half hours. No booking is needed, but at least five people must take part. Museum entry fees are not included.

10. Lefkara

What it is: the hill village behind Lefkara lace (Lefkaritika), which UNESCO added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

What to see: the Local Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmith-work in the House of Patsalos, a white limestone house opened as a museum in 1988, with costumes, silverwork, a large embroidery collection and a reconstructed smithy. It is free and open daily 08:30–16:00 from 16 September to 15 April. Read our Lefkara area guide.

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