A month in Cyprus (2) – Larnaca and Ayia Napa (the East)

Cyprus (1): Around Mazotos

Green Bay near Ayia Napa

Larnaca was the closest city near Mazotos. So we ended up going there quite often, mostly for watersports stuff. And Ayia Napa lay further east, being the party capital of the island with some stunning beaches to boost too. 


Larnaca

Larnaca was a lazy coastal city, with two beaches, a promenade with loads of cafes and restaurants next to the beach, a marina with boats and boat tours and some places to visit. It was always empty in the afternoon. But one day when I was there late in the evening, it was buzzing with people. That day I realised people here slept in the afternoons and came out only after sunset.

The first time we went to Larnaca was for a massage, to Spa Bar and I will definitely recommend the place. The quality of the masseurs is outstanding. So much so that I went there again later! After the massage, we started walking towards the marina and saw a few boat tour booths. They mostly take tourists around to specific far off places. But we thought we should do something different - not go on any fixed route. So we walked to one of the booths and rented a huge yacht for a day, with a captain who would take us to some areas around, on the go.

So the next day, we had our own rented yacht to explore the waters around. We first went to the Zenobia shipwreck site and jumped into the open sea. We could make out the outlines of the wreck a bit but not too clearly. He then took us all the way to Pyros village beach and we swam there for a bit. It was too windy that day, so we couldn't stop at a lot of locations. But the best part of the day was just sitting on the front of the boat with the sun above and the wind blowing at you. And the breath-taking Mediterranean blue all around. The captain was very friendly, told us lot of stories and gave us local cut fruits to eat. It was pure heaven being there that day.

Planes above

As that boat ride had been lacking (according to the captain, not us 😁) because of the winds, the captain offered to take us on his touristy boat tour another day. So we went in his semi-submarine boat on a 2 hour tour to the same sites again. From the glass bottom of the ship, we could see the Zenobia shipwreck more clearly. And loads of colourful fishes swimming around it. He also took us around Larnaca old town and Mackenzie beach. The water was so green, so calm, so transparent here. We also floated for a bit as a few planes took over right above us. It was quite a sight to see. The captain also connected me to his friend for a diving trip another day.

Larnaca Salt Lake

Larnaca also had some other places to visit. One was a huge salt lake which we passed by every time we drove to the marina. It was pure white till where the eyes could see and it sparkled orange during sunset. Just next to it sat the Hala Sultan Tekkesi mosque which looked very picturesque next to the lake. I made it in time to see sunset on the lake only once. And it was a pretty sight.

There are two main beaches in town - Larnaca and Mackenzie. Larnaca beach is a city beach with lots of people and lot of sunbeds everywhere. The water was not very deep and comfortably warm - it was a pleasure to swim there. Mackenzie beach was bigger and had more activities to do there. It was also lined with great beach restaurants. The vibe there was just so much fun. I went there to windsurf one day. I found the beach too windy and tough fo windsurfing, but the restaurants and all looked so much fun.

Lazarus Church

One day I explored the old town and the promenade area. The Lazarus church was quite impressive inside and outside, and has a long history to read about. Then I walked past the Larnaca Castle along the promenade. Past it, I came to the old part of town, with very old buildings along the water and it was quite charming.

Larnaca promenade

I kept walking along the marina all the way to Mackenzie beach and it was so much fun. There were many restaurants on the way near Finikoudes beach. And it felt so serene to just walk along. As sunset happened, the weather got less hot, and suddenly the promenade filled with people. We saw so many indians too, for the first time. And from serene, it turned to being very active, full of people, music, restaurants and cars. We also found an Indian shop at Larnaca to buy Indian groceries. So this city was definitely a lifesaver (and the question to all answers) for us.

CTO Beach

In the other direction, past the city, there was a stretch of fancy resorts all along the road. And beyond that was CTO beach where I learnt windsurfing for a week. The windsurfing centre was run by Russians and Ukrainians. And most of the customers coming in were also from there. Apparently, the island is quite popular with Russians, as it is one of the few countries still allowing Russians to visit, since the war. The CTO beach was quite relaxed, it was fun to be there. The wind was enough to windsurf but not so much that as a beginner like me would have problems. And one day we ate at the restaurant there too, it was chill, and fun. All the beaches are so nice in Cyprus.


Ayia Napa

Ayia Napa was about a one hour drive from Mazotos, on the south eastern edge of the island. It was the party capital of the island and had a lot of things to do.

The drive there was interesting as there was a narrow pass to get there, bordering Turkish Cyprus. So there was a fence along the road at many places. Apparently there are a few ghost villages in this area as its inhabitants left during the split of the island. And never returned. There is also a village there which apparently is split into two between the two countries.

The entrance to Ayia Napa is quite grand. You suddenly see the huge resorts lining the beach. And the sparkling blue water extending till wherever the eyes can see. The roads are fancier too, with spectacular views of the Mediterranean blue. The vibe is definitely different than Larnaca which we frequented so much more.

Bridge of lovers

Ayia Napa is known as the crazy party city of the island but it always looked dead and empty the three times I went there. Apparently, the city wakes up at 2 am and I never stayed long enough to see it. But it also has some normal things to see and do during the day which we did 😊. And so many amazing beaches! I barely could visit only a few of them.

Sea caves

The bridge of lovers is a naturally formed rock structure which is always full of tourists, many of which are found jumping into the water from the top and swimming at the bottom. The water there was stunning. The same is true of the sea caves which are stunning structures formed when the limestone in the land is run over by water. And the water here was just stunning, a sparkling green.

Nissi Beach

I visited two beaches in Ayia Napa. One was Nissi beach, a recommendation from a colleague. And it was amazing. Shallow warm green waters to swim in. Lot of sun-beds on the beach. And restaurants to enjoy the view. After the beach we went to Isola bar which had a great location too. Interestingly, they didn't let some people in before us because of the dress code but they let us in 🤣. Clearly this was a fancy place we had turned up to.

Protaras Beach

Another beach I went to was the Protaras beach which was full of people that day. It had a rock formation in the centre where you could swim to and see fishes. In fact you could even see fishes near the beach! The waters were warm, the beach shallow and again had amazing restaurants next to it. I think all places in Ayia Napa are outstanding. There were a few more notable beaches in Ayia Napa which we couldn't visit, the Makronisos, Landa and Ziatzi beaches. For some other time I think 😊.

Blue Lagoon

One day, I went on a diving trip to Ayia Napa. We first drove to the Cavo Greco area. The area had a rocky landscape and no vegetation. It was stunning in a surprising way. We stopped at the Blue Lagoon which was full of tourist boats. And on the opposite coast, we dived. The site was full of caves, so we swam around, looking for fishes. The entry and exit to the dive site was also through a cave hole which was a new experience for me. I saw some trumpetfish, sea cucumbers, lionfish, and sea urchins along with the usual colourful fishes. After the dive, I just swam a bit more in the sea and it was such a gorgeous place to be, like being on Mars.

Near Ayioi Church

Before the next dive, we made a stop at Konnos beach and the Ayioi Anargiroi Church on the cliff. The lagoon there was gorgeous too. We had to wait for the instructor to refill some of the oxygen cylinders, so we swam in the bay for a bit and it was amazing to swim there in its crystal clear waters. The next dive site was Green Bay and we saw some Greek rock structures under water there. The sea bed had an interesting landscape and there were schools of fishes everywhere. The trip had been a bit of a mess with the empty oxygen cylinders, but the diver community is so chill, they just ignored it all 😁. While coming back, we had lunch at a completely local place which did not look appetising at all but had such tasty food. This was also the day I got a sunburn (I think) and was out of action for a week after.

Overall, I found Ayia Napa very pretty and full of action but I wouldn't stay here, as its not the kind of busy place I like. But it’s a nice place to visit for a bit, when looking for more activity.