Larnaca (Cyprus)

Larnaca is a port city on Cyprus Island's southern coast, which by population (over 50,000, metro around 145,000) is ranked the country's 3rd-largest - after the capital Nicosia and the largest/principal seaport Limassol. The current town was built over the ruins of the ancient city Kition (aka Citium, established by the Mycenaeans in 13th-century BC).

As infrastructure, in Larnaca are the island's primary airport (international), a large harbor port and a premium Yacht Marina.

From Larnaca can be visited the tourist resort Ayia Napa/Agia Napa (on the island's far east-southern coast).

In 2020, Port Larnaca (locode CYLCA) was privatized (EUR 1,2 billion) and is now operated under concession by the Israeli-Cypriot consortium Kition Ocean Holdings Ltd.

On July 18, 2022, was officially approved the "Larnaca Port and Marina" project as the concessionaire received the town planning permit, allowing them to start the construction works.

• The 12-year project is divided into 4x phases. Phase 1 is for infrastructure developments (new roads, cycling lanes, pedestrian walkways, car parking, green zones). During Phase 2 will be constructed a new passenger terminal (cruise and ferry), administration buildings and docking piers. During Phase 3, on the waterfront will be built residential, commercial and office buildings, hotels, seaside villas, as well as Cyprus' first private island.
• The project also includes the expansion of Larnaca Marina (to at least 600 slots/berths for leisure boats and yachts) and a new yacht club will be built.

Larnaca Port and Marina project created ~4000 jobs and annually contributes ~EUR 120 million to Cyprus' GDP.

In 2023 (August thru September) the 1991-built ferryboat MS Daleela (IMO 9001306, shipowner Scandro Holding Ltd) started weekly crossings from Port Larnaca connecting directly to Piraeus/Athens (travel time ~32 hours). The Ro-Pax (car and passenger) ship Daleela launched the Cyprus-Greece route in May (2023) out of Limassol (~30 hours cruising time) with 14 weekly crossings. Following that, the routes’ starting points/departures were moved to Port Larnaca (8 routes) in August.

Larnaca is approx 55 km (34 mi) southeast of Nicosia. Larnaca Airport is approx 4 km (2,5 mi) southwest of downtown and the larger of Cyprus' two commercial airports (followed by Paphos Airport, on the southwestern coast). Larnaca Airport serves regularly scheduled flights by the carriers Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot (Russia), Air Moldova, Air Serbia, airBaltic, Arkia (Israel), Austrian Airlines, Belavia (Belarus), Blue Air, British Airways, Bulgaria Air, Cyprus Airways, EasyJet, EgyptAir, Emirates, Eurowings, Gulf Air (Bahrain), Polish Airlines, Middle East Airlines (Beirut), Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, TAROM (Romania), TUI Airways, Wizz Air.

The town's best-known landmarks and tourist attractions include the palm-tree-lined waterfront promenade, St Lazarus Church (9th-century), Hala Sultan Tekke (aka Mosque of Umm Haram, 18th-century), Kamares Aqueduct (aka Bekir Pasha Aqueduct, 18th-century), Larnaca Castle (12th-century, now museum), Gothic cathedrals, Roman ruins, Ottoman minarets, Byzantine churches.