Living in Larnaca: areas, neighbourhoods and villages

Where Larnaca district is and how it is laid out#

Larnaca district sits on the south-east coast of Cyprus, between Limassol district to the west and the free part of Famagusta district to the east. Larnaca town is the district capital and the island's main gateway: Larnaca International Airport (Glafcos Clerides) lies on the southern edge of the town, beside the Salt Lake.

The district falls into four parts. The town itself runs along Larnaca Bay. The coast west and south of the airport is a line of villages that grew from farming communities into residential areas. The coast east of the town, towards Oroklini, Pyla and Dhekelia, is mixed, and part of it lies inside the British Sovereign Base Area or the United Nations buffer zone. Inland, the land rises from a plain of farming villages to the hills around Lefkara and the edge of the Troodos foothills.

Greek is the language of administration and state schooling. English is in wide use in the town and the coastal areas.

Larnaca town neighbourhoods#

• Town centre and Finikoudes: the seafront promenade lined with palm trees, the shopping streets behind it, the church of Agios Lazaros and the medieval fort. Mostly apartments above shops and offices.
• Skala: the old quarter south of the fort, with low houses, potters' workshops and the Grand Mosque near the shore.
• Kamares and Drosia: residential districts on the north-west side of town, named after the Kamares aqueduct, with houses and low blocks.
• The northern and eastern suburbs towards the port and the road to Oroklini: newer apartment blocks and a mix of housing.
• Aradippou: a large community on the north side of the town, close to the motorway, with family housing and light industry.
• Livadia and Dromolaxia: communities on the edge of the town, Livadia to the north-east and Dromolaxia near the airport.

The town is compact. Most neighbourhoods are within a short drive of the seafront, the courts and the district offices. This page does not rank areas; the right one depends on commuting, schooling and the kind of building a household wants.

Coastal areas east and west of town#

West and south of the airport, the coast road runs through Meneou, Kiti, Pervolia and Mazotos towards Cape Kiti and the coast beyond. These villages have old cores and wide belts of newer houses. The Salt Lake and the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque on its shore sit between the town and this coast, and the lake is a protected wetland visited by flamingos in winter.

East of the town the road passes Oroklini, whose hillside village sits above a coastal strip of newer housing, before reaching Pyla and Dhekelia. Pyla lies inside the United Nations buffer zone and is a village where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live side by side. Dhekelia is a British Sovereign Base Area, where different land rules apply. Further east, Ormideia and Xylofagou lie near the boundary with Famagusta district.

Inland villages#

Inland, the district has a mix of plain and hill villages, many with stone houses in their old centres:

• Lefkara (Pano and Kato Lefkara): hill villages known for lace and silverwork, with narrow streets and protected traditional buildings.
• Kornos, Pyrga and Mosfiloti: villages close to the Nicosia–Limassol motorway, within reach of both cities.
• Choirokoitia, Tochni and Kalavasos: villages in the south-west of the district; Choirokoitia is the site of a Neolithic settlement on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Athienou: a large agricultural community on the plain towards Nicosia, known for dairy and bread.
• Anglisides, Kalo Chorio and Klavdia: villages on the plain behind the coast.

Older village houses can need restoration. Planning rules for listed traditional buildings in villages such as Lefkara are stricter than for new houses.

Getting around: airport, motorways and buses#

There is no railway in Cyprus, and driving is on the left. Motorways link Larnaca with Nicosia to the north-west, Limassol to the west, and Ayia Napa and the free Famagusta area to the east. Larnaca is therefore the most central of the coastal towns for anyone who works in Nicosia or travels often.

Larnaca International Airport sits on the edge of the town, a short drive from the centre. Urban buses serve the town, the airport and the nearer villages, and intercity coaches connect Larnaca with Nicosia, Limassol and Ayia Napa. Timetables are published on the government transport portal. Rural villages depend on cars for most journeys.

Schools, healthcare and everyday services#

State schools teach in Greek under the national curriculum of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. Private schools in Larnaca teach in English and other languages and set their own fees and admissions rules; the ministry keeps the register of private schools. Many families in Larnaca also consider schools in Nicosia because of the motorway link.

Healthcare runs mainly through the General Healthcare System (GESY), which beneficiaries join by registering with a personal doctor. Larnaca General Hospital is the district's public hospital, and private clinics operate in the town.

For property matters, the Larnaca District Lands Office receives contracts of sale and registers transfers. The municipality or community council deals with planning permits, building permits, water and refuse charges. Before buying in Pyla or near Dhekelia, check with a lawyer which authority controls the land.

Property data for Larnaca#

The official figures for Larnaca prices and sales are published by the network's market data site, not on this page. The Central Bank of Cyprus publishes a Residential Property Price Index for each district, built from bank valuation data.¹ The Department of Lands and Surveys publishes the number of contracts of sale deposited at each District Lands Office every month.²

Both series, with charts and their caveats, are on Larnaca property prices. For how Larnaca compares with the two other main coastal districts, see Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca compared.

If you are buying from outside the European Union, the permission rules are set out in can foreigners buy property in Cyprus. The general steps are in how to buy property in Cyprus.