Built over the remains of the ancient city of Kition and boasting a rich and varied history with the remnants to explore, modern Larnaca is Cyprus's third largest town, with a population of approximately 70,000 and a resort area stretching for 8 miles along the coast. It was a quiet, declining port until the partitioning of Cyprus in 1974, after which both port traffic and tourist development blossomed, the latter aided by the construction of the island's international airport just outside town which borders the salt lake and its flamingos.
The town's focal point is its attractive, centrally located 1-mile-long seafront promenade, lined with hotels, restaurants, shops, bars and open-air cafes; it's also famed for its palm trees, some of which are 50 ft or more in height. At one end of the promenade is the 17th century fort and Medieval museum and at the other a well-equipped 400 berth yachting marina, beyond that, the town port, which is used mainly by commercial shipping.
About 200 yds inland is the town's main shopping centre, concentrated in 2 parallel streets. There are also 2 resort areas outside the main town: Mackenzie Beach and a large concentration on Dhekelia Rd (also known as Ayia Napa Rd). Mackenzie Beach is a small resort, 2 mls SW of the centre, with a good sandy beach considerably improved by wave barriers. The nearby fishing harbour ensures that fresh fish finds its way onto the lunchtime menus of the local restaurants.
The big disadvantage of the area is that it borders the airport runway. The biggest resort area is on the Dhekelia Rd, situated 5 mls NE of the town centre and sprawling for over 3 mls along the coast. There are plentiful amenities on the beaches which are sand or shingle but they can get very crowded – especially at weekends when locals descend