Travel with your heart

A page where you can find my impressions about my vacations, travelling tips and a lot of pictures. Hope you enjoy it.

[alexandraratiu]

Beautiful summer evenings #throwback #summer2017 #silhouette #tree #people #outdoors #travel #traveling #visiting #instatravel #instago #palm #sunset #silhouetted #daylight #beach #shadow #evening #sky #tourism #sun #leisure #larnaca #larnacapture #larnaca_city #cyprus (at Larnaca, Cyprus)

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Wondering around Larnaca

If you are the type of tourist that wants to discover the place where he spends his vacations and not only to relax at the beach, this post is perfect for you. In this post we will wander around the beautiful city of Larnaca and we will discover some interesting places.

When you do a quick research on the Internet at the website   www.visitcyprus.com (some of the infos from this post are from their site) which is the official portal for Cyprus tourism, you can see that in Larnaca you have a lot of things to do and a lot of places to discover.

But first let’s start with some historical background information about Larnaca. Larnaca has a history of 10 000 years and is considered to be the oldest town in Cyprus. The town was built over the ancient city-kingdom of Kition and because of this we can find in this town a lot of historical monuments. Kition was the birthplace of Zeno, who was a Greek philosopher and is known as the founder of the Stoic school of thought. Kition was also the second home of Lazarus after he was resurrected by Jesus.

Agion Lazaros Church 

We start discovering Larnaca with let’s say one of the most popular and best known place, which is promoted in every brochure, the magnificent 9th century church of Agios Lazaros.

The church was built by the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI in the 9th century and was restored in the 17th century. In this church we can see one of the most remarkable examples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus.

The name of the church comes from Saint Lazarus who came to Cyprus after being resurrected by Jesus. The Saint was named Bishop of Kition and lived here for 30 years. His tomb in found here at this church under the sanctuary and can be visited.

Visiting the church is free, the church it’s open every day and entering in the church required decent outfit. Taking pictures inside the church is also allowed but without flash.

Near the church there are some shops from where you can buy some religious souvenirs and there is also a jewelry shop with some incredible classical but also modern interpretations of religious pieces with Swarovski elements in Gold or Silver.

Larnaca Fort District Medieval Museum 

Larnaca Fort, also known as Larnaca Castle, is located on the Finikoudes Promenade, along the beach. The Fort was originally built during the Middle Ages, but under the Ottoman rule was consolidated at the form that it is today.

When the Ottoman rule in Cyprus ended, the Fort was converted into a prison by the British. Today the Fort houses the District Medieval Museum with a collection that covers 15 centuries of history.

To visit the Fort you need to buy a ticket and most likely you can discover the beautiful hidden corners of this place without being disturbed by many other tourists. 

The view from the Fort walls is amazing, you can see the beach along the Promenade and of course you can take amazing pictures or just relax and imagine the all the moments from the past that this Fort was witness at.

The museum from the Fort can be visited using the same ticket, but don’t expect a big museum, rather a small one, but with very interesting pieces.

The interior courtyard is very beautiful with many vegetation and flowers as well as a lot of artifacts.

Larnaca Municipal Cultural Centre

Located near the Tourism Info Centre on the way to the beach we find the Municipal Cultural Centre. This Cultural Centre is composed from 5 old British colonial style warehouses that were part of the old Larnaca Customs houses and now are renovated.

Larnaca Municipal Cultural Centre houses the Municipal Gallery and the Municipal Historical Archives-Museum of Larnaca.

This place is the venue of some of the most important cultural events in Larnaca like Kataklysmos Fair. It is also perfect if you want to take a walk in the afternoon or to discover some parts of history.

The Pierides Foundation Archeological Museum

Not far away from the Cultural Centre is located the Pierides Museum. This is a private museum and is housed in a colonial style building which belongs to the Pierides family.

The price to visit this museum is 3 euro and you can find it open every day except on Mondays. 

This museum is the oldest private museum in Cyprus.The collection of the museum was assembled by the Pierides family and includes some amazing items from the island's civilization.

The museum is composed from several rooms with artifacts, it includes a museum shop from where you can buy something to remind you of this beautiful island.

There is also a courtyard with a lot of palm trees, perfect to stop for a moment and reflect at the amazing civilization that lived on this island.

The busts of Kimon and Zenon

These are not really a place to visit, but I’m sure you will see them eventually because they are located on the seaside on Finikoudes Promenade.

Kimon was an Athenian general who led to free Cyprus from Persian rule and Zenon of Kition was a philosopher.

Beside discovering all these amazing places and especially discovering the history of Larnaca, you can spend an afternoon walking around the streets of the city and discovering some great buildings, nice hidden places and cozy bars and pubs.

You can also take a walk in the harbor to see all the boats. You can go on a cruise without making an advanced booking, in the harbor there are a lot of people that offer a cruise in the clean waters of the Mediterranean sea.

Larnaca is a city that has a lot to offer and it’s perfect for everyone. 

This amazing city will definitely remain in my heart. 

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Amazing view of Finikoudes Promenade and beach from Larnaca Fort

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What to eat in Cyprus

Let’s start this post with a little history on the gastronomy of Cyprus. :)

Located in the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is found at the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa and because of this in the cypriot cuisine you can find a lot of influences from this parts of the world. The cypriot cuisine is related to the Greek and to the Turkish cuisines and it has been influenced along the times by the Byzantine, French, Italian, Catalan, Ottoman and Middle East cuisines.

Some of the traditional food that you can eat in Cyprus includes Halloumi, which is a cheese that is produced is Cyprus and can be served sliced as an appetiser fresh or grilled. There is also a variety of seafood and fish dishes like squid, octopus, red mullet and sea bass and a lot of salads that include fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese and of course olive oil. You can also find the traditional meat dishes like souvlaki (small pieces of pork and chicken meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on skewers), sheftalia (minced meat wrapped in mesentery) and lountza (pork meat marinated and smoked).

In the restaurants from Cyprus you can also find, beside traditional food, a variety of international specialties  that include English breakfast, snitzel, lasagna, pizza, pasta, Caesar Salad. 

Some of the best restaurants in Larnaca are located along the Finikoudes Promenade on Athens Avenue and offer beside the incredible dishes, an amazing view of the beach and the sea. These restaurants are the place to be in the summertime if you want a nice lunch in the afternoon, or a fast breakfast in the morning, or even spending a night out with friends and enjoying a nice drink.

My favourite restaurant in Larnaca is Alexander Restaurant, located on the Athens Avenue, near Larnaca Castle. 

This restaurant has very good services, all the staff is very friendly and always willing to offer support and to respond to all the questions. One thing that I liked about the service is that you don’t have to wait at the table for the staff to take your order, they are very prompt and also after you order, the dishes are brought to the table in a very short period of time. Another thing that I like about this restaurant is that when the waitress brings your order to the table, she also brings the bill so you don’t have to wait for the bill after you finished your meal.

This is a family restaurant and it was really nice to see the owner and his wife working beside the staff and making sure all the customers are pleased and have a nice time.

Below you can find pictures with the dishes that we ordered at this restaurant and I can assure you that all of them were delicious.

If you want to discover more things about this restaurant here is a link to the web page of the “Alexander Restaurant”: 

http://alexanderlarnaca.webs.com/

Another incredible restaurant from Larnaca that I want to recommend you is “Gevsis en Lefko”. This restaurant is located on the promenade, right after you pass by Larnaca Castle on your way to Kastella Beach and Makenzy Beach.From the outside, the restaurant is very beautiful and it looks like in a postcard from the Mediterranean islands, all in blue and white. The inside of the restaurant is decorated with old movie posters that bring some of the “Zorba the Greek” atmosphere. 

According to myguidecyprus.com, this restaurant is a seaside retreat and is best for families with children during the day, couple and friends on a night out and also has a view to die for.

In the weekend, on Friday night and Saturday night the restaurant offers great entertainment with live Greek music.

The atmosphere is very nice, the services are great and the food is amazing. The thing that I like the most about this restaurant is the view of the beach and the sea from the terrace. I totally recommend this restaurant if you want to spend some time enjoying the “dolce far niente” of Cyprus. 

Here is a link to the web page of “Gevsis en Lefko”:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/HondrosTaverna/about/?ref=page_internal

In Larnaca you can find a variety of restaurants for all your needs. If you are looking for a restaurant that can offer you a glimpse of the local experience, I can recommend you “Stasis Grill House”. 

This is a small restaurant located close to the center of Larnaca. This is the best restaurant if you want to eat like a local, because at this restaurant you can find besides tourists a lot of locals, including some people from Larnaca Police. The price of the food is cheaper than in the restaurants from the promenade and the restaurant has a vintage atmosphere. 

Here is a link to the web page of “Stasis Grill House”:

http://stasisgrillhouse.weebly.com/ 

The last restaurant that I will write about in this post is not from Larnaca, but from Paphos and it’s the “Hondros Taverna”. Opened in 1951, “Hondros Taverna” is  the oldest traditional taverna in Paphos. The taverna it’s located very close to the archeological site of Kato Paphos. 

Here, on a very big terrace, at the shadow of a hundred years olive tree you can relax and enjoy an incredible lunch after visiting the most amazing mosaics and archeological remainings from the site. The services are very good, the waiters offer you traditional homemade dishes. The food is amazing, and the prices are more than ok, I totally recommend it.

Here is a link to the web page of “Hondros Taverna”:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/HondrosTaverna/about/?ref=page_internal 

I have to mention in this post, the most amazing bakery chain that we found in Larnaca, “Zorbas Bakeries”. With a tradition of more than 40 years, these bakeries are located in 5 cities from Cyprus: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta. 

These bakeries are several in Larnaca and are opened 24/7 and here you can find a large variety of products like types of bread made with purest ingredients and that have been known for their quality and traditional flavour. You can also find patisserie products, cakes, donuts, cookies fresh from the oven, a large variety of sweets with unique quality and unbeatable taste. Besides all these bakery products you can also find the essential products for breakfast like milk, yogurts, orange juice, cheese cream, ham.

Here is a link to the web page of “ Zorbas Bakeries”:

 https://www.zorbas.com.cy/en/

That’s all the info that I can think you would need to know about the cypriot food and the restaurants from Cyprus. The rest you have to discover yourself.

[alexandraratiu]

Happy Independence Day Cyprus 🎉💛 #happyindependenceday #celebration #celebratingcyprus #independenceday #instago #instatravel #picoftheday #travel #traveling #vacation #vacationblog #summer #island #islandlife #mediterraneansea #cyprus #larnaca #paphos #visitcyprus #yourcyprus #pieridesmuseum #pierides #katopafos #paphosarchaeologicalpark #architecture #archeology #larnaca_city (at Cyprus)

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#worldtourismday #diamundialdeturismo #architecture #city #outdoors #sky #travel #traveling #visiting #instatravel #instago #tourism #cityscape #tower #church #town #column #water #old #monument #cloud #landscape #sea #tree #sight #cyprus #larnaca #larnaca_city #pafos #paphos #paphos2017 #valencia #velesevents #marinarealvalencia #spain

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#quoteoftheday #travelwithyourheart #blog #blogger #vacationblog #summer #cyprus #instaquotes #instatravel #instago #poster #positivequotes #positivevibes #relax #zen

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#tropical #palm #nature #beach #exotic #island #summer #sand #palmtrees #tree #vacation #paradise #outdoors #travel #traveling #visiting #instatravel #instago #sky #seashore #relaxation #idyllic #sun #finikoudes #larnaca #cyprus (at Finikoudes Beach)

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Take me to the beach

After all the visiting and discovering amazing places, it’s time to discover which are the prettiest beaches in Larnaca.

All the beaches in Larnaca are public and are administrated by the Larnaca Municipality. You can go and put your towel on the sand anywhere you like and you can also bring your own umbrella or sunbed. Of course there are also sunbeds and umbrellas for rent and the price it not at all expensive, you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for 2.5 euros each.

But let’s start with top 3 best beaches of Larnaca.

Finikoudes Beach

Finikoudes beach is the most famous beach in the South Cyprus with a tropical environment because of the palm trees that are aligned parallel to the beach. The name, “Finikoudes”, in greek means “small palm trees” and comes from 1920s when the small palm trees were planted and even now that the palm trees are grown the name still remained.

This is the main beach in Larnaca and the place to be in the summer time. It is the preferred beach for the tourists and it is also very popular among the locals so here you can feel the best cypriots vibes.

The beach is half a kilometer long and is very close to the pier and also to the marina, where you can find a lot of offers for boat trips, fishing trips and also for exploring the Zenobia shipwreck.

This beach is a blue flag beach, which means that it’s certificated by the Foundation for Environmental Education that meets his standard for water quality, safety, environmental education and information. Also the beach is very clean and is administrated by Larnaca Municipality, which offers lifeguard services in the summer and also excellent services and facilities. The water is clean and usually very calm and it’s perfect for families with children.

The beach is very close to the town center and you can easily go to the beach in the morning, then go to a restaurant or to a coffee shop and you can end your day with a visit at the main tourists attractions of Larnaca or with a shopping afternoon in one of the many boutiques from the town center.

Along the beach, separated by a road, you can find a lot of restaurants where you can discover the traditional cypriot food (I personally recommend Alexander Restaurant, but I will write a post about what to eat in Cyprus soon) but you can also find some well known restaurants like McDonald’s or KFC. 

Finikoudes Beach is also the venue for the largest and most important folklore festival in Cyprus the Kataklysmos Fair (Flood Festival), which is celebrated every June for two weeks. The festival is a celebration based on water and tradition and celebrates Noah and his salvation from the Flood. During this festival you can find a traditional bazaar along the length of the promenade, a lot of stands with traditional food and drinks, traditional cypriot demonstrations, and cultural performances in one of the many stages in the town. 

Kastella Beach 

Kastella Beach is a small beach near Psarolimano Fishing Center. This beach is a blue flag beach with clean waters and fine grey sand. 

The beach is named after the Larnaca Castle which is only 1 kilometer away. Kastella Beach is very good for families with children and also has a large parking place. 

This beach has very good facilities and also you can find a beach bar with drinks and snaks. 

Makenzie Beach 

Makenzie Beach is near the Larnaca International Airport. 

It’s a blue flag beach with a very calm sea, perfect to take a walk parallel to the beach by the sea. 

This beach is famous for the people that go there to watch the planes as they land in the airport, the view is amazing and is the perfect place to take pictures. Makenzie Beach has watersport facilities like jet skies and boats for rent and scuba diving around Zenobia shipwreck. 

The beach has all its establishments on the beach, unlike Finikoudes where they are separated by a road. The restaurants are lining parallel to the beach and the view of the sea is wonderful. Here you can find large hotels, shops, bars and especially seafood restaurants.

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Kamares Aqueduct, Larnaca, Cyprus

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Ready for the #weekend? 

Spend it on the amazing Finikoudes Beach in Larnaca, Cyprus.

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Discovering Larnaca's surroundings

If you want to get to know the most important sights of Larnaca, you can choose the touristic bus or Love Buses, like it’s called in Cyprus and you won’t regret it. This “hop-on”/“hop-off” bus offers a trip to the sights of Larnaca in a short period of time, about 3 hours. I think it’s a great choice because if you want to go by yourself to these sights and you don’t want to rent a car (please note that in Cyprus they drive on the left part of the road because Cyprus was under British administration), you have to take public transportation (for which the hours of arrival and departure are not really the ones from the timetable, they are very flexible), or you will have to walk some kilometers to a specific sight.

You can find the bus very easy, on the Athens Avenue, next to Finikoudes Beach, you can find the yellow-red bus, and the tour starts opposite the Town Hall (KFC). You don’t need to pre-book, you pay directly to the driver and the price is 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for children. Each seat on the bus has a pair of headphones and you can choose the language from several languages (Greek, Italian, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish).

Below you can find the sights from the tour. 

The first 3 sights can be admired from the bus only and don’t include a stop, but don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you can’t miss them when you visit Larnaca by foot (there will be a next post about this). 

PALM PROMENADE 

The promenade of Athens Avenue is one of the most beautiful seafront areas of Cyprus, full with palm trees which were planted in 1920’s. Back in those days, the locals used to name this avenue, Finikoudes, which means “small palm trees”. The name remained until now and even if the palm trees are now big, this promenade is still known as Finikoudes. 

On this avenue you can find some of the best hotels, cafes, pubs and restaurants in town, all of them with an incredible view of the sandy beach and the sea. 

 LARNACA CASTLE 

At the end of Athens Avenue you can’t miss the Larnaca Castle. The castle was founded during the Byzantine era to defend the southern coast of Cyprus and the harbor town of Larnaca. 

Later, the castle was used as an artillery station, prison and as a museum. After the Cypriot independence, the castle was turned, into a museum and the castle courtyard was turned into an open-air theater that can accommodate 200 people. 

CHURCH OF AGIOS LAZAROS, LARNACA 

Built in the 9th century, the Church of Agios Lazarus hosts the tomb of Lazarus, the man that was raised from dead by Jesus. The church was reconstructed in the 17th century and is the most impressive sight in Larnaca. 

According to Orthodox tradition, after was raised from dead, Lazarus went in Cyprus and was appointed as the first Bishop of Larnaca (Kition). He lived 30 more years in Cyprus and after his dead he was buried in this church.

ANGELOKTISI

For this sight you leave Larnaca and you go in the Kiti village, about 11 kilometers from Larnaca to discover the Church with the most unusual and finest mosaics in the world. For this sight there is a 20 minutes stop to see the Church that was built in the 11th Century. 

The most famous mosaics inside the Church are the ones of Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus on a jeweled pedestal. Aggeloktisti in Greek means “built by the Angels” and according to the legend, the Church was not built by human hand, but God guided the Angels to built it.

Next stop is a combined one, first the bus takes you along the Larnaca Salt Lake and stops at his end to see the lake and after that you go by foot to see the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, this stop is about 30 minutes.

LARNACA SALT LAKE 

Larnaca Salt Lake is a natural habitat of sea life traced to million years BC. As excavations showed, the lake is perhaps one of the first natural ports of Cyprus. Now it is well known for the migration of birds (flamingos, ducks, swans) in the winter that attracts many tourists. 

HALA SULTAN TEKKE MOSQUE 

This impressive mosque is located 3 kilometers from Larnaca and lies in a serene setting, on the shores of Larnaca Salt Lake. This mosque is considered to be the forth most important religious site for Muslims from all over the world and the first most important that allows non-Muslim women to visit it. 

Hala Sultan Tekke complex is composed of a mosque, mausoleum, minaret, cemetery and living quarters for men and women. According to the legend, after the Arab armies landed in Larnaca, the aunt of Mohamed, Umm Haram died here as a result of an accident, and the Great Khalif who was taking part of the expedition ordered the construction of a mosque at the spot and this is how this amazing mosque appeared. 

The next 2 sights will be seen from the bus, because the street is very small without any parking places.

PANAGIA FANEROMENI 

The small Church is located on the busy Faneromeni Avenue and dates from the 20th century. It is devoted to the Virgin Mary and replaces a Medieval church on the same spot. Today, a larger, modern church sits beside the older one and was constructed to serve the expanding community. 

The small church is credited with various magical properties; those who suffer from headaches or other diseases walk three times around the church and leave a piece of clothing in the belief that they will be healed. The church is also visited by women whose partners are overseas, with the belief that prayers given for their safety will ensure it.  

AGIOS GEORGIOS MAKRIS CHAPEL 

This chapel of the late Byzantine architecture dates from the 12th century. It is located on a hill along the Faneromeni Avenue and it was the church of the medieval village Agrinou. The village and the church were destroyed by Egyptians in 15th Century, but was soon repaired. 

The last stop of the tour is at the Kamares aqueduct. 

KAMARES AQUEDUCT 

The old aqueduct of Larnaca is located at the exit from Larnaca towards the Limassol highway. The aqueduct was built on the 18th Century and it’s 16 kilometers long. Kamares, the old Aqueduct of Larnaca channeled the water of river Tremithos to Larnaca until 1950. The aqueduct existed since Roman times and was reconstructed in 1745 by Ottoman Bekir Pashia.

These are all the amazing sights that you can see in the bus tour. I totally recommend taking this tour. This is all for this post. I hope you liked it. 

[alexandraratiu]

The first stop in Larnaca should be at the Tourist Information Centre. There you can find maps for the important cities, bus schedules, as well as organized tours to see the most amazing places from Cyprus. It’s totally worth to visit the Info Center.

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Just another afternoon in Larnaca, Cyprus

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Planning a vacation in beautiful Larnaca, Cyprus

When I was first considering going in vacation in Cyprus, I have to admit that beside my enthusiasm on going in a new country and discovering new people and culture, I was a little concerned about the political situation from the country.

Not many of you know that this island is divided in 2 main parts: 59% of the island, mainly the south and the west is under the control of the Republic of Cyprus and 39% of the island, the north part, is administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Another almost 4% of the island is covered by the United Nations buffer zone. The northern part of the island is considered by the international communities as a territory of the Republic of Cyprus which is illegal occupied by Turkish forces (thanks Wikipedia for this accurate information).

But enough will all those political information, lets start packing!✈🌍

We decided to go to Cyprus at the beginning of June, which from my point of view was a great choice, because the temperature was not so high (about 30 degrees in the air and 24-25 in the water) and the wind was also nice. In the middle of the summer the temperatures rise about 35-38 degrees and without the wind the real-feel is very high. Also in June is the beginning of the vacation period and the beach, the hotels and all the island is not so crowded with tourists from all over the world.

Regarding our accommodation, we’ve chosen an apartment in Larnaca, very close to the beach. We rented it on Airbnb and it you want to check if, click here. The apartment was very clean and equipped with all the things needed. The host was also very kind, he offered to pick up us from the airport and take us to the apartment for 10 euros extra. 

We arrived in Larnaca by plane, from Romania on a BlueAir flight, which was mostly ok, except the landing part. I have to give you a hint: the landing in Larnaca is quite bumpy, because Cyprus is an island and the airport is placed very close to the sea, because of the wind that blows so hard. But even with that bumpy landing it’s worth visiting this amazing island.

That’s all for this post. Hope you’ll enjoy it. In my next posts I’ll come back with what to do and what to visit in Cyprus.

[alexandraratiu]

Just a heads up about my next post 😊 My last vacation was in the amazing island of Cyprus and I can't wait to tell you about it