Originally Posted by
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Thanks for this. Paying a very short visit in August, just one night in Larnaca...arrive midday and leave next evening. Can either of you (toscanafoto or STBCypriot) recommend a hotel in the city? There are dozens of small ones but hard to know which is best even with the reviews. Want something walkable to the church and castle/fort and restaurants...and an inexpensive cab ride from/to the airport. Suppose air conditioning would be useful in the height of summer. Or would Nicosia be a better place to stay and sight-see in? Thanks.
August in Cyprus is
HOT! And you definitely want AC. Nicosia will be hotter than Larnaca. I think for your short stay Larnaca would be best and you can go for a swim in the sea, which you cannot do in Nicosia. I can recommend the Flamingo Beach Hotel, the Sun Hall Hotel, and Les Palmiers Hotel in Larnaca, all on the Finikoudes. Better book ASAP as August is high season. All of these are within walking distance of the fort, tons of restaurants, shopping, the old part of Larnaca, and St Lazarus church. There is also the Pierides Museum. Not sure how much a taxi is from the airport, but I cannot imagine it to be more than 20 euros.
While Kyrenia is lovely, I think it would be too much trouble for your short visit. It's a good 2 hour drive from Larnaca (longer if you are taking a bus). It is possible, based on the time you arrive and depart, to see the Fort and St. Lazarus Church in Larnaca in the afternoon on the day you arrive, then enjoy a stroll in the old part of the city in the evening and then take a bus tour to Famagusta the next day (about a 1 hr drive from Larnaca) - there you can see the Venetian walls, a lot of old churches, and experience the Turkish part of Cyprus. Just remember that it will be HOT and you will want to seek shade as much as possible wherever you go.