Larnaca has so much to offer

By Bill McCarthy

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Resorts like Paphos and the playgrounds of Ayia Napa and Protaras make Cyprus lastingly popular for British tourists. But lesser known, but no less attractive is Larnaca, an ancient capital of the island.

It offers so much, with a rich culture stretching back 10,000 years, superb beaches bathed in sunshine and inland, the brooding vista of the Troodos mountains with their picturesque villages.

Cyprus attracts millions of tourists and is a real gem of a holiday destination in the Mediterranean.

The hospitality of the people is also legendary.

That Cypriot hospitality became a reality for us with a special Easter invitation.

Celebrating Orthodox Easter in Cyprus is quite something as Easter is perhaps a more important celebration than even Christmas. A celebration of religion, food and amazing hospitality.

Our arrival on the island was in between Easter in the UK and the Orthodox celebrations which took place a week later. That’s when we received that surprise invitation.

Having used a restaurant/bar on a few occasions, out of the blue the owner Yanis invited to join his family for an Easter Sunday barbecue.

A lamb roasting on a spit and a proper celebration of Greek food and drink followed. Not only did he pick us up, he dropped us back as well. How’s that for hospitality?

That was a highlight during a stay of just over a week in Cyprus.

We stayed just five miles outside the town, at two fine hotels which share a private beach.

Both are only a 20-minute drive from the airport to the five-star Golden Bay Hotel and the Lordos Beach Hotel, a slightly smaller four-star luxury hotel, offering similar facilities, but on a slightly smaller basis.

Both offer excellent facilities, luxurious surroundings and fine dining. The rooms are comfortable and well-appointed with state of the art bathrooms and tea and coffee making facilities. We stayed at Golden Bay for three nights before moving just 50 yards down the road to the Lordos Beach Hotel for a further five nights.

Facilities at both hotels include a gym, indoor pool, spa area and jacuzzis, while wi-fi is free throughout. 

Rooms vary from the cheapest, but still well-appointed Comfort, through to the spacious suites with large private balconies with a jacuzzi.

At the top end, Golden Bay offers the Presidential Suite, with two bedrooms, sea views, open-air hot tub and a separate relaxation/entertainment area.

Both hotels are fully air-conditioned with 24-hour reception and check-out service, a TV/reading room, and conference facilities, while the Golden Bay even has its own chapel.

There is also a kids’ club and playground on the Lordos site.

Both boast multiple pools and any number of free sunbeds around the pool and on the beach which is just yards from the hotel. There are also beach bars.

There are various water sports available, including jet ski, glass-bottom boat and, if you have the nerve, the inflatable flying sofa. Taking a dip is not trial in the warm waters of the Med, even in late April.

We stayed on a B&B basis with an excellent breakfast choice of food to suit all nationalities. Snacks can be bought at the hotel throughout the day with fine dining available in the evening.  Staff are polite and helpful both hotels offer a touch of elegance.

Eating there are many fine restaurants in Larnaca itself, just a 15-minute drive away, while there are shops, bars and restaurants opposite the hotel.

If you just fancy the local cuisine or just a drink, just across the road is Isabellas, where the owner Yanis offers a warm Cypriot welcome. There’s also a chance he will invite you back to his home for a barbie, as he did with us.

The town of Larnaca has a swish beachfront and plush marina. The recently redeveloped seafront promenade development features dozens of bars, restaurants and blue flag beaches. Just about a mile up the coast is the chic McKenzie Beach, with its rows of bars and nightspots and spectacular sandy beaches.

We had previously visited in March and while it was mostly sunny, there was often a chill in the air. No such thing in late April, maybe in the very early hours, but the temperature hit 30degC on one occasion.

The location means it might be wise to hire a car, although local bus services are frequent and cheap.

Cyprus is a big island and there are many car hire options. We went with the  Anemayia car and bike rental firm in Larnaca which offers friendly service and a choice of vehicles at very competitive prices. They will pick you up and drop you to the airport and offer free delivery to all locations in Larnaca City.

One excursion was to the picturesque villages of Lefkara, which specialises in lacemaking. The local women can be seen sitting in the streets demonstrating their art.

Other options are visiting the spectacular Troodos mountains, or a visit to Nicosia, now the only divided city in Europe after the island split into two parts following the Turkish takeover of the north in 1974.

Also worth visiting is the medieval fort, built by the Ottomans and used as a prison by the British and the spectacular ninth century St Lazarus Church, right in the heart of the town, which houses the tomb of the saint.

The opening message on the Larnaka tourism website says: They ALWAYS come back. You can see why.

• Bill stayed at the popular Golden Bay Beach Hotel (https://goldenbay.com.cy) & The Lordos Beach Hotel (https://lordosbeach.com.cy) on the outskirts of charming Larnaca 
• Prices start for the Golden BayHotel start at £133 B&B for a Comfort double or twin room in mid-July
• Prices start for the Lordos Beach Hotel at Prices start at £129 B&B for a double or twin room with side sea view in mid-July
• To rent a car, try Anemayia (https://anemayiacarsbikes.com). Prices start at around £20 per day. 
• For more information, visit www.larnakaregion.com 

AS we slowly come out of the pandemic, millions of Britons will be thinking of taking their first holiday abroad in possibly three years. There are many favourites, but the Canary Islands offers a number of fascinating alternatives. Not least the island of Lanzarote. Here we highlight 10 charming places that don’t appear in the guidebooks to Lanzarote 

Observe life. Dwell on the details. Choose alternative routes. Sound good to you? Today we present a route that you won’t find in the tourist reviews of Lanzarote and that you simply must try.

If your wanderlust leads you to hanker for a local experience, you’ve come to the right place.

Simón Bolivar Park

Strolling under the flamboyant flame trees that guard Simon Bolivar Park is one of the sweetest pleasures of the interior of Arrecife. The red flowers and the refreshing shade of these trees create a canopy for the walker.

The sculpture that pays homage to Liberator of America was inaugurated in 1982 and placed in the heart of this park in the neighbourhood of La Vega. Bolivar had Canarian ancestors, connected to Garachico and the island of Lanzarote.

A school, a high school, a bookshop, a gym and a good number of bars and bakeries with their Iberian mini-rolls, sandwiches and sweet potato doughnuts make this a place packed with domestic life – the perfect place to stop to rest and watch local life go by.

The erratic blocks of Tao 

Known as Las Peñas de Tao, this is one of the places of greatest geological interest in the Lanzarote Geopark.

It is difficult to imagine, but the reality is that these large blocks of rock that stand out among the badlands like small mountains (some reach 30 metres in height) are fragments from the destruction of one side of the La Corona volcano.

These huge rocks were blown several kilometres in that eruption 25,000 years ago. Looking at them is like looking at a fossil, a testimony of the island’s essence.

The Tinajo sundial 

Long before smartwatches and pocket watches, tower clocks and sundials were in use on Lanzarote and in the rest of the world.

At the top of the Church of San Roque, in Tinajo, is the second oldest sundial in the Canary Islands. Small, white and made of Canary Island pine wood, it was made by a sailor from La Vegueta in the 19th century and has a commanding inscription engraved on the back: “Sr. Cura: consérvese” (Father Priest: keep well). 

Take a stroll around the Plaza de San Roque and start walking along the Avenida de Los Volcanes. A two-kilometre walk past shops selling local products (fruit, cheese, craft beer, fish) awaits us. We picked up a sandwich of pata (roast pork) and goat cheese that we enjoyed placidly in front of the Mirador de Guiguan, contemplating the terraces etched on the land by the farmers of Tinajo.

The golden light of Montaña Tesa 

At least once in your life you just have to enjoy a sunset in a valley of La Geria.

Today, why not follow secondary roads to reach Masdache via Güime and Montaña Blanca?

At the crossroads, turn left, leaving Bodegas Vega de Yuco behind you, until you come to an old farmhouse that still has its foundations and the channels that carry the water from its rainwater cistern.

Olive trees, peach trees, fig trees, vines, hollyhocks, gorse, prickly pears, fennel, lichen… The path is dotted with life. If you stop a moment to silence your footsteps crunching on the volcanic lapilli, you will hear the trill of the multitude of birds that inhabit this natural space.

Paseo costero: de Puerto Naos a Las Caletas

Leave Marina Lanzarote and pass the Fishing School, one of the best nautical centres in Europe. In operation since 1942, the functional concrete building was designed by the architects Laorga and Zanón.

Next door is the Nao brewery, with its award-winning craft brews, and several bars in front of the Monument to the Martyrs of the Sea and the beautiful sloop María del Rosario, a coastal vessel from the early 20th century.

The bar of the fishermen’s guild of San Ginés marks the beginning of a number of small bars where you can enjoy platters of freshly caught fish. A mural designed by local artist Santiago Alemán and painted on a wall of an old factory pays homage to the essential role played by women in the history of this city.

On this walk full of saltpetre and history you will see the Naos salt mines, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo-Castillo de San José, the native plants of Punta Chica, a house full of jolateros (small rowing boats made from recycled drums). If you follow the Paseo de los Mármoles and the Avenida de las Caletas, you will come to the ship Telamón, a Greek lumber tanker that has been semi-sunken in these waters since 1981.

In search of traditional architecture

Casa Ajei de San Bartolomé is a beautiful example of 18th century rural architecture, with Mediterranean and American influences. It stands out for its grand stone staircase that connects with the sobrado (upper floor) and its balcony made of Canary Island pine wood.

On the outskirts of the village, the Mayor Guerra mansion was built in 1770 on a hill overlooking the harbour of Arrecife. The coat of arms at the entrance is made of white marble. We were captivated by the main door, decorated with quatrefoils, and the large round balcony framed by a carved stone arch.

In front of the hermitage of San Juan, in Haría, you can see a restored house with beautiful circular sgraffito vesica piscis (Latin for bladder of a fish) or mandorlas, sacred symbols since at least the time of Pythagoras.

The conclusion of these walks? That it takes a lifetime to discover the treasures that Lanzarote holds around every corner.

Sometimes it’s good to wander around aimlessly, ask the locals and let yourself be surprised.

For more information visit https://turismolanzarote.com/en/

Destination back on tourist map as travel restrictions eased

Following Egyptair re-starting its direct flight from Heathrow to Luxor in November last year, a wealth of new attractions opening and the 100^th anniversary of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb Egypt is back on the tourist map for 2022.

Philip Breckner from Discover Egypt said they have seen a surge in enquiries and bookings so far this year. He said, “Pent up demand for holidays since the pandemic and the fact Egypt represents excellent value is inspiring people to tick this destination off their bucket list in 2022. Above all there are no Covid related entry requirements other than being double vaccinated. 

“There is so much going in Egypt with new openings and anniversary celebrations, along with the chance to visit some of the world’s most fascinating antiquities that make Egypt hard to beat as a holiday destination.”

LATE DEAL: 07 February 2022 on board a luxurious Dahabiya

Internationally recognised for its wealth of historic attractions and outstanding leisure facilities, Egypt is a world-class tourist destination, attracting everyone from culture-seekers to sunworshippers to party lovers too. Enjoy a seven nights 5-star luxury Nile cruise, including scheduled flights from Heathrow, transfers, accommodation on full board and 10 guided excursions with an Egyptologist on board a Dahabiya, a traditional Egyptian sailing boat with specialist Discover Egypt. The newly introduced and well-appointed Jaz Yakouta features six spacious cabins and is ideal for a celebration such as a special birthday or wedding anniversary with friends and family. Prices for a 7-night cruise start from £1,988 per person, saving 15 per cent on the listed price of £2,347 per person. This special offer is available for the 07 February 2022 departure. Discover Egypt offers pre or post cruise stays in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, El Gouna and Soma Bay for those that want to explore Egypt further. For more information and to book contact Discover Egypt on 020 7407 2111 or http://www.discoveregypt.co.uk

Mr Breckner outlines why Egypt should be on people’s travel list this year:

New openings – the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum – a state-of-the-art complex based outside of Cairo is due in November 2022.  The museum will be the largest archaeological museum in the world with more than 100,000 artefacts, including King Tut’s entire treasure collection displayed for the first time.

In Luxor holidaymakers will also get the chance to visit the Grand Avenue of the Sphinxes, a 3,000-year-old ancient road which is lined with around 700 sphinxes that have been excavated and connect Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple. This opened at the end of 2021 and the 1.7-mile road is now one of the world’s largest ancient sites.

The National Museum of Egyptian Culture, the NMEC, also opened on 03 April 2021. A joint venture between Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities with UNESCO.  The main feature is the Royal Mummies, which were recently transferred from the Egyptian Museum

Hundredth anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb – Howard Carter led the team of archaeologists that found Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Holidaymakers can visit the house where Howard Carter lived which also features a replica of King Tut’s tomb. Discover Egypt can offer this as a stand-alone half day excursion for those staying in Luxor, including a visit to the Valley of the Kings and Queens in the West Bank of Luxor with an Egyptologist, for £77 per person.

Classic Nile cruises and city stays – Discover Egypt offer a wide selection of Nile cruises for 2022 that include visiting many of Egypt’s famous attractions, which can also be combined with city stays in Cairo and Luxor for the chance to visit some of these new attractions. 

The lead in price for a 7-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan is from £1,245 per person on the five-star MS Tulip, which includes flights, full board cruise and 10 guided excursions. A 14-night holiday including a 7-night cruise and 7-nights in Luxor starts from £1,525 per person. All flights are direct from Heathrow. 

The Ultimate long cruise is back too for 2022 which cruises the length of Egypt and is the ideal way to see the best of Egypt’s sites along the Nile from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan. Prices for an 11-night cruise start from £3,185 per person.

Celebrate on the Nile in style

New for 2022 is the chance to book a Nile cruise on a traditional Egyptian sailing boat called a Dahabiya. The well-appointed Jaz Yakouta features six spacious cabins and is ideal for a celebration such as a special birthday or wedding anniversary with friends and family. Prices for a 7-night cruise start from £2,437 per person. 

Discover Egypt offers pre or post cruise stays in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, El Gouna and Soma Bay for those that want to explore further, including visiting several of the world’s top diving sites. 

For more information and to book contact Discover Egypt on 020 7407 2111 or www.discoveregypt.co.uk