Larnarca

Sun, sand and palm trees are only part of the appeal of the historic port of Larnaca. Served by southern Cyprus's main airport, this ancient town is also the final resting place of St. Lazarus, who died here — reputedly for the second time — after fleeing the Holy Land in the first century. Christianity isn't the only religion with a claim to Larnaca. In Ottoman times, pilgrims flocked here to pay tribute to the nurse of the prophet Muhammad, whose tomb still stands on the edge of Larnaca's salt lake. Skip forward several centuries and the pilgrims have been replaced by sun-seekers, who come to explore Larnaca's historic relics and unwind ...

Sun, sand and palm trees are only part of the appeal of the historic port of Larnaca. Served by southern Cyprus's main airport, this ancient town is also the final resting place of St. Lazarus, who died here — reputedly for the second time — after fleeing the Holy Land in the first century. Christianity isn't the only religion with a claim to Larnaca. In Ottoman times, pilgrims flocked here to pay tribute to the nurse of the prophet Muhammad, whose tomb still stands on the edge of Larnaca's salt lake. Skip forward several centuries and the pilgrims have been replaced by sun-seekers, who come to explore Larnaca's historic relics and unwind along palm-backed Phinikoudes Beach. Topping the list of cultural sites is the Pierides Foundation Museum, a spectacular collection of treasures collected by generations of the Pierides family. More ancient sights are sprinkled along the coast, from prehistoric ruins to UNESCO-listed stone villages. Offshore is an unexpected modern attraction — the wreck of the Zenobia, which sank here in 1980 on her maiden voyage. Today, it's ranked as one of the top wreck dives in the Mediterranean.

About the Expert

Joe Bindloss has written more than 30 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Time Out and other publishers, with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and island nations.