With a population of 140,000 (2010) Larnaca is a rugged, charming town, with a melancholic and seductive character.
The main promenade, lined with tall palm trees, is full of cafés and bars; the old Turkish quarter is a maze of quiet streets, small whitewashed houses and ceramics studios; the streets around the old market area have shops with the oldest crafts in Cyprus.
Small niches hide ancient men making gigantic church candles. Peep into the dark, shady antique shops, see the ironmongers and pitta-bread makers at work. Nearby, on the city centre’s main street, young Larnaca girls get their outfits from chain stores like Zara or Top Shop. So, as the cliché goes, the old and the new meet in Larnaca. But it might be fairer to say that the new is trickling into this sleepy town, and for the most part, it fits in around the old.