Larnaca from a different view

At exactly 10am on a warm Saturday morning, I boarded the Doremi, part of the Larnaca Napa Sea Cruises fleet. The sky was cloudless, the sea crystalline, and the wind blowing lightly as the waves lapped the distant shoreline. Below the glass bottom of the boat, the deep blue shimmered like oil paint; above us, planes passed low and loud every 20 minutes as they descended toward Larnaca airport.

The two-hour cruise, around €20 and including sunbeds, wi-fi, and swim stops, offered a surprisingly immersive view of the region’s natural and historic beauty. We passed the medieval castle near the marina, then anchored at the site of the Zenobia shipwreck – a favourite among divers – before making our way to Mackenzie beach for a long, leisurely swim. Unlike the often-crowded stretches of Paphos or Ayia Napa, the waters off Larnaca bay were serene and less trafficked, yet no less vivid in colour or charm.

The day cruise is one of the hundreds of offerings now featured on the Larnaca tourism board’s new digital experiential platform, launched earlier this summer. The aim? To shift the focus of tourism from package holidays and passive sightseeing to something more interactive, local and personal.

“The number of cruise visitors has increased in recent years, in line with the growth of tourism in Cyprus,” said director of Larnaca Napa Sea Cruises Andreas Panayiotou. “A key reason is the diversification of our clientele as we now attract guests from many different countries.”

Panayiotou attributes the popularity of his cruises to attention to detail and service: guides on board, clean and comfortable facilities, and a crew that remembers your name. “We also promote local products and take the time to explain the history and meaning behind each landmark, offering a more engaging and authentic experience rather than just pointing things out,” he explained.

The Larnaca tourism board sees this shift, too. “Tourist behaviours have been – and are – changing rapidly, especially post-Covid, and in line with digital advances,” board manager Nana Asmeni told Cyprus Mail. People wanted authenticity, but they also wanted convenience. That insight led to the development of the board’s online booking platform, which allows users to browse and book local experiences – everything from food tastings and kite-surfing to religious site visits – with a few clicks.

The cruise I joined is one such experience, and it delivered precisely what Asmeni described: a curated and convenient brush with the coastline, grounded in Larnaca’s geography and historical sites.

Beyond the boat, I spent the afternoon strolling through the city’s municipal market, sampling local cheeses, soaps and herbs. A visit to the church of Saint Lazarus reminded me that Larnaca, though modernising rapidly, retains monuments steeped in centuries of history.

That balance between new and old is what defines this “new generation” of tourism, according to Asmeni. Projects like Virtual Larnaka use digital tools to reintroduce archaeological sites, museums and monuments to travellers planning their visits in advance.

“As a tourism board, we realised that we needed to create interest in the Larnaca region’s authentic character by giving our ancient history a modern twist so that it would appeal to the new generation of tourism,” Asmeni explained.

Sustainability is also playing a growing role in how tourism is being structured, which is “phasing out the need for printed materials,” according to Asmeni. She added that many of the businesses featured on the platform are small, often family-run, and deeply embedded in their communities.

Back on land following the cruise, I felt as though Larnaca invited visitors to slow down, to engage, and to experience something a little more personal.

Asmeni put it best as she explained why Larnaca has the highest rate of repeat visitors on the island: “Aside from our own projects, other factors that attract tourists are the airport’s proximity to the city; the region’s central location on the island that makes it easy to explore; the compact area of the city that offers leisure and culture all in one walkable vicinity, and the fact that Larnaca region has retained its unique, authentic character, which is especially evident in the traditional charm of the rural and mountainous communities.”

This cruise was booked through the Larnaca tourism board’s new experiential platform. Experiences in Larnaca can be found at larnakaregion.triggle.app/