Attractions
Larnaca Salt lake
Protected Ramsar and Natura 2000 wetland southwest of Larnaka where thousands of flamingos stay from November to March.
About
Larnaka Salt Lake, known locally as Alyki, covers 2.2 square kilometres southwest of Larnaka town, east of the villages of Meneou and Dromolaxia, and is one of a group of four lakes. It was declared a protected area in 1997 and is a Ramsar and Natura 2000 site, one of the most important habitats in Europe for waterfowl. In winter the lake fills with water, and thousands of flamingos stay from November to March, feeding on brine shrimp, alongside wild ducks and other waterbirds. The area has been inhabited since the Late Bronze Age, when a natural harbour here served one of the large urban and commercial centres of Cyprus. In the Middle Ages salt from the lake was one of the island's primary exports; harvesting stopped in 1986. Visiting: a signposted 4 km linear nature trail with benches runs through the area, near the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque.