Kiti

The church of Panagia Angeloktisti in the centre of Kiti village, signposted from the main road. The sixth-century apse mosaic of the Virgin with archangels Michael and Gabriel is in the original apse, now behind the modern nave. Free, donations welcome, roughly 8am to noon and 2pm to 4pm; shoulders covered.

Three kilometres south of the village at the tip of the cape, past the Pervolia apartment strip. The nineteenth-century lighthouse still works and the rocky point beside it gives a long view back to Larnaca bay. Best an hour before sunset; the wind here is constant, which makes it bearable in August.

Ten minutes north-east on the airport road. Between November and March the lake floods and hosts thousands of flamingos; the wooden walkway from the Hala Sultan Tekke car park gets you close. Free, open all daylight hours. From June the lake is a dry white pan and the birds have gone.

The mosque and tomb complex on the western shore of the Salt Lake, a significant pilgrimage site set among date palms and cypress. Free entry, open daily, usually 9am to about 5pm with shorter winter hours. Remove shoes and cover shoulders and knees. The reflection of the minaret in the flooded lake in February is the shot.

Head west along the coastal road for 5 to 15 minutes to reach broad, near-empty beaches of coarse sand and pebble with a couple of seasonal beach bars. No crowds even in August. The Mazotos camel park nearby charges around €10 for children's rides and is an easy hour if you have kids in tow.

The grill houses off Kiti's main square serve souvla, sheftalia and pork chops with village salad for €10 to €16 a head, with a carafe of local wine at €6. Sunday lunch is the busy slot and the spits start turning by noon. Cash is welcome, English is spoken, nobody is in a hurry.

Larnaca airport is 20 minutes by car via the B4 and the airport link road, which makes Kiti an easy first or last night; a taxi runs €20 to €25. From Larnaca town, Zinon bus routes 405 and 407 serve Kiti and Pervolia roughly hourly through the day, about 25 minutes, with a single around €1.50 and a day ticket €5; evening service is sparse and stops before 9pm on many days. Inside the area you want a car — village to lighthouse is 3 km, the Salt Lake 10 minutes, the western beaches up to 15. Parking is free and unrestricted everywhere including at the church and along the coastal road.

Generally around 8am to noon and 2pm to 4pm, kept by a custodian, with the mosaic apse sometimes closed during services. There is no admission charge; a donation is appropriate. Cover shoulders and knees. If you arrive at lunchtime and find it locked, come back after two rather than giving up — it is worth the wait.

Yes, one of the best. It is 20 minutes by road and a taxi is €20 to €25, with plenty of apartments at €45 to €80 and free parking. Rooms on the northern edge of the village catch approach noise, so ask for something south of the main square if you have an early morning flight and want to sleep.

In winter, yes — Larnaca Salt Lake is ten minutes away and holds thousands of flamingos from roughly November to March, viewable from the walkway at Hala Sultan Tekke. From late spring the lake dries into a salt pan and the birds leave for the Turkish and North African wetlands. Bring binoculars; they stay well out.

Mostly coarse sand and pebble rather than the fine sand of Ayia Napa, and often breezy — Cape Kiti and Pervolia in particular. Mazotos and Alaminos, 5 to 15 minutes west, are wider and almost deserted even in August. For soft sand and full facilities, drive 20 minutes to Larnaca's Finikoudes or Mackenzie beach.