Larnaca Part 3 (Bouzouki Nights)

Finikoudes at Night (Andriani Patera 2013)

There is plenty of nightlife in Larnaca for the average tourist.  Just head back down to Finikoudes for all the food, clubbing or bar hopping that one can stand.  Very popular with locals, Finikoudes is the place to see and be seen.  Beginning at about dusk, the family crowd and the older locals come out to walk along the promenade, get some sea air, admire the big yachts in Larnaca Marina, and sample some of the local food and drink at the many eateries and bars along the way.  As it gets later, the younger crowd comes out, again mostly local, cruising in cars or motorcycles down the strip, stopping at the many fast food joints (KFC, TGI Friday’s, and McD’s to name just a few) to hang out with friends and do what high schoolers and university students the world over seem to do.  About 11 pm the clubs come to life as the family crowd dissipates and the thump of dance music begins to seep out into the street and the real late night mavens come out to play.  

But, being the practical traveler, and a long way past university, my wife and I do the early promenade, skip McDonalds, and get right to some local flavor.  Right near Finikoudes is a great place that my wife’s cousins frequent.  If one wants real local food, great ethnic music and dancing, go to the To Steki Tis Pareas bouzouki tavern on 16 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue.  About 2 blocks behind and 2 blocks east of Finikoudes, To Steki Tis Pareas is easy to get to, has ample parking, and is known by the local residents.  Once inside, the atmosphere is typical Greek tavern, right down to the paper placemats with old song lyrics on them.  Always jumping on a Friday or Saturday night, it is a distinctly local crowd, but with an unexpected mix of youth and age, all with a passion for traditional music and dancing.  Just at our table we had 20 year olds sitting with 40 year olds singing and dancing to 60 year old music, pretty unexpected but great fun!   A live bouzouki band (a bouzouki player and at least one guitar accompanying) is playing new and old Cypriot music, with many of the patrons getting up and displaying their best traditional dance moves and shouting out song requests.  The night we were there with my wife’s cousin and her husband, a traditional dance company (friends of the cousins) dedicated to preserving Cypriot dance and music was there in force showing off the Cypriot dance at its finest, and in between sets, sitting with us enjoying the fact that an American dude with loose ethnic ties to the whole scene could appreciate the music, dance, food and a throw down a few adult beverages as well.   The food is classic local mezze, with cheese, vegetable and meat plates coming to the table in a seemingly non-stop parade of flavorful goodness.   We stayed there until about 3am, drank Carlsberg beer, and ate big.  The band (also buddies with the cousins……..what a surprise…..) sat at our table, drank and talked about everything and anything with us between sets.  The band was pleasantly surprised to meet an American in their local hangout. A good time was had by all.  Regardless of the cousins being there with us, the Cypriot people are open and friendly, and are happy to chat the night away with you over beer, ouzo, food, or any combination thereof.  When we go back to Cyprus next year, there will be at least one evening reserved to hang out at the To Steki Tis Pareas with the cousins.  Anyone staying in Larnaca for any length of time should make a point to check it out.  Local vibe at its very best.  In the next installment, we will begin our travels east to Xylophagou and the beach resorts of Agia Napa.  Until next time………..