Best known for its stunning beaches and traditional villages, Cyprus also happens to be one of the best places in Europe to see flamingos. Thousands of greater flamingos migrate to the island every year, and can be seen at various salt lakes around the island. During our three months in Cyprus we saw flamingos on several occasions, including some brilliant up-close encounters at the Larnaca Salt Lake – which is one of the best birdwatching spots in Cyprus! Read on to discover the best places to see flamingos in Cyprus!
Want to see flamingos elsewhere in Europe? Check out our guide to the flamingo spotting in Spain’s Ebro Delta!
Flamingo season in Cyprus
Greater Flamingos migrate to Cyprus every winter, and are generally found on the island between November and March. The timing of their arrival to and departure from the island varies from year to year, so in some years they may be seen earlier or later than these months.
If seeing flamingos is the main reason for your trip to Cyprus then we recommend visiting in December, January or February. The flamingos are most likely to be seen during these months, and this gives you a chance to see these impressive birds in greater numbers too.
Of course the winter months on the island aren’t as warm, but it’s a great time to visit for more reasons than just the flamingos. Make sure to read this guide to Cyprus in winter to find out more about visiting the island at this time of year!
Where to see flamingos in Cyprus
Oroklini Lake
Located just outside Larnaca, Oroklini Lake is one of the best birdwatching spots in Cyprus. This shallow salt water lake is one of only seven natural wetlands in Cyprus, and is a designated Special Protection Area due to the presence of black-winged stilts and spur-winged lapwings. Click here to find out more about the lake’s habitat and species!
During the winter months flamingos are regularly seen at Oroklini Lake. They can be seen feeding and wading through the shallow waters, and are easily viewed from the lake’s bird hide.
Located on the shore of the lake, the bird hide is elevated to give you a wonderful vantage point. The close-up views from this bird hide help to make Oroklini Lake one of the best places to see flamingos in Cyprus.
Oroklini Lake is fairly small, and so there tend to be less flamingos here than other salt lakes in Cyprus. In our experience it’s generally fairly quiet, so it’s easy to sit in the bird hide and watch flamingos and any other species without being disturbed.
It’s approximately a 7-kilometre drive to Oroklini Lake from the centre of Larnaca, and free car parking is available directly besides the bird hide. Click here to see the exact location of the hide on Google Maps!
Whilst the flamingos may be the main focus of your birdwatching in Cyprus, there are several other interesting species that can be seen at Oroklini Lake including common terns, stone curlews, glossy ibis, and red-crested pochards.
Larnaca Salt Lake
Our personal favourite place to see flamingos in Cyprus is the Larnaca Salt Lake. In the winter months you can see hundreds or even thousands of these flamboyant birds congregating here.
We had some incredible encounters with flamingos here, and saw several large flocks of them around the lake. At times we were able to get within a few metres of the flamingos by the shore, which made for some incredible views and great photos!
Larnaca Salt Lake consists of a complex of four salt lakes, which combine to make the second largest salt lake in Cyprus. Covering an area of over 15 square kilometres, this large salt lake makes Cyprus an ideal temporary home for the flamingos.
Flamingos can be seen all around the lake, with many choosing to congregate towards the middle of the lake for safety. There are often some smaller groups of flamingos by the shore, as well as the occasional larger flocks that come to the shore as a group.
In our experience there are two particularly good areas to see flamingos at the Larnaca Salt Lake. The first is near the Hala Sultan Tekkesi mosque, and there is free parking both at the mosque itself and just off the B4 road. From here you can easily walk along the shore of the lake and enjoy great views of flamingos.
The second spot is on the opposite side of the lake, along the Larnaca Salt Lake hiking trail. There is a path here with easy access to the lake, and in our experience this is where you can get the best up-close encounters with flamingos in Cyprus.
During our visit there were lots of flamingos right by the shore here, which made for an amazing view! Click here to see the exact location of the hiking trail on Google Maps! There is free parking available just a short distance from the trail.
Of course the flamingos in Cyprus are wild animals, so there is no guarantee exactly where you will find them at Larnaca Salt Lake. In some instances there can be thousands there at once, and other times you may find much smaller numbers – but if you are visiting during winter you should be able to see at least a few flamingos here!
Make sure to check out our guide to the flamingos at Larnaca Salt Lake for more information on seeing these beautiful birds up-close!
Limassol Salt Lake
The Limassol Salt Lake is another brilliant place to see flamingos in Cyprus. Also known as Akrotiri salt lake, it’s the largest lake on the island and thousands of greater flamingos migrate to the lake each winter.
One of the best places to see flamingos here is from the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre. The centre is free to visit and has a viewing area overlooking the lake with several telescopes for viewing the flamingos.
Unfortunately for us on our visit there were no flamingos actually at the Limassol Salt Lake, but sightings are common. The staff at the environmental centre can help advise if there have been recent sightings at the lake, and where you are likely to see them.
One of the reasons we personally prefer the Larnaca Salt Lake is because it’s more accessible than the Limassol Salt Lake. It’s a bit harder to get close to the shore of the lake here, whereas there are more paths and parking near to the shore of the lake in Larnaca.
The Limassol Salt Lake covers an area of over 10 square kilometres, and feels much larger than the salt lakes in Larnaca. Overall the Larnaca lakes do combine for a bigger area, but the Limassol Salt Lake is the largest individual lake on the island.
The lake is found just to the south of Limassol and north of the Akrotiri RAF base. There are a number of other interesting bird species which can be observed at the Limassol Salt Lake, including glossy ibis, common cranes, black-winged stilt, common plover, and many more!
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