Flamingos of Cyprus: Winter Lakes, Quiet Journeys

Dear friends,
Every winter I am reminded that Cyprus has another face — one that reveals itself only when the island exhales after summer.

Do you know that Cyprus becomes a resting place for travelers who never unpack their suitcases?
They arrive quietly, dressed in pale pink, following paths written long before roads or borders existed.

The first time I saw flamingos here, it wasn’t planned. The air was cooler, the light lower, and the island felt suddenly spacious. Winter rains had returned to the land, and shallow lakes were slowly filling again. That is when the flamingos came back — as they have done for thousands of years, guided by instinct rather than maps.

Standing there in silence, watching hundreds of birds move together, I felt as if the landscape itself was breathing.

Larnaca Salt Lake: Where the Story Always Begins

Have you ever visited Larnaca Salt Lake in winter, when it no longer looks like a lake at all, but like a quiet horizon?

From late November to March, this place becomes the heart of the flamingo season in Cyprus. The most magical months are December, January, and February, though in generous, rainy years the birds stay until early April.

Rainwater mixes with salt, creating a shallow world rich in algae and brine shrimp — the simple food that gives Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) their soft pink tones. Some mornings there are a few hundred birds; other days, there are thousands. They stand almost motionless, reflections of sky and water, as if time has paused just for them.

Long before visitors came to admire this view, Larnaca Salt Lake had a very different role. From Roman times until the early 20th century, it was a working landscape, used for salt harvesting. The salt collected here traveled across the Mediterranean, linking Cyprus with distant ports and cultures. Even now, when the lake is protected under Natura 2000 and the Ramsar Convention, you can feel that history layered beneath the surface.

I always return early in the morning or late in the afternoon. At those hours, the light is softer, the paths quieter, and the flamingos seem less like birds and more like part of the land itself.

Paralimni Lake: A Matter of Luck

Then there is Paralimni Lake, and this story is different.

Have you ever fallen in love with a place that doesn’t promise anything?

Paralimni, near Protaras, appears only when winter is kind. It fills during wet seasons, and when it does, flamingos sometimes stop here — usually between January and February, occasionally in December or March, and sometimes not at all.

There are no announcements, no schedules. One winter the lake is alive, the next it is dry and silent.

Paralimni remains calm and mostly untouched, serving as a natural flood basin and a refuge for birds, amphibians, and rare plants. When flamingos arrive, they don’t stay long. Seeing them here feels intimate, almost accidental — as if you arrived not because you planned well, but because the timing was right

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Ancient Routes, Familiar Silhouettes

People often ask me where these flamingos come from.

They migrate from Turkey, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Iran, following routes that have existed for thousands of years. Long before airports and navigation systems, these same silhouettes crossed the same skies. Sailors, traders, and early settlers would have recognized them instantly.

Flamingos remind me that some journeys are older than history books — guided by balance, memory, and the quiet intelligence of nature.

From Winter Lakes to Protaras

After time spent by the lakes — in Larnaca, or if luck allows, at Paralimni — I always find myself heading east toward Protaras.

Winter here feels honest. The beaches are open and empty, the sea clear, the mornings unhurried. There is space to walk, to think, to simply be.

LibraArte Villa is located in Protaras. It is not a destination in itself, but a place to rest well — after long walks, early swims, and days shaped by light rather than schedules.

Space, calm, and simplicity feel enough.

From here, Paralimni Lake, coastal paths, and quiet winter beaches are close, inviting exploration without effort or hurry.

When to Come
  Best months to see flamingos: December to February
  Most reliable location: Larnaca Salt Lake
  A quiet surprise: Paralimni Lake (only in wet winters)
  Best time of day: Early morning or just before sunset.

Some places never ask for attention — yet they stay with you.

Flamingos return to Cyprus for balance: shallow water, food, space, and silence.
Winter travelers often come for exactly the same reasons.

Until our paths cross again,
your beloved Libra.