Hala Sultan Tekke & Salt Lake

One of Islam's most revered sites and one of Cyprus's most peaceful, set among palms on the western edge of the Larnaca Salt Lake. The domed mosque shelters the tomb of Umm Haram — Hala Sultan — a relative of the Prophet Muhammad's household who, tradition says, died here during a 7th-century raid. The setting is the magic: in summer the lake is a cracked white pan, but come winter it fills and turns pink with flamingos. Wander the shaded courtyard and cemetery under the trees; it feels a world away from the beaches ten minutes up the road.