Larnaca vs Knysna: A Tale of Two Coastal Cities

Larnaca, on the Mediterranean’s rugged edge, and Knysna, nestled in South Africa’s lush Garden Route, are small coastal cities with distinct souls.  Having called Larnaca home for 20 years and visited Knysna for over 30, I’ve seen their charms and struggles up close.

 

Larnaca’s 130,000 residents experience a hot, arid climate—summers sizzle at 35-42°C, and winters are mild.

 

Knysna’s 100,000 residents enjoy a temperate, wetter four-season climate, surrounded by forests that fuel a proud wood industry. Both rely heavily on tourism and services, with low crime relative to global peers, though South Africa’s crime rates dwarf those in Europe.

 

Yet, their paths diverge sharply—Larnaca’s economy booms, with GDP quadrupling Knysna’s, where wealth inequality stings. Larnaca’s power grid hums reliably; Knysna’s falters under “load-shedding” outages, born of corruption and neglect, crippling businesses. Knysna’s water crisis is worse—decades of mismanagement have dumped sewage into rivers, leaking infrastructure, and, despite ample rainfall, water shortages—while arid Larnaca invests in infrastructure, with cranes dotting its skyline.

 

Larnaca, though no beauty, is safe and thriving. Knysna, a natural jewel, rots under committee inertia, its stunning landscapes at risk. One city builds; the other waits for another Committee to meet.

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We are off soon again to Beautiful Knysna, hope springs eternal!

To all my readers - a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year, from a sunny and wet Larnaca.

 

mr alex

Christmas 2025