Simply put, the best time to visit Cyprus is right before and after the summer months of July and August. Temperatures are warm enough for visitors to properly enjoy the sights without too much heat exhaustion.
Not only is the heat more bearable, but the tourist crowd is also a lot smaller during these times, allowing visitors to enjoy the sights with less disturbance.
That being said, however, Cyprus is a year-round destination, due to its Mediterranean climate. Even during the winter months, it’s not actually cold, and the skies tend to be clear and sunny.
During the summer, while the beaches may be hot and filled with tourists, the mountains located inland still offer cooler climates and many historical sites.
While the historical sites and other attractions are open all year round, each season has different events and there’s plenty to do all year round.
Uncover the Best Time to Visit Cyprus
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First things first! Taking a vacation is an investment of your hard-earned money and the last thing you want is to risk a disruption or cancellation that ends with you losing that investment. This is one of the reasons we never leave home without travel insurance.
This is especially important if you’re planning a trip to Cyprus during the late summer or fall season. Strong Mediterranean storms can crop up really fast causing trip delays, cancellations, or if you’re already there, the need to leave sooner than you planned.
There are a lot of options out there for insurance, but we use and stand by Allianz Travel Insurance. Full disclosure, we receive financial compensation as ambassadors for their company.
That said, we’ve been purchasing plans through them for the past 7 years and they have never let us down. Canceled flights, delayed flights, lost luggage, rental car damage, and a global pandemic, they’ve been there for us.
When people are standing at the counter fighting with the airlines over hotels or new flights, we don’t stress anymore because we know that we will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses caused by the delay.
We always renew their AllTrips Premier annual plan that covers all of our trips over a 12-month period. If you take more than 2 trips a year, it’s worth considering an annual plan.
For single trips, we recommend looking at their OneTrip Prime or OneTrip Premier plans.
Spring in Cyprus
March and April in Cyrpus
In early spring visitors will find milder temperatures and smaller crowds, but some rain should be expected. However, the rain won’t be a big hindrance and the prices in this season come down to a more affordable range.
Swimming during these months isn’t a great idea, as the water is quite cool and only seasoned ocean swimmers should attempt to explore the waters.
In March there are many carnivals, marking the lead-up to Lent. The most notable of these is the Limassol Carnival, which includes 12 days of festivities concluding in the Grand Parade on the Sunday before Clean Monday.
Clean Monday itself is an experience, being a public holiday and celebrated with seafood and shellfish feasts and kite flying.
April 1st is also Cyprus National Day, which celebrates the creation of the National Organization of the Cypriot Struggle, which protested British rule in Cyprus.
The island’s most important holiday during this time, however, is Easter, usually falling in late April. There are many processions in the streets and the way the community comes together during this time is truly a sight to behold.
May and June in Cyprus
The months of May and June offer clear skies and enjoyable warm temperatures. The waters also get a little warmer around this time and tourists can thoroughly enjoy their swimming adventures on the beach or lounge on a beach bed and soak up some sun.
This is also when crowds will start to get bigger, but not so much as during the peak summer season. Some decent festivals also take place around this time.
Anthestiria, the Festival of Flowers, is held on the first Sunday in May and celebrates the arrival of spring with a parade filled with floats made of flowers.
Another notable festival is Kataklysmos, celebrated 50 days after Easter and dedicated to Noah’s salvation from the flood. Tourists will find a lot of boat races and water-throwing competitions at this festival.
Summer in Cyprus
July and August in Cyprus
During the summer the crowds reach their peak level and while there isn’t much in the way of events, this is the time when most tourists will go sightseeing and enjoy the beaches.
Temperatures go as high as the mid-30s °C (mid-90s °F) and while sightseeing might be a bit difficult due to the heat, it still doesn’t stop some tourists. However, the preferred activity during this time is definitely to lounge around pools and bars.
The only notable event during this time is Dormition, held on 15th August. It is a very important holiday to the Christian country as it marks the death of the Virgin Mary.
Fall in Cyrpus
September in Cyprus
This is when the temperature starts to drop, but not so much that tourists can’t still enjoy the beach and swim in the ocean. Since the school season starts up as well, tourist crowds lessen, and the sites are a lot more accessible.
The cooler temperatures also mean that sightseeing is a bit more comfortable, and tourists can better enjoy all the historical and archaeological sites.
October in Cyprus
In October, the temperatures fall to the mid-to-high-20s °C (high-70s to low-80s °F). The sea is still warm and can be enjoyed for swimming, and sightseeing becomes even easier.
This is when prices start to drop to a more affordable range as well, as the tourists start to leave and demand falls. All of this makes October one of the best times to visit Cyprus.
It’s also worth noting that as you get into the later Fall period, you can expect storm patterns and with this sometimes heavy rain.
Cyprus’ Independence Day is celebrated on 1st October, marking the island’s freedom from British rule. Tourists can enjoy many festivals on Independence Day and there’s even a military parade in Nicosia.
Another notable holiday is Ochi Day, on 28th October, which is the day Ioannis Metaxas, the Greek Prime Minister at the time, said no to Mussolini’s demand to occupy parts of Greece, including Cyprus.
Winter in Cyprus
November in Cyprus
During the winter things tend to slow down in Cyprus and swimming options tend to dwindle. There are no real festivals or public events for tourists to enjoy either.
November is a very quiet time, with very small tourist crowds, milder weather, and further lowered hotel prices.
December in Cyprus
December is the time when temperatures start to cool down and things get comfortable. Swimming no longer tends to be an option as the water gets too cold.
However, other than Christmas there isn’t a lot going on in terms of festivals or events and for Christmas, most Cypriots just go home to visit family. Since it’s a public holiday on Christmas and Boxing Day, not much is open to tourists or the public.
January and February in Cyprus
Temperatures continue to be cool during January and February, and, again, swimming isn’t really an option considering how cold the water would be.
Midday temperatures are between 15-18°C (high 50s °F) and there isn’t a crowd of tourists swarming everywhere.
If you can forgo swimming, this would be an ideal time to explore the overwhelming amounts of historical and archaeological sites. The cooler temperatures and smaller crowds will allow tourists to experience these sites to their full hearts desire.
Epiphany is a festival that takes place on the 6th of January and marks the end of the Christmas season. There is a procession and one fun tradition is to toss loukoumades, a local donut-like snack), to keep away bad elves known as kallikantzaroi.
When is the Best Time to Visit Cyprus?
In conclusion, it’s safe to say that Cyrpus is one of those special places that can be deemed a year-round destination.
Sure, the weather patterns shift slightly, and some months will be warmer or wetter than others, but with the abundance of sights to see, you really cannot go wrong. It will come down to your personal preference and travel goals when planning your visit.
This article is sponsored by Allianz Travel Insurance. As ambassadors we receive financial compensation. However, all opinions, stories, and advice are 100% ours, as always.
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