What to do in Cyprus in winter

SIM abroad

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Car rental in Cyprus

There is no convenient public transport in Cyprus. For those who only come for a backpacking vacation, buses and taxis will provide a good enough answer, but if you also want to travel, I personally recommend renting a car. It is true that lanes go in the opposite direction, but as someone who lives here, I can say that you get used to it quickly. Car rental prices in Cyprus are quite cheap compared to other places in Europe, especially if you come in winter. You can search for a car in the Israeli search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

Attractions in Cyprus

There are two websites through which you can find various attractions in Cyprus such as wine tours, jeep tours and more. I recommend searching on the following sites: Get your guide and Viator.

How do you get to the snow?

Before you go to the snow it is very important to check the condition of the roads. If it’s windy, you will be informed that you can only get there with 4×4 vehicles or with chains for the wheels of the car. If it’s not windy then the roads are open to all vehicles.

Directions via Google Maps to the North Face trail on Mount Olympus.

Note that there are several surf tracks along the road. I gave you a link to the route we went to where there was a cable car and a restaurant.

We went to see the snow parting from Limassol and it was about an hour drive by private car.

I personally recommend renting a car and driving independently, and you can even sleep in the area (there are several hotels there). A hotel that I have heard many recommendations about is Casale Panayiotis. We haven’t had the chance to sleep there but it gets good reviews.

If you need to buy car chains then you can find them in stores like Super Home but the rental company can also provide them for you for a nominal fee (it’s also a good idea to ask them for a demonstration of how to assemble them).

Ski site costs in Cyprus

This is a relatively cheap experience since there is no entrance fee to the ski resort and the cable car is also low-cost. The main expenses are renting or buying skiing equipment (and if you come only to sled, then generally the costs are low).

When you approach the ski resort there are stands on the road that sell sleds (we bought a simple, plastic sled for 30 euros, there were also 25-euro options). It is also possible to buy snow boots and gloves there. You can also rent equipment and clothing at the ski resort.

I recommend calling them before arrival to find out prices and details – link to the ski website.

There is a cable car at the ski site and the cost is about 7 euros both ways and there is no charge for a child. There is no entrance fee to the ski resort itself.

We bought a sled and used it in the snow near the cable car and Maya and Roman also went up in the cable car.

The ski resort also has a restaurant where you can buy hot drinks and food like pizza, soup, buns with sausage and more at cheap prices.

If you are going there by car from Limassol, then I recommend stopping halfway at the John restaurant, a place with an amazing view and good local food. And there is also a cafe next door. Arrival instructions.

Waterfalls in Cyprus

There are several waterfalls in the Troodos Mountains area:

Caledonian Waterfall
Millomeris Waterfall
Chantara Waterfall

And between Limassol and Paphos there is the Prastio Waterfall.

Because there is not much rain here, most of the time there is no water in the waterfalls. It is recommended to go mainly during rainy periods in Cyprus.

Venetian bridges Bridge Tzelefos in Paphos Forest

Beautiful bridges located about 440 m in the forest of Paphos. They are on the way to the Troodos Mountains, so it is worth visiting them on the same day you go to the Troodos Mountains. The bridges are about an hour’s drive from Paphos and Limassol or an hour-and-a-half drive from Larnaca. The Gefiri Tou Tzefolu Bridge is the largest stone bridge built in Cyprus.

You can travel between the bridges by car or on foot. At the first bridge there is an option to go up the mountain to an observation point (about a 10-15 minute hike on foot). When we were there, there were many photographers who came to photograph the bridges, because they are really special.

Nature reserves in Cyprus

The winter months are an excellent time to travel in nature reserves in Cyprus because in the summer it can get too hot to hike. We hiked in February in the following two nature reserves and in Akamas we also did a 5-hour walking route.

Akamas Nature Reserve (Akamas Peninsula)

Is about an hour’s drive from Paphos. In the western part of Greek Cyprus, one of the most spectacular sites on the island of Cyprus, which is a highly recommended destination for travelers looking for a nature trip in Cyprus. The reserve is stunning and has many hiking trails as well as a blue lagoon with the clearest water there is.

There are tracks of different degrees of difficulty. The route of the Aphrodite trail is considered the most difficult, because it climbs a mountain to an observation point. There are also flat routes such as a route to the blue lagoon.

Another cool option in this reserve is to rent a buggy and travel with it in the reserve. So even if you are less into walking, you will have something to do there. Entry to the walking trails is free. There is a map at the beginning of the route that shows the distance and the options for the route. The route itself is marked all the way.

The Aphrodite route takes between 4-6 hours and you can extend it depending on the route you choose (directions). Suitable for those looking for tracks in Cyprus. If you are hungry at the end of the route or the trip in Agi, you can eat at a restaurant in the reserve that has a wide variety of food and good prices.

Booking a jeep tour in Akamas

Cape Greco Nature Reserve

A lovely reserve located in Ayia Napa (about half an hour’s drive from Larnaca). There are hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, there is a beautiful natural bridge, and there are places to have a picnic. Definitely worth spending a day or half a day there.

Book a guided tour in Cape Greco from Larnaca.

December

Christmas celebrations throughout the island.

Although there isn’t an atmosphere like the one in the big European cities, there are still many decorations and lights and even parades and special activities for the children. Larnaca has a Christmas market every year at the beginning of December and there are several villages that do events especially for the Christmas .

January

Until the beginning of January you can still find decorations around the city for Christmas. They usually start taking them down in the first week.

The Epiphany Day – 6th January – this is the day when you will see families going to church with bottles to collect holy water blessed by their local priest.

February

Mid-February – Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery Fair Paphos.

Mid-February – mandarin festival (yes, there are many fruit festivals here) in the village of Arakapas.

Towards the end of February – Derynia Village kite flying competition.

March

Carnival celebrations throughout Cyprus (costume celebration).

The carnival usually starts in the first week of March and lasts about ten days. In Limassol there are two parades. One is in the Promenade area of Limassol, starting roughly from the zoo area, and the second, larger parade that mostly takes place on the main street in Limassol Arch Makarios.

End of March – mandarin festival in the village of Dierona.

More information about the festivals.

Outdoor playgrounds for children

One of the most convenient things to do with children in the winter is to go to outdoor playgrounds. In Cyprus there are not too many playgrounds like that, but you can find in every city at least one indoor playground that is really nice.

Our favorite games.

In Limassol – 

Agora Arcade, which is also inside an indoor market. From a playhouse suitable for babies from about 9 months, to children up to 5-years-old. There are slides into a ball pool, a small horse carousel, and a maze for children. There is a seating area for parents and you can bring food from the indoor food market. The food market has several food stalls, and computer games for the older children.

The Hunnies & Bunnies playhouse is close to the mall and is suitable for babies up to the age of 4-5. It’s a playhouse with seating for parents and a small cafe with wooden games and role-playing games, as well as a small outdoor playground.

In Larnaca –

The Fun Factory playground is a large playground with a seating area and a restaurant, and many games for children. Suitable mainly for toddlers up to about 8 years old.

Paphos –

The Cosmic Arcade is next to the mall. A huge playground that is suitable for both babies and older children because there are also colliding cars and bowling.

Museums for children

Museum of Illusions in Limassol Paradox museum. A cute museum that is suitable for spending an hour to an hour-and-a-half with the children.

Link to book tickets to Paradox museum

Rope parks

If the weather is nice then a rope park can be a great attraction for children even in winter.

There is a rope park in the Troodos Mountains called Sparti.

There is also a rope park at the City of Dreams hotel in Limassol that you can enter for a fee even if you are not a hotel guest.