Cyprus Travel Guide: Plan Your Visit to Cyprus

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If you’re looking for an ideal Mediterranean destination that combines everything from a fascinating history, beautiful beaches, great food, vibrant cities and friendly people, you really cannot go wrong with heading to the beautiful island nation of Cyprus. Located in the southeastern Mediterranean, this is one of the top seaside destinations to visit in Europe and it has so much to offer visitors. If you’re considering a visit to this beautiful island country, then this Cyprus travel guide is a great place to start.

Whether you need help mapping out your route, want some guidance on what to do in various cities in Cyprus or just want a holistic view on where to go and what to do in this fantastic destination, then look no further.

We have compiled a number of fantastic guides to help you every step of the way in your planning process to ensure that you have the best trip to Cyprus possible!

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Table of Contents

Planning a Cyprus Route

One of the most important things you need to do when you begin planning a trip to Cyprus is to map out your ideal itinerary through the country.

Despite being seemingly small in size, there are a lot of places to visit and things to see and do in this beautiful island nation that you do need to make sure that you adequately plan out your time while visiting.

Where you go in Cyprus really depends on what you want to get out of your trip and what kind of things you want to see and do. However, there is no denying that organizing a well-thought-out itinerary before booking your travel is essential to planning the best trip possible.

If you need to figure out which destinations you want to visit or map out the perfect route through Cyprus, then make sure to have a look through the articles below!

Sea Caves in Ayia Napa is worth adding to your Cyprus itinerary

Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca

Places to Visit in Cyprus

As mentioned already, Cyprus boasts a wealth of different destinations and diverse places to visit — it isn’t all just sunshine and beaches!

From ancient ruins to mountain villages to absolutely fascinating cities, Cyprus is a truly dynamic destination with so many options for cool places to see and visit.

If you’re wondering where to go and what to do in a couple of Cyprus’ most famous and popular cities, then please make sure to have a look at the articles below!

nicosia border crossing

Ruins at Kato Paphos Archaeological Park

Best Time to Visit Cyprus

Before booking your trip, many potential visitors will inevitably wonder what time of year is the best to visit this island nation. Because of its southerly location in the southeast of the Mediterranean, it is easy to assume that Cyprus is hot and sunny perennially and that there is no time of year that is better or worse to visit the country.

However, while Cyprus does see some of the mildest temperatures in Europe and experiences plenty of sunshine (over 300 days per year!), there are some times of the year to visit the country than others and it all really depends on your travel style and what you’re after.

We will start with the most popular season to visit Cyprus – summer. Summertime in Cyprus is defined by long, hot sunny days. Because of how far south the country is (keep in mind that it is not too far off the coast of Lebanon), summers in Cyprus can get incredibly hot and it isn’t necessarily the most pleasant place to visit during the months of June-August.

Temperatures in the summer can get extremely hot, with highs in the capital of Nicosia averaging 38°C (100°F) in the months of July and August. Coastally, temperatures in cities like Paphos or Larnaca will be slightly cooler, with highs averaging around 30°C (86°F) but with humidity levels also being quite high. Summer can also be quite busy in Cyprus with accommodation booking out well in advance and prices being at their peak.

On the flip side, visiting Cyprus in winter is an excellent option if you’re looking for a bit of winter sun and want to escape the cold of continental Europe. Though temperatures aren’t super high and may not be great for swimming or sunbathing, they are considerably warmer than most everywhere in Europe, with highs throughout the country averaging around 16-18°C (60-64°F) with plenty of sunshine.

This is a particularly good time to visit if you want to enjoy all of the incredible archaeological sites in Cyprus without having to brave either the heat of the crowds of summer. You will also likely get much better prices on things like accommodation, though you may see some limitations in various tours and more tourist-centres activities.

Spring temperatures are also incredibly pleasant, though it can be worth it to keep in mind that water temperatures can still be a bit chilly so swimming may not be the best idea. However, expect average temperatures in March to be around 18-21°C (64-70°F) on the coast and inland respectively and rising to about 24-30°C (75-86°) by May.

Autumn is also a wonderful time to visit Cyprus, with warm summer temperatures hanging in the air well into November and the Mediterranean temperature also being warmer than spring. In Nicosia, expect the average high temperatures to hover around 23-34°C from September through November (November being the coolest month) and coastal areas averaging around 23-29°C for those same months.

All in all, there really is no time of year that is bad to visit Cyprus, however, there are some that are better than others depending on what you’re after!

The Tombs of the Kings in Paphos

Cost of Travelling to Cyprus

Another major consideration that needs to be taken into account before planning a trip to Cyprus is the cost of travelling to this island nation.

Regardless of whether you plan to visit Cyprus on a shoestring budget or if money isn’t too much of an issue when it comes to travelling, it is still always a good idea to know about the average prices to expect in Cyprus.

Though it certainly isn’t an overly expensive destination to visit, especially when compared to a lot of Western or Northern European destinations, it isn’t necessarily one of the cheapest places to visit, either.

If you want to learn more about the costs of travelling to Cyprus and want a more detailed breakdown of prices in the Mediterranean nation, then make sure to browse the article below.

Church of Panagia Faneromeni

Transportation in Cyprus

Finally we need to discuss how you plan to get around this beautiful country. There are a few options available to you, however, it is very much worth mentioning right off the bat that Cyprus is a very car-heavy destination and you will likely find it a bit difficult and limiting if you don’t end up having your own vehicle while visiting Cyprus.

If you don’t have much of an interest of visiting places like mountain villages or hidden beaches and just plan to stick around city centres, then relying on the bus to get from place to place (and your own two feet, as well) can be a viable option. However, if you want even a little bit of flexibility, then we highly recommend renting a car in Cyprus.

If you do plan to hire a car, then we suggest booking through RentalCars.com in order to get a great on your vehicle. This platform aggregates prices across many major companies to help you find a deal.

We would also suggest taking out an excess insurance policy with iCarHireInsurance in order to ensure that you don’t have to pay a thing should any deductible should something happen to your car hire.

If you want to learn more about driving in Cyprus or how to get from point A to B, then make sure to browse the articles below!