So, you’re on the hunt for the warmest places in Cyprus. We don’t think you’re going to be disappointed by this island. Let’s just say that this teardrop-shaped mass in the eastern Mediterranean doesn’t really suffer from too many chilly days. Nay, it’s downright balmy for most of the year!
Yep, you’re looking at places with soaring mercury levels that can routinely hit 100 F and more in the peak of the summer season. Even in spring and autumn it’s positively warm, with the chance of simmering beach sessions in 70-80 F heat when it’s May, October, or even November. And that’s not even mentioning the sea temperature, which can crank up to a wetsuit-negating 82 F (27) come August.
This guide aims to scour the whole island on the hunt for the warmest places in Cyprus. It looks mainly to the hotter south and southeast parts of the country, which is where you tend to get the more blazing destinations, mainly thanks to the proximity to the Middle East and the wind protection that’s offered by the central mountains.
Limassol
Start on the south coast – that’s a great rule of thumb when it comes to seeking out the warmest places in Cyprus. Cue Limassol. A buzzy city in its own right, it’s one of the economic powerhouses of the island thanks to the booming port, a happening commercial center with oodles of high-rise enterprise buildings, and a place to see and be seen that’s always hot, even if the weather isn’t.
Thankfully, the weather is rarely an issue. Limassol is just about as far south in Cyprus as it’s possible go. The city occupies a bump in the coastline just east of the UK’s Akrotiri air base, placing it roughly in line with Tripoli in Lebanon. That equals a balmy climate, which is officially classified as subtropical-Mediterranean. We’re talking five months of the year where the record high has peaked above 100 F (37.7 C)! We’re talking an August average temperature of 82.04 F for the whole month!
So, it’s a scorcher, but what is there to do? Quite a lot, actually. The center of the city is a frenetic mix of coffee shops and twisting lanes that surround medieval Limassol Castle. There’s an old port district that gives way to a palm-peppered boulevard. Meanwhile, some of the finest beaches of the south Cypriot coast are within striking distance – head to powdery Armonia Beach or the white-cliff coves of Kalymnos further east.
Larnaca
Larnaca isn’t just one of the warmest places in Cyprus. It also happens to be one of the easiest places to reach on the whole island. Its international airport is the biggest going. You can jet straight there from any number of big EU cities and European towns, including Zurich, Vienna, Athens, and London, but also Middle Eastern hubs like Doha. The town itself is just a stone’s throw from the runways, plonked enticingly on wide Larnaca Bay.
But before we wax lyrical about the town and its situation: The temperature. Another spot that manages five months in a row where the record highs have poked above 100 F, this one also has a yearly average temperature that hovers above the 100 mark. Even the daily averages for the chilly winter months are 12-14 F. Put it this way – you probably won’t need the woolies if you’re traveling any time between May and September.
Now, onto what Larnaca can offer. The city spreads its spawl up and down a wide inlet on the east of Cyprus. Most of the life is anchored on the bustling promenade that’s called Finikoudes by the locals. That runs for about 1.5 miles from end to end and goes past ice-cream parlors and cafes, but also a shimmering blue-flag urban beach at Kastella.
Head beyond that tourist hub and you can get stuck into some more unique sites as the sun beats down. The Larnaca Salt Lake looks particularly amazing in the winter, when a population of over 10,000 flamingoes head in to graze on the shrimp. There’s also the atmospheric Turkish district of Skala to see, along with the moving mosque on the water’s edge at Hala Sultan Tekke.
Protaras
Protaras has ridden the wave of tourism that’s been focused on eastern Cyprus since the rise of next-door Ayia Napa as a mega clubbing hotspot to rival Ibiza et al (more on that one below!). Today, it’s one of the biggest destinations in the region of Cape Greco, which is the leg of land that pokes out into the eastern Mediterranean from this distant corner of the country.
Here, closer to the warming land masses of Asia Minor and over the far side of the windbreaking heights of the Troodos Mountains, Protaras enjoys some of the balmiest temps of anywhere on the isle. You can look forward to summertime highs that regularly pierce the 90s and even peak out at a sweat-inducing 102-103 F. It should hardly come as a surprise that the coast of Syria is just 100 miles over the sea!
There’s also a lot here to help you enjoy the persistent warmth. Beaches are something that Protaras excels in. Take blue-flag Fig Tree Bay. It’s a shimmering set of coves and powdery beaches all interspersed with reefs frequented by sea turtles, along with stretches of resort beach that have all the family amenities, from sunbeds to overwater inflatable play areas. Then there’s Nissi Beach, where you can go to snorkel and sunbathe in the company of revelers out of Ayia Napa.
Scuba divers after hotter H2O conditions also flock here throughout the summer months. The shoreline cranks up to over 68 F (20 C) by the end of May and keeps rising until at least September. That makes diving under pretty darn pleasant, especially when you have sites like the Cyclops Cave and beginner-friendly Green Bay to get stuck into!
Paphos
No list of the warmest places in Cyprus could possibly be complete without a mention of what’s arguably the single most famous resort on the whole island: Paphos. This town has been cutting its teeth on tourism since anyone can remember. It’s the main gateway to the western side of the country, which is strung with a long line of resort towns and stunning bays. You can’t really go wrong making this one your base.
Temperatures throughout the summer should also agree. Yes, it’s a touch cooler than the eastern destinations that are listed here – Protaras, Ayia Napa – but you still get average highs of 81-85 F between June and August, bolstered by a lingering summer that sees daily means sit above the 60 F mark until well into November. Late season jaunt anyone?
If you ask us, the drop of a degree or two compared to some of the island’s other hotspots (no pun intended) is well worth it. Paphos starts any adventure off strong with its enthralling old town area, which sits up on a hillside above the shore with its winding lanes and pretty Agios Kendeas church. There’s arguably the region’s top archaeological dig site below at the UNESCO-tagged complex of Nea Paphos, too.
Then you have all the draws of the western Cypriot shoreline to get through. They are many. Sleek hotels run the way up Vrexi Beach and dot the sides of Coral Bay. There are turtle nesting hotspots where you can spot some of the Med’s most endangered creatures. Oh, and the roads from the coast here lead into the Troodos Mountains, which are the perfect place to go when the temperature gets just a little too much!
Ayia Napa
Like Protaras before it, Ayia Napa enjoys a location on the scorching southeast end of the island. Again, it’s plonked on the rugged mass of stone and dusty dune that is the Cape Greco headland. There, it’s made its name as one of the Mediterranean’s most hedonistic outposts, a place where big-name DJs spin the decks in the summer and mega clubs like Castle, Blue Moon, and Aqua Club pump from sundown till sunup.
The parties start in earnest when the summer begins, which is usually around May in these parts. From then onwards, you’re virtually guaranteed mercury levels in the 70s-80s F (20s-30s C). In fact, June, July, and August all regularly in the 90s and even hit the 100s on the hottest of days. That means plenty of time for sizzling off the hangover and warm evenings for dancing and drinking under the stars.
The good thing is that Ayia Napa isn’t just for partying. It’s also fringed by fantastic beaches like Nissi – one of the most-photographed bays in all of Cyprus – and the gorgeous swirl of white sand and teal sea that is Makronissos. And there are a few more off-beat sites in the region, like the rock-cut Agioi Saranta Cave Church, the wild edges of Cape Greco itself, and the gaping Cyclops Cave out east.
The warmest places in Cyprus – our conclusion
Although there aren’t all that many places that are really that cold in this country, the warmest places in Cyprus tend to clutch the southern side of the island. They string along the coastline from Protaras in the far east to Paphos in the west, offering endless enjoyments for travelers who come dreaming of white-sand beaches and scuba diving in bath-warm seas. Naturally, the hottest time of year will be the peak summer between June and August, but these places also offer plenty of late-season and early-season vacation potential, so don’t be shy of coming in April, May, October, or November, either.
