Hoping for sunshine and warm weather, we decided to spend Christmas in Cyprus. The end of December is not exactly “in season,” but we had a wonderful week of sunshine, exploring sandy beaches, rocky coves, and mountain villages, and enjoying amazing traditional Cypriot foods and wines.
Cyprus is an island-nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, part of the EU, although located close to the Middle East. We stayed in Paphos, on the western end of the island, known for its beautiful coast and amazing sunsets.
A boardwalk stretches for miles along the coastline of the Paphos region, perfect for long walks enjoying the sun and sights. Overall our weather was fantastic, with cool mornings and evenings, temperatures in the low 60’s F midday with lots of sunshine. A few nights a storm blew through, which left behind some amazing waves crashing in the rocky coves in the mornings.
We stayed at the Alexander the Great hotel, and our booking included 2 meals per day at their onsite restaurants.
With a fun atmosphere, the Cypriots served us up excellent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners, with both live music and dancing.
The hotel includes multiple pools, a spa, a workout room, a private beach, and our favorite – a lovely big verandah to sit in the shade.
Paphos Harbor and Fortress were an easy 10-minute walk along the boardwalk, with lots of choices of café restaurants set along the waterfront. We had the best seafood lunch at the Pelican Restaurant for lunch one day.
Ancient Ruins in Cyprus
There are two excellent spots in the Paphos region for walking through ancient ruins, Nea Paphos, right at Paphos Harbor, and just further up the coast, the Tombs of the Kings. Besides so much history to learn, the settings are beautiful, with the blue sea and wild sunsets in the background.
Cyprus Taste DAy Tour
For a day outing, we booked a trip to the Troodos Mountains and Villages with Cyprus Taste Tours. Our charming and entertaining tour guide Christina drove us around the island telling us tales of Cypriot history, some of which might even be true. During our outing, we visited a historic candy factory, an olive oil tasting, a spontaneous stop at a Christmas market, and a very special Greek Orthodox Icons studio.
We also visited a Monastery, had an excellent lunch of traditional foods in a mountain taverna, and a fun wine tasting! This is one of the best day tours we have been on in Europe, for the variety of experiences as well as the organization, and personality of our tour guide. What a fabulous day.
Irish Pubs Around the World
Cyprus has a lot of visitors from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, so we had no trouble finding an Irish Pub. Charley’s Meeting Pub gave us a warm welcome with a great pint and lunch, and they were even open on Christmas day.
We had a fantastic Christmas in Cyprus, and we hope to return again someday. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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