Practical Cyprus

Travel essentials

Everything practical about visiting Cyprus, without having to read six blogs to find it.

Currency

Euro (EUR). Cards accepted almost everywhere; keep small cash for villages.

Plugs

Type G, the UK three-pin plug, 240V. Bring an adapter from mainland Europe.

Driving

On the left, UK style. Roads are good, signs bilingual Greek and English.

Tap water

Safe to drink in towns and cities. Most locals drink bottled by taste, not necessity.

Emergency

112 works island-wide for police, ambulance and fire.

Language

Greek. English is spoken practically everywhere tourists go.

Tipping

Not obligatory. Rounding up or 5 to 10 percent for good service is appreciated.

SIM / eSIM

EU roaming applies for EU SIMs. Local prepaid and eSIMs are cheap and easy.

Timezone

Eastern European Time, UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer).

Bank holidays

Cyprus bank holidays affect shops, banks and some sites.

Month by month

Average daytime highs and sea temperature. Cyprus has the longest swimming season in the Mediterranean: the sea stays above 20°C from May to December.

Month	Day °C	Sea °C	What it is like
January	17°	16°	Mild, quiet, green. Good for hiking and cities, too cold to swim for most.
February	17°	16°	Almond blossom in the hills. Occasional rain, mostly sunny.
March	19°	17°	Spring proper. Wildflowers everywhere, sites without crowds.
April	23°	18°	Warm days, cool nights. Sea still brisk but the brave swim.
May	27°	21°	Real summer begins. Sea warms up, beaches still uncrowded.
June	31°	24°	Hot and dry. Long beach days, warm evenings.
July	34°	27°	Peak heat. Plan mountains or beach, avoid midday city walking.
August	34°	28°	The hottest and busiest month. Book stays well ahead.
September	32°	27°	Many locals' favorite: summer sea, thinner crowds.
October	28°	25°	Warm sea into November. Superb month for everything.
November	23°	22°	Swimming still possible early in the month. Quiet and mild.
December	19°	18°	Christmas villages in the mountains, mild coasts.

Figures are coastal long-term averages, rounded. Mountain villages run roughly 8 to 12 degrees cooler, with snow on Troodos most winters.