Log Fires
It’s February, and as we come out of 3 weeks strict lockdown, I have to say I just love this time of the year, especially taking invigorating walks along stormy coastlines and swimming in the sea on gorgeous clear sunny days is a must … most bars, cafes and restaurants are still closed, but the hospitality industry is hoping to see some relaxation in restrictions by the end of the month, so they can offer their cuisine accompanied by homely, warming, open wood fires, log burners and lets face it, it’ll be good to get out.
Love is in the air
Another reason I love February is coz on the 14th it’s Valentine’s Day, and it always makes me laugh when I watch the postman struggle to get my cards in the letterbox … You know there’s nothing quite like a little romance, especially as this is the Goddess Aphrodite’s Island of Love … So guys, pop into one of our recommended Jewellers or Fashion Outlets or phone the local Florists to find a special gift, then light a few candles and arrange a home delivery from your favourite restaurant …
Spring Time
Some people say we only have two seasons, long hot summers and short mild winters, but tbh whatever you do don’t blink, or you’ll miss spring, that’s the last two weeks of February. You can tell coz the blossoms are out, floral aromas everywhere and everything is still sooooo green … I just love it! …
Shopaholics
All you shop ’til you drop freaks will be in heaven, coz it’s looking like all the shops, malls and markets will be open from the 8th, just in time for the February Sales, so get out and find some bargains, with up to 70% off at some shops. It’s a good time to buy that last winter warmer, still needed at night in February, leading the way in Fashion are Y2K in Ayia Napa, London Clothing Company with shops all over Cyprus and The Melekkis Centre in Paralimni.
Versatility
Oh, and don’t worry, Cyprus is versatility to the extreme, there’s so much to do if you look around. By the way, it’s one of the few places you can ski and snowboard or go Husky Sledding up in the Troodos Mountains in the morning and 40 minutes later you can swim in the Med. By the way, with the spring air so clear, in between the occasional winter storms, you’ll still get a fab tan!
Touring Season
It’s a great time to go touring and there’s plenty to see. The Troodos Mountains are in their element at this time of the year and as I write they’re currently covered in snow, so hire a 4 Wheel Drive Car and go touring! Or by the end of the month I hope you can book a day out with one of our jeep adventure safaris and you’ll get a driver and a host to show you the real Cyprus, try Jimmy’s Jeep Adventures on the west coast and Trackers Safari exploring from the East …
Adventure Sports
One of my favourite finds last year was Sayious Adventure Park in Asgata just north of Limassol where their motto is ‘it’s a stress-free zone’ so you’re almost guaranteed to increase the adrenaline and get all muddy!
Summer is coming
Cyprus boasts one of the best climates in the world and as we’re one of the safest places in the world to visit, in fact the safest under a million population, and when we’re allowed to party we’ll do it in style coz we’ve been partying here since the gods invented party some 12,600 years ago, one of the main reasons I live here!
Swim all year
We went to Konnos Bay for a swim on 31st January, it was lovely, sunny, about 21°C … Cyprus, in fact, has some of the best beaches in Europe, ha! we were saying that years ago! We have several of the top 25 beaches in Europe, a couple up there with the best in the world, and tbh, I think, you really can’t beat our sea! … and talking about beaches, there’s normally a Beach Clean organised by Cyprus Dive Centre down in Kapparis early February.
Mixing it Up
Last season many hotels received government grants to add extra floors and extensions anticipating around 5 million visitors, which of course didn’t happen. Much as I’ve noticed even more renovations this year, with the continued restrictions in travel these days, I expect a more mixed up season this year which hopefully will kick off in March.
International
We’d normally expect the ever-repeating British to be our majority visitors, closely followed by our Scandinavian visitors, who btw discovered Ayia Napa over 40 years ago. This year I expect more from many other countries including, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Russia and Greece and not forgetting the rest of the European market, not to mention our Lebanese and Israeli friends that have discovered how special this rock really is …
A few ideas
With bars and live music venues still closed due to restrictions we are hoping by March things might change so check out the best places in Cyprus for live music to get your tickets early … my faves include Savino Live in Larnaca Ravens Music Hall in Limassol and Koursarros Music Bar in Protaras … and Kendall Events’ have a great line up planned for this year, kicking off with the Rag ‘n’ Bone Man Tribute by Leo Romero …
Time to Invest
I’ve been here almost 30 years and partly down to our fantastic handling of this virus, never has Cyprus looked more like it’s going to have a fantastic future, so I believe it’s a great time to invest in Cyprus … check out some of our current projects to increase visitors and tourism … maybe invest in a private property to let for extra income.
2021
The season should kick off by March with the international tour operators promising to help us go all year-round and with Christian Easter falling on 4th April and Orthodox Easter 4 weeks later on 2nd May, and 5 Public Holidays between now and 1st of May … wow!
Dynamic Site
This site has well over 1,600 pages of info supported by over 25,000 photos and videos, just for you! We’ve kept a similar layout to the original What’s On magazine launched in 1999. It’s easy to navigate, just choose a city … then choose one of 16 major categories or just try a one-word search, … It’s everything you’ll need to know and More … It’s over 50 Gigs of info that’ll soon be available on our Dynamic App …
The Network
Our Facebook Page is updated daily, with almost 14,000 Likes, and up to 23,000 post engagement per week, with our live videos leading the way, the word is spreading … the new web site is looking awesome, with up to 12,000 visitors a month … We’re also getting new daily followers on Twitter and Instagram @whatsoncyprus, and our YouTube channel is wicked, so please subscribe. We’re keeping in fashion with a link to Pinterest so get following and sharing guys and let’s tell the world how cool this rock is !!!
Best Guide to Cyprus
I have to say a big thank you to all our readers without whom we wouldn’t be here … oh and if you’re not on the What’s On Cyprus network, you’d better hurry up! … I’m going to make this the best guide to Cyprus if it isn’t already!
Finally…
If I can give you one tip, make sure you do at least one thing you’ve never done before … at least once! … Coz 2021 is gonna be awesome !!!!
Na da’ boumen
Tony Dynamou
Cover Photo dedicated to my lovely lady Louise Shepphard, compliments of www.pixabay.com
