Happy New Year
It’s January, a new year is born, it’s time to put the decorations away for another year. Just like every day I woke up this morning, looked out my kitchen window down to the sea and thought, ‘ahh well we’ve got one more day, I might as well be happy’ … I grabbed my dog ‘Bandit’ and took him down the coast for our daily one hour walk along the coastal pathway, enjoying the unusual white horses breaking onto the rocks, taking in the fresh air and spray, that btw contains a natural Iodene, thinking to myself; ‘I’m so lucky to live here’ … then I thought; ‘It wasn’t luck, it was calculated’, when I decided to move to paradise in 1993 …
The Best
It was way back 32 years ago when I launched my guide to Cyprus. I didn’t just want any old guide to Cyprus, I wanted the best guide to Cyprus. The magazine days were just amazing, Napa was the clubbing capital of Europe, and Paphos, the place to be if you’re looking for history … Protaras, was more a couples and gorgeous beaches thing, Larnaca and Limassol a more cosmopolitan swing, and Nicosia as always, a thriving capital … Ahhh, a little nostalgia is good for the soul.
Original
It’s now an article-based online guide, and with our finger firmly on the pulse of Cyprus, we’ve been sharing and writing about the best places to eat, drink, and be merry for over 32 years. With 76 categories in 8 major cities, we probably have one of the biggest databases on Cyprus, so if you can’t find it on our site and you need a personal recommendation send us a message … and btw, I’ve got a new drone and one of those steady cam thingies, so get ready for some really cool Live Videos this year as we take What’s On Cyprus into a new era …
It’s January
I believe Cyprus has the best climate in the world; long hot summers, and short mild winters. As usual, we enjoyed an Indian summer all the way to Christmas and we could still swim in the Med and it looks like it’s going to continue through January. In a way, I’m glad to see the back of 2024, as many of our followers know I’ve had a bit of a nightmare this year but I said, ‘I was gonna smash it’, and I did! I’m still as positive as ever, in fact, more so, and I just know 2025 is going to be the best year ever!
How Extreme
You may have noticed, I love Cyprus with a passion and as I’ve always said; “Cyprus is ‘versatility to the extreme!” … How Extreme??? … Well, where else you can snow ski in the Troodos Mountains in the morning, and in about an hour you can be swimming in the Med, which btw never drops below 15°C … Naturally if you prefer, you can do it the other way around, then you can get into some ‘Après Ski’, chilling out next to a lovely open log fire, in a gorgeous log cabin, somewhere in the Troodos Mountains.
Seasonal
Another reason I love our winter season is coz it brings us my favourite fruit, Cyprus thick-skin oranges are in season, not to mention the world-famous Cyprus new potatoes, Mmm! and at this time of the year the air is still so fresh and clear, with no heat haze, so we’ll be topping up the tan at breakfast out by the pool. In fact, in January the air is so clear you can often see the mountains, really vividly and don’t you just love it when everything is so
green? It also means that summer is getting closer, the days already getting longer and
warmer and, I wish it would hurry up, I miss my flip-flops!
Catch Up
January also gives us a chance to catch up with our seasonal workaholic friends, maybe light a BBQ on those lovely hot sunny days, or gather round an open fire on chilly nights, crack the ice to finish off the Bailey’s leftover from Christmas, and catch up with the years’ news. As usual, Cyprus went from summer to winter in just a few days, much as it was absolutely fabulous through December with temperatures hitting 25°C, apart from a few days of rain, omg! didn’t it rain??? I’m sure it was more than last year? … but with those clear skies, it’s getting really cold at night, I even had to put the duvet on the bed by the end of November which is unheard of!
Skiing Season
It’s surprising how many people don’t realise that it’s skiing season in The Troodos Mountains which have been covered in snow since mid-December, and it normally should continue ’til mid-March. I love Troodos in the winter, it’s a totally different Cyprus up there, some say ‘the real Cyprus’ and in January it really comes into its element. There’s a unique skiing experience in Troodos, all geared up for their very short season and you can even hire ski and board equipment if you’re into a little spontaneity and some of the accommodation is a dream, total tranquillity comes to mind! For more info visit, www.skicyprus.com
Huskey Sledding
Remember I said that ‘Cyprus is Versatility to the Extreme’ and as you know I love finding new things to do. A few years ago I met the wonderful ‘Ali’ who launched her Husky Sledding in Troodos back in 2018, so if you wanna try something new give her a call and get ready for something a little different! … Oh, and if there’s not enough snow, Alison invites you to spend an hour or two with her huskies in their mountains … Did I say ‘versatile’?
Winter Walks
Naturally, we all miss the vibe of the summer months, but I do love the peace and quiet
walking the dog along those fresh sunny coastal paths, catching the aroma of those sea
breezes and spray, the Natural Iodine is invigorating, to say the least! Maybe you can take a stroll around one of our many harbours or fishing shelters and of course stopping to sample the fresh fish taverns, with a backdrop of those gorgeous winter sunsets, an explosion of reds, oranges and purples! … Just click eating out and then choose ‘Beach Side, or any one of 15 cuisines selections …
Eateries
There’s many good restaurants open in our coastal resorts, providing traditional Cypriot cuisine and hospitality and tbh, just about every other cuisine you can think of. If eating out isn’t your thing at the moment, currently many also offer a takeaway or delivery service, often via Foody and Wolt Delivery services … there’s normally plenty of bars and stylie cafes serving proper, single-source Arabica coffee, with lovely open fires and those tall gas heaters, and we recommend a few providing regular live entertainment.
Kids & Grown Ups
Why not take the kids to Paphos Zoo or The Camel Park in Mazados, near Larnaca,
both must be finding it very hard to feed all thier animals at the mo, so please give
them some support … another great idea is Sayious Adventure Park, in Asgata, Limassol or just wait ’til you see what they’re doing at the Cyprus Maze and the awesome Cyherbia Botanical Gardens in Avgorou
Shopaholics
It’s also shopping season, with the February sales starting earlier every year, I think they
started on Black Friday this year … Ladies, check out the stylish Brouska and guys,
BrouskaBlu in Paphos, Larnaca and Nicosia or The unisex in style of Y2K in Napa and
Protaras or London Clothing Company, who have shops all over Cyprus … and if you need some help with the Local Lingo click here
Get Some Ink
I’m led to believe, if you live in Norway, you can pop over to Cyprus for a week, with
accommodation and get a cool tattoo by a really cool artist for less money than staying at home, check out our excellent Tattooists here
Let it Rain
We are of course in the rainy season and I just love those winter storms! You know, we need all the rain we can get and as we only average 35-40 rainy days rain a year, who cares? … These days, Cyprus is of course an all-year-round destination. Well, at least we’re moving in the right direction, expecting visitors to increase steadily over the next few years, targeting 5 million visitors a year, naturally this can only happen by increasing the number of tourist beds available, which is totally evident, and of course by providing more ‘Things to Do’ for our visitors, inevitably making Cyprus an all-year-round destination!
Looking Ahead
It would be nice to see a few more golf courses, especially on the east coast to match
the 5 up west, and with more and more sports clubs choosing Cyprus for their winter
training sports facilities and training grounds. Cyprus has been described as the new Monaco in the Med again, with at least 3 more new modern marinas on the way and gyms, leisure complexes and boutique hotels with luxury spas and, most of our theatres are open all year … well, I’m sure you’re getting my drift. In turn, this of course will help to increase winter tourism. I know it’s on its way, all you have to do is believe, oh and, as the ex-marketing manager of the Cyprus Tourist Organisation once said “rely on private enterprise” and btw, I’ve got lots of really good ideas if you’re interested?
Cultural Cyprus
I also love the way Cyprus has become more cultural, especially after Paphos’ hosting of
The European Capital of Culture back in 2017 and it seems Cyprus has finally got the
cultural bug and we’ll continue to see an increasing swing toward the modern world and
it’s natural, holistic, and cultural lifestyle … click here for a more extensive cultural guide by the Cyprus Tourist Information offices.
Wine Tasting Tours
January is also an excellent time to indulge in Cyprus’s world-renowned wines and spirits. The island boasts many vineyards, mostly in the Limassol and Paphos regions. So, why not, consider joining a wine-tasting tour to savour the unique flavours of Cypriot wines? … We have a cool article on here called ‘Driving You to Drink’ by my very good friend Stanna that makes a good read, and a nice day out … hic!
The Network
The Website is looking cool, it has over 1,800 pages of information about Cyprus with
more than 30,000 photos and videos all one-word searchable! Our Facebook page is
our daily stuff, with links to our Website and YouTube Channel and not forgetting
everyone following us on Instagram and Twitter … oh, and you can help us too, if you’ll
please tell your friends about us … I Hope you find what you want, if not, phone me! …
or go www.whatsoncy.com and try a one-word search!
Finally
I just want to finish off by saying a big Happy New Year to everyone who has helped me
make this network guide, the official, most original and I believe the best guide to Cyprus! … and if you enjoyed this read do follow us on your favourite social media app for More …
And Really Finally
If I can leave you with just one tip for January … make sure you do at least one thing
you’ve never done before! I gotta feeling 2025 is gonna be my favourite year!
Na Da Bou’men !
Tony Dynamou
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