Things to do in Cyprus beyond the sunbed

Plenty of people come home from Cyprus having done two things, the beach and a ruin or two in the morning. Fair enough, but the island offers far more, and most of what I love is cheap or free. Here are my ideas, ranked, with the dates I’ve been able to confirm in official sources. For a sight-by-sight approach, use my scored places to visit in Cyprus. If you only want what costs nothing, there’s my list of free things to do in Cyprus, and for gifts, souvenirs from Cyprus. Where to sleep in the mountains is in Troodos hotels, and on the south coast in Limassol hotels.

The mountains, in any season

The Troodos change with the seasons, which is why they’re at the top. In winter the Cyprus Ski Club opens the island’s only ski area on the slopes of Mount Olympus, usually from early January to late March, with four lifts. In 2026 a day pass cost non-members €15 on weekdays and €25 at weekends. The 2027 prices weren’t out yet. More in skiing in Cyprus.

The rest of the year the mountains belong to the painted churches. There are ten, UNESCO listed them in 1985, and they’re still places of worship, so there’s no entrance fee. With a car you’ll see three or four in a day, and if you sleep up there, even better. They’re all in the painted churches of Troodos. For walking there is hiking in Cyprus, the nature parks in Cyprus and the Troodos Geopark, which explains the rocks of the range.

Walking across the Green Line

For me this is what makes Cyprus click. In central Nicosia, at the end of Ledra Street, there’s a crossing into the north. Gov.uk notes that only people on foot can use the Ledra Street and Ledra Palace crossings, and that days in the north still count towards your Republic 90. Before you go, read crossing to northern Cyprus, especially the part about what you can bring back.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Limassol on Expedia and filter by area before price.

What is there to do at Christmas?

Tour the Christmas villages. This year the Deputy Ministry of Tourism picked nine, Agros, Deryneia, Kakopetria, Kalopanagiotis, Kyperounta, Lefkara, Lofou, Statos-Agios Fotios and Fikardou, open between 21-11-2026 and 6-1-2027 with wooden stalls, local produce, craft workshops and walks. It’s my favourite winter plan on the island, and I go into it in Christmas in Cyprus.

Crafts, wine and festivals

Two Cypriot traditions are on UNESCO’s lists and you can experience both. They’re Lefkara lace, on the list since 2009 with roots reaching back to at least the 1300s, and Commandaria, added in 2025. Visiting Lefkara is seeing a living craft, and a bottle of Commandaria is, for me, the souvenir most worth packing.

If you’re travelling in March 2027, time your trip around the Limassol Carnival, from 4 to 14 March, with the grand parade on Sunday 14 March, according to the Limassol tourism board. And if you’re in Limassol in early October 2026, the Wine Festival runs until 4 October in the Municipal Gardens.

If history is your thing, start with museums in Cyprus, archaeological sites in Cyprus, monasteries in Cyprus and castles in Cyprus, and in Limassol with Limassol old town. Underwater, the Zenobia wreck is the famous dive, and in winter flamingos gather on Larnaca salt lake. For something rural, there are the bees and honey of Kato Drys and Odou, or the fish at Zygi.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Limassol and pick one that fits your day.

Free or nearly free

In Limassol, beyond the churches, you can follow the twenty-stop walking route the tourism board launched in 2026 and finish among the sculptures on the Molos. In Nicosia, walking the Venetian walls and Ledra Street costs nothing. And at sunset, Cape Greco near Ayia Napa is the best end to a beach day. More ideas in my most beautiful places in Cyprus. On a cruise stop it’s the perfect plan, as I explain in Cyprus cruises. For the sea, start with Cyprus beaches, and for more, water sports in Cyprus and diving in Cyprus. On dry land there is golf in Cyprus too. Short on time, my 3 days in Cyprus and 5 days in Cyprus routes cover the essentials, and for evenings out, with closing times and warnings, there’s Cyprus nightlife.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Limassol before you arrive rather than at the desk.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Limassol on Booking.com and filter by area before price.