Best time to visit?
The winter months are December, January, and
February with max temperatures from 17C to 19C and rain is to be expected. Rain here is
often torrential, but does not usually last long. However, even in the winter months, when
the sun shines, which is more often than not, it is warm enough to eat breakfast on the
patio.
At any time of the year, the sunlight is
intense. When you sit outside, it is necessary to position oneself in the shade. In
November, and the winter months, and to a lesser extent in October and March, day time
temperatures are usually pleasant, comparable to the best early summer days of Northern
Europe, but once the sun begins to set it does begin to feel chilly, and you may then need
to wear a sweater. But it is often possible to eat your Christmas dinner outdoors.
March sees the beginning of the tourist season
even though it can still seem (to the acclimatised!) a little chilly at nights. April, May
and June are very popular months, nights are warm, and the fields are carpeted with spring
flowers. This is followed by the hot, dry months of July and August. These two months are
strictly for dedicated sun-worshippers. It can be very hot indeed, and there is never any
rain. Then follows the 'second spring', when a little rain is to be expected. September
and October are many peoples' favourite months. It is still very warm, but not unbearably
so.
Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate. No
matter what time of the year, it is always warmer than northern climates. In Cyprus
gardens you will see flowers all year round.
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Why Northern Cyprus?
Those who visit Northern Cyprus usually
return. It is a quiet place. It has not been overrun by tourists. Northern Cyprus is a
land of beaches, mountains, castles and villages where time stood still many years ago -
well, actually, sometime in the late fifties. If you are old enough there are many things
here that you will recall from your childhood, including the music!
Even in Kyrenia, a major town by the standards
of Northern Cyprus, the old harbour looks pretty much as it did in 1914, although what
once were Carob warehouses are now restaurants and bars.
There is one Turkish word that visitors
quickly learn : Yavash=Slowly. There is time. And there is Cyprus time. In Cyprus, no one
is in a hurry.
But, like all countries where the pace of life
is slow, the people are friendly, and the Turkish Cypriot smile is as bright and as warm
as the Cyprus sunshine.
About 200,000 people live in this small
country, which is only 120 miles from east to west and about 15 miles from north to south.
However, the topography, from the dry central plain, to the mountains, to the coast and
beaches, is dramatic in its contrasts. In addition, Northern Cyprus has a wide variety of
wild flora and fauna, and is a stopping off point for many species of migrating birds, and
there is also a green turtle conservation area.
Historically, there is also much of interest.
Cyprus was repeatedly invaded over the centuries, each invasion leaving a legacy that
survives to this day.
So, when you visit Northern Cyprus, forget
time, forget stress, forget rain and grey days, just relax in the sunshine and do your own
thing.
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