Like January, February in Cyprus may be reasonably warm and sunny, or it may be cold and wet. Sometimes it feels as if winter is coming to an end by about mid-February. This is good for families coming from the UK for their half-term week, hoping for some winter sunshine. However, weather in Cyprus in the winter is not predictable. You may find that it’s almost as cold as England. Sometimes it may even be wetter.
Still, the days are starting to get longer, and by the end of February the nights are not usually quite as cold as they are at the beginning. If you avoid the British schools’ half-term week, you should be able to get a fairly good value flight to Cyprus at this time of year, and the opportunity to visit the island when it is not crowded. You will need to bring warm clothes for evenings, even if you are lucky enough to experience sunshine during the day. Since rain in Cyprus can start with little warning, after a few sunny hours, it is also best to travel with an umbrella or waterproof jacket.
Cyprus usually looks green and luscious during February, so long as there has been at least some rain during the winter season. Visitors used to the dry, barren appearance of the island during the summer are often startled at the wild flowers and grass which seems to spring from nowhere during the winter months. The almond trees usually start to blossom, and bedding plants such as geraniums thrive, often growing considerably larger than their British counterparts.
Festivals in Cyprus in February
Valentine’s Day (February 14th) is fairly low-key in Cyprus. Perhaps this is surprising in the ‘island of love’, supposedly favoured by Aphrodite. However, many restaurants and hotels are happy to cash in on couples’ willingness to pay high prices for themed meals. So if you want to eat out, you will (unusually) probably need to book in advance. In some cases you may have to pay rather more than usual.
Carnival weekend sometimes falls during February. Almost unknown in the UK, this is a weekend of celebrating prior to the fasting period of Lent. Greek Orthodox Easter may fall any time from 4th April through to May 8th. The Carnival weekend is seven weeks before the Easter weekend. So in practice, it may fall any weekend from the middle of February until nearly the end of March. Children dress up and there are usually parades along the sea-fronts. Carnival is generally more innocent than than its equivalent in some Central European countries. But as the 21st century progresses, costumes seem to become skimpier and the celebrations more rowdy.
Green Monday, if it falls during February, is the first day of Eastern (Orthodox) Lent. While few Cypriots take fasting seriously these days, Green Monday at least is a day for avoiding meat. Families traditionally clean their houses from top to bottom. This is, theoretically, to get rid of any traces of foods which they should not eat. Afterwards they join with other families in a picnic, followed by kite-flying. However, if Green Monday falls in February, it may be too cold, wet or windy for a picnic.
See also:
Cyprus in January – Cyprus in March – Cyprus in April – Cyprus in May – Cyprus in June – Cyprus in July – Cyprus in August – Cyprus in September – Cyprus in October – Cyprus in November – Cyprus in December