Yachts work the Cyprus coast from April into November, a longer season than most of the Mediterranean, and summer is almost free of rain. The summer wind keeps a daily rhythm: light in the morning, a westerly or south-westerly breeze building through the afternoon, usually to force 3–5, and calm again at night. Stronger westerlies, when they come, are felt most on the west coast around Paphos and the Akamas, so captains make the longer passages early and spend the breezy hours at anchor.

APRIL AND MAY

21–27°C

Best for wild flowers, walks and ancient sites

Spring comes early to Cyprus. The Akamas trails are green and bright with wild flowers, the mosaics and theatres are comfortable to explore before the heat, and the anchorages are quiet. The sea is still fresh, about 18°C in April and 20–21°C by the end of May. Easter in the Orthodox calendar, usually in April or the first days of May, is the high point of the Cypriot year, with midnight services in every town and village.

JUNE

27–30°C

Best for warm water and the Festival of the Flood

By June the sea has warmed to around 23–24°C, the evenings stay light until late, and the afternoon breeze takes the edge off the heat. Kataklysmos, the Festival of the Flood, falls at Pentecost in late May or June and fills Larnaca’s seafront with stalls, music and tsiattista. The peak of the summer crowds is still a few weeks away, so the bays and harbours have room to spare.

JULY AND AUGUST

30–33°C

Best for long swims and lively waterfronts

Midsummer brings cloudless days, hotter inland around Nicosia than on the coast, and the sea at about 26–28°C. The afternoon westerly is at its most regular, so the crew plans passages for the morning. August is when Cypriots take their own holidays, especially in mid-August, when 15 August, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, is a public holiday, and beaches, tavernas and marinas are at their fullest, so secure your yacht and your favourite tables early.

SEPTEMBER

28–31°C

Best for warm water and the grape harvest

The water is still at its summer high, around 27°C, but the heat eases a little and the August holidaymakers have gone home. In the hill villages above Limassol the grapes are picked, and those destined for Commandaria are spread out in the sun to dry before pressing. Warm swims, emptier anchorages and long golden evenings make September an easy choice for almost any kind of charter.

OCTOBER

26–28°C

Best for swimming after summer ends elsewhere

October still feels like summer in Cyprus. The sea holds at around 24–25°C, the light softens and rain is rare, although the first autumn showers can arrive late in the month. Cyprus marks Independence Day, a public holiday, on 1 October. The swimming lasts into November, when the water is still about 22°C, so a late-season week here can follow a summer spent elsewhere.