Winter in Cyprus: Golf, Sports, and Active Year-Round Living

Cyprus is still often described as an island of beaches and summer holidays. But winter here tells a different story. The temperature remains between +15-18 degrees Celsius. From November to February, the roads are full of cyclists in professional team kits, golf courses stay green and busy, and sports clubs work on their normal schedules. Winter doesn’t pause life here, it simply changes the rhythm.

That’s why wintering in Cyprus is increasingly chosen by people who want to stay active, social and outdoors all year, not just escape the cold for a few weeks.

Golf in Cyprus: small island, serious level

Golf has become one of the clearest signs of how Cyprus has changed. Today, the island has four championship 18-hole golf courses:  Aphrodite Hills, Minthis, Secret Valley and Elea with Limassol Greens adding a new large-scale golf project currently under development. For a compact country, this is a strong concentration.

Aphrodite Hills stands apart. Its course holds the official PGA National Cyprus status, the only one on the island, a fact openly referenced by the PGA and European golf bodies. This status is not symbolic: it reflects course quality, maintenance standards and international recognition. Aphrodite Hills has also hosted professional European Tour events, which placed Cyprus firmly on the winter golf map.

Minthis offers a different feel: quieter, more scenic, more about rhythm and landscape. It has also received high international rankings among European golf resorts, reinforcing the island’s reputation beyond tourism brochures.

Importantly, Aphrodite Hills, Minthis and Limassol Greens are not just golf courses. They are fully developed residential environments:

• homes integrated into the landscape

• pedestrian paths and cycling routes

• children’s playgrounds and green zones

• clubhouses, spas, restaurants and cafés

• small retail galleries and daily services

This creates a real community, not a seasonal resort. People live here permanently, children go to school nearby, and sport becomes part of everyday life.

If you want to see how this lifestyle translates into real options, Cyprus Sotheby’s International Realty curates a dedicated selection of golf real estate in Cyprus — properties designed for year-round living near golf and sports infrastructure.

Learning, training and community, not just playing

Another reason golf works so well here is access to coaching. At major resorts, golf academies operate year-round, with structured lessons for adults and children. Beginners learn from scratch, while experienced players fine-tune their game during the winter season.

The same applies to tennis, which has long been established on the island. Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca host modern tennis centres, academies and private clubs. Many coaches are former professional or semi-professional players from Europe who relocate to Cyprus because of the climate and stable demand. Junior tournaments and amateur competitions run throughout the year, especially in winter when courts in Northern Europe are closed.

And then there is padel — the fastest-growing sport on the island right now. New padel courts are opening across Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca, both as standalone clubs and inside residential projects. It’s social, accessible, and easy to combine with coaching or casual play, which makes it especially popular among residents and expats.

More winter sport: swimming, cycling, football

Golf and tennis are supported by a broader sports ecosystem.

Cyprus has Olympic-size swimming pools (50 m) operating year-round in Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, some of them heated in winter. Because of this, national swimming teams from different European countries regularly come to Cyprus for winter training camps, combining pool work with mild outdoor conditions.

Cycling is everywhere in winter. Coastal roads and mountain climbs are used by professional and amateur riders alike, and it’s common to see branded team kits on the roads in January.

Football clubs from Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe also return every winter for training camps and friendly matches, it’s a long-standing tradition that reflects how reliable the climate is.

Why this matters if you’re thinking about relocation 

For many people, winter activity is what turns a short stay into a bigger decision. Relocating to Cyprus is no longer just about sunshine or tax planning, it’s about maintaining a lifestyle that doesn’t shrink in winter.

If you’re exploring that step, Cyprus Sotheby’s International Realty regularly publishes insights on relocation, practical considerations and long-term living on the island. You can start with their relocation-focused articles in the blog: Relocating to Cyprus – Market & Lifestyle Insights

A winter that doesn’t pause your life

What makes Cyprus different is not one sport or one resort. It’s the consistency. Golf courses stay open. Tennis courts stay booked. Children keep training. Adults keep routines. Communities stay alive.

That’s why winter here feels less like an off-season and more like a quieter, better-balanced version of the year and why homes around golf courses and sports hubs have become some of the most resilient and desirable forms of property investment in Cyprus.

If you’re considering winter living, relocation or simply want to understand which areas best match your lifestyle, you can request a complimentary consultation with local experts here.