Christmas Villages in Cyprus 2026: Dates & All 9 Villages

From 21 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, nine Cypriot villages turn their squares into Christmas villages: wooden stalls, lights strung across stone lanes, local food, workshops and a visit from Agios Vasilis, the Cypriot Santa. This page lists every one of them, what each village is known for, and the bigger Christmas parks in Limassol, Nicosia and Ayia Napa. We update it as programmes are announced.

The 2026 dates at a glance

Until 20 December the villages open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only. From 21 December to 6 January they open every day. The Deputy Ministry of Tourism has not published opening hours for 2026 yet. Entry was free at all eight villages last year.

If you only have one weekend, pick by distance. Lofou is 26 km from Limassol, Lefkara 43 km from Larnaca, and Deryneia sits about 10 km from Ayia Napa. The Troodos villages (Agros, Kyperounta, Kakopetria, Kalopanagiotis) are a proper mountain drive, so plan a day and bring a jacket. December evenings at 1,000 m are cold.

How Cyprus got Christmas villages

The idea is five years old. In July 2021 Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios announced a first Christmas village, modelled on the markets of Vienna and Budapest. That winter, from 10 December 2021 to 6 January 2022, five mountain villages took part: Agros, Kyperounta, Platres, Kalopanagiotis and Kakopetria.

The programme grew out of Heartland of Legends, a rural route the ministry launched in September 2021 to pull visitors away from the coast. Villages apply through its grant scheme. By 2025 there were eight, one in every district: Platres had dropped out, and Lefkara, Fikardou, Deryneia and Statos-Agios Fotios had joined. Lofou makes it nine for 2026.

The European tradition behind it is much older. Dresden's Striezelmarkt began in 1434 as a one-day market on 23 December, and Vienna's December fairs go back to a permit granted in 1296. Cyprus kept the stalls and the lights and filled them with what its villages already make: rose water, lace, cured meats and wine.

The nine Christmas villages

Agros

Agros has been in the programme since the first year, and 2026 is its sixth Christmas village in a row. At 1,100 m in the Pitsilia area, it is famous for roses: you can watch rose water being distilled and buy it with jams, sweets, lountza and hiromeri from the village workshops. Last year the theme was "Saint Basil of the Roses", with a lighting ceremony, theatre and magic shows, stilt walkers and a local products market.

Kyperounta

At around 1,300 m, Kyperounta is one of the highest villages on the island, and the coldest stop on this list. It grows apples, makes wine and cures meat, and it has a winery and three small museums. In 2025 the village square had a lighting ceremony, a DJ, a parade of Disney characters and mulled wine.

Lofou (new in 2026)

The newcomer, and the easiest from Limassol at 26 km. Lofou is a hilltop village at 780 m with cobbled lanes, stone houses, an old schoolhouse, a small farming museum and a fountain from 1842, surrounded by vineyards and almond trees. Its first Christmas village programme has not been published yet.

Lefkara

Lefkara is the most visited of the Christmas villages. The village has made lace and silver filigree for centuries, and the local story says Leonardo da Vinci bought an altar cloth here in 1481. It is 43 km from Larnaca. Last year the Lefkara Christmas village ran as "SanTa Lefkara", with a street parade, majorettes, and Santa and Mrs Claus.

Fikardou

Fikardou is tiny and almost untouched. The whole village was declared an Ancient Monument in 1978 and won a Europa Nostra award in 1987 for the restoration of its 18th-century houses, two of which are now museums. In 2025 it ran a medieval Christmas village with a programme every day it was open, and the Fikardou Christmas Village 2026 is already confirmed.

Kakopetria

Kakopetria's old quarter sits where the Karkotis and Garillis rivers meet, and its narrow stone lanes are the setting for what it called a "Rock Christmas Village" last year, with workshops, sweets and music. Combine it with Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, one of the UNESCO-listed painted churches, just outside the village.

Kalopanagiotis

Another founding village. Kalopanagiotis, in the Marathasa valley, has the monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis with its UNESCO-listed frescoes, a Venetian bridge, a watermill and thermal springs. Last year the Christmas village filled the centre with a bazaar of handmade things, hot drinks and children's workshops. This year it returns as the Fairytale Christmas Village in Kalopanagiotis, with a tunnel of lights through the village.

Statos-Agios Fotios

The only Paphos village in the programme sits at 950 m in the hills, near Chrysorrogiatissa monastery. It is known for fruit, nuts, raisins and wine. Last year it called itself "Saint Basil's Village" and opened in the afternoons.

Deryneia

The only lowland village, about 10 km from Ayia Napa, so it works for anyone staying on the east coast. Deryneia is the island's strawberry capital, and last year it ran "Christmas Strawberry Land" on Panagia Square in the evenings, with a market, concerts and Santa. Its folk art museum is worth the stop, and so is the Famagusta viewpoint, which looks across the buffer zone into the fenced-off town of Varosha. See what else is on near Ayia Napa.

Christmas in the cities

The nine villages are the ministry's programme. The cities run their own, bigger and louder, with Ferris wheels and rides. None has announced 2026 dates yet, so the details below are from last season. We will update them as they come in.

Limassol Christmas Land, Old Port. Last year it ran from 21 November to 6 January with free entry, a Ferris wheel, rides and food stalls, open from 14:00 on weekdays and from 12:00 at weekends until 23:00. Limassol Old Port. This year Limassol also has a Christmas Street on 28 and 29 November.

Nicosia Christmas Fairyland, D'Avila moat. The moat below the Venetian walls turns into a fairground with a Ferris wheel. Last season it ran from 20 November to 11 January. A few minutes' walk away, the Nicosia Christmas Market on Eleftheria Square runs from 28 November to 21 December 2026, and the one-day German Christmas Market is on 6 December.

Ayia Napa Marina. The marina's Christmas village ran on weekends from 29 November to 28 December last year, plus 24 and 26 December, with Santa's grotto on Sundays.

All Christmas events in Cyprus for 2026

Every Christmas village, market and show we have confirmed so far. More arrive every week, so check Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Troodos, or the kids' events in Nicosia.

Christmas Villages programme. 21 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, nine villages across Cyprus.

Fikardou Christmas Village. 21 November to 6 January, Fikardou.

Fairytale Christmas Village, Kalopanagiotis. 21 November to 6 January, Kalopanagiotis.

Christmas Market at Mall of Cyprus. 21 November to 31 December, Mall of Cyprus, Nicosia, free.

Paralimni Christmas lights. 22 November, 18:00, St George's Square, Paralimni, free.

Christmas Street in Limassol. 28 and 29 November, Limassol, free.

Nicosia Christmas Market. 28 November to 21 December, Eleftheria Square, Nicosia, free.

German Christmas Market. 6 December, Eleftheria Square, Nicosia, free.

Christmas Festival at CyHerbia. 12 and 13 December, CyHerbia Botanical Park, from 7 euros.

Christmas at the Presidential Palace. 19 and 20 December, Presidential Palace, Nicosia, free.

Santa's Embassy in Pano Arodes. 19 and 20 December, Pano Arodes, Paphos, free.

Christmas villages in Cyprus: your questions answered

When are the Christmas villages in Cyprus open in 2026?

From 21 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Until 20 December they open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. From 21 December they open every day.

How many Christmas villages are there this year?

Nine: Agros, Kyperounta, Lofou, Lefkara, Fikardou, Kakopetria, Kalopanagiotis, Statos-Agios Fotios and Deryneia. Lofou is new for 2026.

Do you pay to enter?

Entry was free at every village in 2025. The 2026 terms have not been announced, and we will update this page when they are.

Which Christmas village is closest to Limassol?

Lofou, 26 km away. Agros and Kyperounta are further up in the Troodos.

Which one is best for families staying in Ayia Napa or Protaras?

Deryneia, about 10 km from Ayia Napa, opens in the evenings and has a market, concerts and Santa.

When did Cyprus start doing Christmas villages?

In December 2021, with five mountain villages: Agros, Kyperounta, Platres, Kalopanagiotis and Kakopetria.