Citrus Season in Cyprus: Oranges, Mandarins and Where to Buy Straight from the Farm

Citrus season in Cyprus runs from roughly October to June, and December to March is when you get the widest choice: oranges, Mandora and other easy-peel mandarins, grapefruit and lemons all at once. To buy straight from the growers, head to a producers' market such as the Strovolos Public Market on Fridays, Nicosia's Ochi market or Larnaca's Saturday farmers' market, rather than a supermarket.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Market days and hours below come from the municipalities' own pages; check them before a long drive, as they change with the seasons.

When is citrus season in Cyprus?

The Cyprus Trade Centre in Dubai, which promotes Cypriot exports, describes the island as having a full range of citrus from October to June. A 2013 study at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) gives the same window. In practice the season builds up in late autumn, peaks through winter and tails off with late oranges in spring and early summer.

What that means for your shopping:

• Late autumn and early winter: the first navel oranges and early soft citrus reach the markets.
• Mid-winter: the busiest time, with oranges, Mandora, Nova and other mandarins, grapefruit and lemons all available.
• Spring: oval oranges and late Valencia oranges take over. Cypriot late ovals normally last until mid-May, although in March 2025 strong demand ended that year's crop early.
• Lemons are a winter and spring fruit in Cyprus, and are the one citrus you can usually find for most of the year.

Which oranges, mandarins and lemons grow in Cyprus?

Mandora is the one to try first. The CUT study describes it as the most widely grown citrus in Cyprus, a cross between an orange and a mandarin. It is firmer to peel than a clementine and has more bite, which many people prefer. The same study notes growing demand for red-fleshed grapefruit and seedless white Marsh grapefruit, while Nova and Minneola fill out the easy-peel range.

Where are oranges grown in Cyprus?

Cypriot citrus grows on the irrigated coastal plains. A 1994 paper in Acta Horticulturae put the citrus area at about 7,000 hectares in the government-controlled areas, mainly in the Limassol district, and a similar area in the north, mainly around Morphou. A Cyprus Post stamp issue on citrus records that the island lost 79% of its citrus production after the 1974 invasion, much of it in the Morphou area.

Today the main orchards are in the Limassol district, on the flat coastal land west of the city towards Kolossi and Episkopi, and the island's citrus exporters are based in and around Limassol. Episkopi even has a festival for the blossom (see below).

Oranges are still grown around Morphou in the north. In February 2024 growers there protested over low prices for Mandora, a reminder that the fruit's name is tied to the whole island.

Where can you buy citrus straight from the farmer?

We could not find any citrus farm shop with its own working website and published opening hours, so we have not listed one. The most reliable way to buy from growers is at markets where farmers sell their own produce. Our guide to the best markets in Cyprus covers each one in more detail.

The Ochi market has moved for now. In May 2026 Nicosia Municipality announced that the market would leave its usual site by the Bayraktar mosque for about seven months and run from the car park next to the Podocataro bastion. Check where it is before you go.

Tips for buying direct

1. Go early. Farmers' markets start at dawn and the best fruit goes first.
2. Ask about bulk. If you juice every day, ask whether the grower sells by the bag or crate and at what price per kilo.
3. Buy a few first. Try two or three fruits from a stall before buying a big bag; Mandora in particular varies from sweet to sharp.
4. Bring cash and your own bags. Not every stall takes cards.
5. Ask what is in season. If a stall has one variety one week and another the next, that is the season moving on, not a sign of poor quality.

How do you store and juice Cypriot citrus?

• Short term: a bowl in a cool room is fine for a few days. Keep fruit out of direct sun and away from the oven.
• Longer: keep oranges and mandarins loose in the fridge's fruit drawer. Do not seal them in plastic bags, as trapped moisture encourages mould.
• Check the crate: go through a bulk bag every couple of days and take out any soft fruit, as one mouldy orange quickly spoils the ones touching it.
• Lemons keep longest. For winter cooking, squeeze a batch and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.
• Juicing: fruit at room temperature gives more juice. Roll each one firmly on the worktop before cutting. Oval and Valencia oranges are the classic juicing fruit; Mandora juice is sweet with a sharper edge.
• Peel: scrub unwaxed fruit from the market and zest it before juicing. Dried peel is good in cakes, tea and stews.

How do you make a citrus spoon sweet (glyko)?

Glyka tou koutaliou are fruit preserves served on a small spoon with a glass of cold water, the classic welcome in a Cypriot home. Visit Cyprus lists bergamot and citrus peel among the common flavours. Kitromilo is made from the bitter Seville orange, which is too sour to eat raw.

The method is like slow marmalade:

1. Prepare the peel. Cut it into strips or curls, then soak it in water, traditionally with a little cooking lime, so it stays firm.
2. Soak again in water with lemon juice, which keeps the colour bright and glossy.
3. Cook it slowly in sugar syrup, often over several days, until the peel is translucent. Flavour with cinnamon, vanilla or a scented geranium leaf.

If you would rather buy a jar, these makers keep the craft going:

• Niki's Sweets, Agros. The family company, set up officially in 1989, makes around 90 products, and bitter oranges are among its ingredients. Find it on Cyprus Agrotourism and call before visiting the village. Agros also makes a good stop on a mountain weekend like our Kakopetria and Galata trip.
• Ermi Traditional Sweets, Agioi Vavatsinias. Larnaka Region lists tours of its workshop, which makes more than 40 spoon sweets and preserves. See the Larnaka Region food tours page for contact details.

For more traditional desserts, see our guide to Cypriot sweets.

Is there a citrus festival in Cyprus?

Yes, but it celebrates the blossom, not the harvest. Episkopi village in the Limassol district holds a Citrus Blossom Festival in spring. The 2025 edition was on Sunday 6 April in Eleftheria Square, with demonstrations of blossom water and sweets, tastings of local jams and a free evening concert. The 2027 date had not been announced as of October 2026; it has usually been held in April or early May, so look for the announcement in March.

What to do next

• Pick your nearest farmers' market from the table above and go on a weekday or Saturday morning in December or January, when the choice is widest.
• Buy a mixed bag (a few Mandora, some navels and a handful of lemons) to find your favourites.
• Use what you buy in your weekly cooking with our seasonal produce and healthy eating guide.
• For everything a market does not stock, see our supermarkets in Cyprus guide.
• Want to see farm life up close? Try agrotourism in Cyprus.