Snow Days in Troodos: When It Snows, Where to Sledge and How to Drive Up Safely

Snow in Cyprus means the high Troodos: the slopes of Mount Olympus (Chionistra, 1,951 m) and the area around Troodos Square, usually between late December and March. On the first sunny weekend after a snowfall half the island seems to drive up, so the trick is to check the roads before you leave, go early, bring your own sledge and park properly.

This guide is for families and anyone who simply wants a day in the snow. If you want to ski, our skiing in Troodos guide covers the pistes, lifts, hire and lessons.

When does it snow in Troodos?

Visit Cyprus, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's site, says the mountain snow season usually starts shortly before Christmas, and it gives January temperatures of around 3°C by day on the higher parts of the Troodos, with average lows of about 0°C. The Limassol Tourism Board says skiing conditions are best from January to March.

Real winters vary a lot, so here is what recent winters looked like:

The pattern is clear: snow settles on the highest ground and rarely lasts long. A single warm, sunny week can melt it, and some winters bring only a handful of good snow weekends. Lower villages such as Platres or Kakopetria see snow less often and it melts faster. For what the rest of the island's winter is like, see our guide to winter weather in Cyprus.

How do you check if there is snow and if the roads are open?

Check three things on the evening before and again on the morning you go.

1. The weather forecast and warnings

The Department of Meteorology publishes the official forecasts and issues yellow, orange and red warnings. It mentions snow on the "higher peaks of the Troodos" when it expects it, as in the yellow warning of 13 February 2026. More detailed forecasts by area are on the Cyprus Weather Forecast site, launched by the Cyprus Institute with the Department of Meteorology. Heavy snow overnight often means closed roads in the morning, so the best day is usually the first clear day after a snowfall.

2. The Cyprus Ski Club's road and piste page and webcam

The Cyprus Ski Club keeps a piste and road conditions page listing each route as open to all vehicles, open only to 4x4s and cars with chains, or closed. The routes are Karvounas–Troodos, Platres–Troodos, Prodromos–Dias, Troodos–Sun Valley, Troodos–Dias and Prodromos–Sun Valley. The page also shows the snow depth on the Dias slope and the time of the last update. Its North Face webcam shows you whether there is really snow on the ground.

3. Police road announcements

The Cyprus Police decide when roads close or are limited to 4x4s and chains. They announce it on their social media accounts (the February 2025 closure was posted on X, and in 2023 the Cyprus Mail also pointed readers to their Facebook page), and the announcements are reported within minutes by the Cyprus Mail, Cyprus News Agency and other news sites. Search "Troodos roads" on the morning you go to find the latest.

Where can you sledge and play in the snow?

Most families head for the area around Troodos Square and the Sun Valley ski area just below Mount Olympus. Both are reached by road and have car parks, and the square was snow-covered on the first big weekend of January 2026.

There are two family runs, at Dias and Sun Valley. In January 2026, when the main pistes had too little snow, the Sun Valley family run and baby lift were open, mainly for beginners, children and light snow activity. Check the conditions page to see what is open on the day.

A few rules keep everyone safe:

• Stay off open pistes while skiers are using them, and keep sledges away from lift lines.
• Never drive onto the slopes. In January 2026 the first piste of the season had to close temporarily after 4x4s drove onto it, and police said vehicles on the slopes damage them.
• Do not walk along the mountain roads. Police have described pedestrians on the roads to Troodos as a serious safety concern.
• Keep out of fenced areas. The summit of Mount Olympus has radar installations, including an RAF station, so stay outside the fences and follow any signs.

Where to get a sledge

We could not confirm any shop or stall on the mountain that hires sledges. The Cyprus Ski Club shop hires skis, boots and snowboards (see our skiing guide), not sledges. Buy a simple plastic sledge in town before the season and keep it in the car, so you are ready to go when snow is forecast.

How do you drive up to Troodos safely in snow?

Which way to go

• From Limassol: the B8 climbs past Trimiklini and Saittas towards Platres and Troodos. The Limassol Tourism Board puts the drive at about an hour in normal conditions. The final stretch from Platres is the Platres–Troodos road, one of the first to be restricted.
• From Nicosia: go via Kakopetria and Karvounas, then take the Karvounas–Troodos road. On 21 January 2026, police warned of frost on the Kakopetria–Karvounas road.
• From Paphos: you can take the motorway to Limassol and then the B8, or go inland through the western villages via Prodromos. The inland roads are slower and more exposed: on 21 January 2026 police reported landslides on several roads around Kykkos and Pedoulas.

Chains, 4x4 and the car

When snow is lying, police often open the Platres, Karvounas and Prodromos roads to Troodos only to four-wheel-drive vehicles or cars fitted with snow chains. They did this again on 12 January 2026. On the evening of 10 January 2026, ten cars got stuck trying to climb despite the warnings, and police had to help drivers turn back, some with damaged cars.

1. Buy chains that fit your tyre size and practise fitting them at home, in daylight and dry weather.
2. Fill up with fuel in town before you climb, and keep warm clothes, water and snacks in the car in case you are held in a queue.
3. Use dipped headlights, keep your distance and slow down, as police advise, especially in fog and on shaded bends where ice lingers in the late afternoon.
4. Do not go up in a car that is not suitable. Police turn unsuitable cars back, and you may have to wait in a long queue just to turn around.

Parking and police traffic measures

On snowy weekends police set up special traffic measures around Troodos, and they close roads when traffic builds up, as they did on 14 January 2024 and 9 February 2025. Park only in marked car parks, never on the main road or on yellow lines (a snow-covered line still gets you a ticket), and do not box other cars in. Arriving before about 09:30 on a weekend, or going on a weekday, makes everything easier: in February 2024 the Sun Valley car park was already filling by 09:30.

How do you stay warm and safe in the snow?

• Dress in layersWith waterproof trousers and gloves for children who will be sitting in the snow. Bring spare dry socks, gloves and a change of clothes for the drive home.
• Watch for hypothermia. Shivering, numb fingers, confusion or a child who goes quiet and pale are all signs to get them into a warm car or café straight away. Wet clothes and wind chill cool you much faster than the air temperature suggests.
• Use sun cream and sunglasses. The sun reflects strongly off the snow.
• Take all your rubbish homeIncluding broken sledges, and leave the trees and fences alone.
• Know when to leave. Roads refreeze as the sun drops, so start heading down by mid-afternoon.

Where can you warm up?

There is the Dias restaurant at the Zeus lift chalet (+357 25 420105) and cafeterias at North Face and Sun Valley; the Cyprus Ski Club's restaurants page shows which are open. There are more restaurants and cafés around Troodos Square, but tables fill quickly on snowy weekends.

Further down, Platres has cafés, tavernas and hotels and makes a calmer lunch stop; see our Platres area guide. On the B8 at Trimiklini, there are public toilets next to the Alpha Mega supermarket, behind a coffee shop, which is a useful stop on the way up or down.

Can you stay overnight?

Staying overnight lets you be on the snow before the day crowds arrive. There are hotels around Troodos Square and in Platres, but many mountain businesses open seasonally, so book directly and confirm the hotel is open on your dates and how you will reach it if police close the roads. Keep in mind that a closure can also stop you getting down.

What to do next

• Want to ski? Read our skiing in Troodos guide.
• Come back after the thaw, when the Troodos waterfalls are at their fullest.
• For a snowy walk with proper boots, try the Artemis trail around Mount Olympus. Check the trail conditions first and turn back if it is icy.