We may not be able to go out and about exploring right now, but My Cyprus Insider has handpicked photos from a select few villages from around the island to keep you inspired while you let your imagination carry you away at home!
1. Kalopanayiotis
Deep in the Marathassa Valley, this village hot spot is famed for its sulphur springs, Venetian bridges and the gorgeous UNESCO Heritage Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery.
2. Fikardou
Renowned as one of the most picturesque villages on the island, deep in the Pistisillia district not far from Nicosia, this practically deserted place has retained its medieval charm with traditional brick houses and red tiled roofs telling glorious tales of yesteryear.
3. Lofou
A gorgeous spot in the Limassol winegrowing district, this village doesn’t have many permanent residents, but the old stone houses cradling the cobbled lanes have been beautifully restored while the neoclassical old primary school is regarded one of the most beautiful on the island.
4. Lefkara
Famed for its lace and silverware shops, this pretty Larnaca district village is witnessing a real revival of late, with cafés, wine bars, new shops and restaurants giving this traditional place a hip new twist.
5. Kato Drys
Lefkara’s neighbouring village also deserves special attention, with hilly streets filled with flower pots home to graceful stone buildings and an old school that looks like it has stepped out of a black and white movie.
6. Lania
With a number of foreign artists having set up base in this beautiful Limassol district village famed for its glorious flowers and idyllic courtyards, we love the old black and white photos placed around the village that take visitors back to days gone by.
Photo: cyprusexpat.co.uk
7. Kakopetria
Hands down one of the most well-known villages in the Troodos Mountains for good reason, it offers a real taste of authentic Cyprus, with the old part of the village famed for its traditional old stone and wood houses, while elderly ladies sit outside their doors selling traditional spoon sweets.
8. Omodos
At the epicentre of the Limassol winegrowing district, the village is built around the rather majestic Monastery of the Holy Cross, while the large central square forms a hub of activity, dotted with cafes, restaurants and shops selling a whole manner of traditional goods.
9. Anogyra
Half way between Limassol and Paphos, this place famed for its carob trees wonderfully retains its traditional character and is home to a lovely Carob Museum.
10. Tochni
Nestled deep in the countryside between Larnaca and Limassol, the houses in the village are built with the traditional light-coloured ‘Tochni stone’, while many have been renovated and transformed into beautiful agro-tourism (rural tourism) lodgings.
11. Panayia (Pano Panayia)
While there are countless beautiful villages in the Paphos district, Panayia (famed as the birthplace of Archbishop Makarios III, the first president of the Republic of Cyprus) is one of our favourites because of its idyllic location, set high on mountain peaks within the Paphos Forest with views across the nearby Kannaviou dam and beyond. Home to many churches and monasteries, we rate Chrysorrogiatissa as the most beautiful of the lot.
Cover photo: Kato Drys
