It pays to go off the beaten track in Paphos, Katie McGonagle discovers
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I have space for just over a thousand words to describe my tour of the villages of Paphos, but I need only one: filoxenia.This Greek word meaning ‘hospitality’, or more literally, ‘looking after a stranger’, sums up the welcome one can expect from this charming rural region.
This is the sort of place where oranges are sold from unmanned roadside stalls, trusting buyers to leave the right money in exchange; where a village woman invites tourists into her home to make halloumi cheese and bake olive bread in a rustic outdoor oven; and where you can’t visit anyone without mountains of food and drink being pressed upon you before you leave.
That even includes the local olive press, where I made a spur-of-the-moment stop and ended up invited in for a step-by-step tour of the olive oil-making process – right down to the name tags on the vats signifying which family each batch belonged to – and given a huge bottle to take home. Not bad for an unannounced arrival.
Cyprus is a friendly island all round, but step outside the main tourist towns and you’ll find a welcome as warm as the temperatures and a scattering of quaint villages where age-old traditions are back in vogue.
Town and Country
Paphos refers to both the popular tourist town in southwest Cyprus and to the region surrounding it, a 540-square-mile district comprising dozens of villages, 27 sandy beaches and the Akamas Peninsula protected area.
Its short distances are easily traversed by car, particularly since Cypriots drive on the left, although buses run from Paphos to the villages a handful of times a day, or more frequently between key spots such as Polis and the Baths of Aphrodite, costing €1.50 each way or €5 for a day pass.
Once clients have their transport sorted, the real question is where should they go?
Polis: This is as close to a town as you’ll get in the northwest and, while more touristy than its smaller neighbours, Polis retains the charm of a seaside spot. Its full Greek name, Poli Chrysochou, means ‘town of the golden earth’, a nod to the surrounding fertile valley and the reason why you’ll see olive trees, orange groves and endless carobs – the ‘black gold’ of Cyprus – lining the streets.
Latchi: Like Polis, Latchi isn’t as small as it used to be but, beyond its pretty fish restaurants and tavernas, beats the heart of a working harbour. If clients want to admire the calm blue seas in style, the luxurious Anassa hotel boasts the best beach.
Neo Chorio: This is less a village and more a gateway to the Akamas Peninsula – though my entrance was slowed waiting for a herd of goats to move off the road – where visitors will find hiking trails both gentle and challenging, plus 40 species of plants and flowers not just endemic to Cyprus but to the Akamas area. The nearby Baths of Aphrodite are somewhat underwhelming, though worth a visit for their association with the goddess. However, the views from the Aphrodite and Adonis hiking trails that start here are unrivalled.
Ineia: Rewind a few decades and each village had its own speciality – one could weave the best cloth, one made exquisite lace and another the best wine. With a bit of bartering, everyone had enough of what they needed. For Ineia, best-known for its basket-weaving, a low-key museum now keeps that tradition alive, teaching tourists and locals alike. And having seen a local woman sitting outside the museum deftly plaiting long strands of straw and coloured ribbon into a work of art, this is a skill worth keeping.
Pano Panayia: Winemaking was long restricted to a handful of vineyards near Limassol but when Vouni Panayia was founded in 1987, making just 5,000 bottles in its first year, it signified a sea change in Cypriot viticulture. This family-run 40-hectare vineyard has plans to become a centre of agrotourism in the future, but for now, its wine tastings, winery tours and mouth-watering local foods are more than enough to make it worth a stop.
Episkopi: The array of endemic plant species and unusual rock formations have drawn top academics from around the world to study in Cyprus, so anyone interested in nature will find the community-owned environmental centre at Episkopi an absolute must. At the foot of the diverse Ezousa Valley, its €2 entrance fee is more than repaid in the wealth of knowledge inside.
Sleep Tight
Ayii Anargyri Natural Healing Spa Resort takes its name from two 17th-century brothers who refused to accept payment for using the sulphur-rich waters of this natural spring to ‘heal’ people, becoming the eponymous ‘saints without silver’.
Guests might have to fork out a bob or two to stay here these days, but with an opulent 21-room spa, stunning mountain views and original features preserved from its former life as a monastery, this peaceful hideaway is worth every penny. Of its 56 rooms, 18 are original monks’ quarters, but newer rooms have been tastefully added in keeping with this style. aasparesort.com
When a hotel library has sections ranging from spirituality to management finance via autobiographies encompassing Nelson Mandela and John Bishop, you know it boasts a diverse clientele. Changes are afoot at yoga retreat Zening Elia Village Latchi, though, as it switches from an adult-only model to accepting children from April 1, opens year round and serves meat dishes as well as vegetarian fare. Its 135 rooms span low-rise blocks on spacious grounds with a genuinely tranquil feel. zeningcyprus.com
Natura Beach Hotel & Villas takes its environmental credentials seriously: the fruits of its citrus and olive trees can be found at breakfast alongside homemade halloumi and anari cheeses; it grows herbs for teas; helps turtles breed on its 600-metre stretch of seafront; and uses solar panels to heat water. It lacks a little finesse in places, but the generously sized rooms all boast a balcony or terrace and its two and three-bedroom villas have private pools. natura.com.cy
Leonidas Village Houses, set in the tiny village of Goudi, south of Polis, retain their 19th-century stone features, making for an authentic, albeit rustic, stay. The self-catering studio, two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units surround a small shared pool with a panoramic view over the village’s orange groves, adding to its traditional feel. leonidasvillagehouses.com
Sample Packages
Sunvil offers a seven-night stay at Droushia Heights Hotel starting at £537, including easyJet flights from Gatwick, bed-and-breakfast accommodation and car hire, for departures in March.
sunvil.co.uk
020 875 84759
Olympic Holidays offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast at Ayii Anargyri Spa Resort for £679 based on a May 1 departure, with easyJet flights from Gatwick and car hire.
olympicholidays.com
0844 499 4449
Tried & Tested: Droushia Heights Hotel
This 48-room hotel describes itself as ‘eco-chic’ and, despite the inevitable eye roll that accompanies this neologism, it is actually spot on. With facilities far in excess of its three stars, thanks to a €3.5 million renovation completed in 2013, this 30-year-old hotel feels fresh and modern.
That could also be down to its elevation, just shy of 700m, meaning this village is a good five degrees cooler than the coast and making it a haven for walkers, birdwatchers, botanists and rock climbers – really anyone who considers walking shoes an essential item of holiday clothing.
Then again, it is only 15 minutes’ drive from Chrysochou Bay and, with poolside loungers affording truly outstanding views of the valley, those who prefer beachwear to boots will be just as happy here. droushiaheightshotel.com
