Return To Vretsia
Vretsia has always been a favourite place of ours to explore in Cyprus. Nestled on the edge of Paphos Forest, it has been the gateway to many an offroad adventure. We first blogged about it a couple of years ago, but recent changes have made us return to take a closer look...
On The Way
To get to Vretsia, the easiest way from Paphos is to get on the motorway, and take the E606 turning at Agia Varvara. Continue up that until you come to the Galataria turning. Vretsia is signposted from there. You can drive there in any car, though a 4x4 is recommended, because then you can do a bit of exploring too.
We, however, were coming from the direction of Polemi. So we cut through Letymbou and Choulou, and headed for Statos-Agios Photios. From here you can approach Vretsia from above, via Koilineia. I wanted to go this route to check that the old Statos road is still accessible. The Paphos Life Road Trip #1 eBook goes through Statos, and we had heard reports of landslides during the recent torrents. Happy to report that the road is now clear and fully accessible.
While checking the quality of the road, I took this snap showing Kannivou Dam in the far distance, across the Ezousa Valley.
Paphos Forest
And there is the beauty that is Paphos Forest. I shall never tire of that view.
Distant Vretsia
As we approached Vretsia, it looked as welcoming as ever. From this distance it is hard to appreciate its torrid past.
I should re-iterate, that this isn't our first blog about Vretsia. I am not going to go over old ground, but if you haven't yet read our original blog on Vretsia, I highly recommend it, especially if you have any questions.
The Old Mukhtar's House
If you compare this to the old picture in the first blog, it appears to be getting slowly tidied up.
Vretsia Tavern
Vretsia Tavern actually got two blogs, all to itself. You can find links to them at the bottom of the page. Since they cleaned out the mess, there has been no further progress in its repair I'm afraid. The Phoenix Tavern is not yet open for business.
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Related Blogs:
Playing With The Vretsia Donkeys
We meet any number of animals when we are out on our travels. On the last bank holiday, we thought we would pay some of them another visit, so we packed a picnic and headed off to Vretsia, to say hello to the donkeys...
Abandoned Villages - Vretsia
Cyprus has more than it's fair share of abandoned villages. The troubles caused the displacement of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.The environment itself has caused other villages to be abandoned for reasons of safety. Whatever the reason, the abandonment caused emotional pain and suffering to the affected people. So is it right to right a series of blog articles on them? I thought about this for a while, but decided that yes it was. Cyprus is a land built on antiquities, and these villages are just the latest example. I had no problem blogging about a Necropolis after all. However, some of these villages, and especially Ventris, do still get visits from the displaced families. So if you do decide to visit these places on the strength of these articles, please bear that in mind, and treat them with respect. The urban exploring motto "take only pictures, leave only footprints..." nicely sums it up.
Vretsia Tavern
We recently did a blog on the abandoned village Vretsia. Until recently, a tavern still operated there. Unfortunately, last summer it appears to have burnt down. It is now a very eerie place to visit...
Vretsia Tavern Revisited
A few months ago, I wrote a blog about the abandoned village of Vretsia. I also did a supplementary blog about Vretsia Taven which, until last summer had still been open seasonally, for hunters and the like. In that blog, I reported that it had obviously had a nasty fire, as it was very badly burned. Well yesterday we were giving some guests a tour of the area, and we popped in to see the tavern. I was pleasantly surprised with what I found...Related Pages
MapReturn to Vretsia
Vretsia has always been a favourite place of ours to explore in Cyprus. Nestled on the edge of Paphos Forest, it has been the gateway to many an offroad adventure. We first blogged about it a couple of years ago, but recent changes have made us return to take a closer look...
360 PanoramaAn Abandoned House in Vretsia
This abandoned house in Vretsia used to be locked up, but it seems to have been broken in to fairly recently. The previous inhabitants are long gone though.
360 PanoramaVretsia Mosque Roof
The mosque in Vrestia is well maintained, considering it hasn't been used for over 50 years. A sad monument to the trouble recent history of Cyprus, it stands amid the ruins of this once vibrant village, with only horses and donkeys to keep it company.
Video ClipDrive through Vretsia
A drive through the abandoned village of Vretsia, on the edge of Paphos Forest.
Good Pages To Visit
FB PagePaphos Life on Facebook
Like us on Facebook and stay notified of new blog posts.
FB PageOur Facebook Chat Group
Paphos Chat has been created for people who like our site and want to chat using Facebook. You can also easily upload photos of any size here. A lot of people are members of the Facebook chat group and the main forum. It's entirely up to you.
ListBlog Locations
Planning a day out? Then use our map of blog locations as a handy guide. Some of the places we visit our closer to each other than you might think, so take a look and start planning your next adventure...
eBookCyprus Road Trip 01: the Kathikas - Panagia Loop
Let me take you on a journey around the region of Paphos, Cyprus. Starting at Paphos itself, we travel to Akoursos, then Kathikas, Kritou Terra and Simou. We continue past Lasa and Kannaviou, before taking in the delights of Panagia. Getting a bit more adventurous, we visit the abandoned villages of Statos and Agios Fotios, before passing through Choulou, Letymbou and Polemi, and rejoining the main Paphos - Polis road.
The route is suitable for all types of vehicle, and requires no off-roading. The guide contains about 130 photographs including shots of all the road signs you need to pay attention to, as well as some of the highlights you may experience along the way.
There are also several maps which will help you keep your bearings.
You can do this journey in a day, or you can break it up into chunks. You can also do it in reverse, to get some completely different views. It is entirely up to you.
