The Abandoned Village of Theletra - Part 2
Farmer's Route
I stood to one side to let a farmer drive past me in his tractor. From this picture, it is easy to imagine that the village is still alive and bustling.
Pumpkin Palace
We are nearly done now, so I am heading down the road towards the B7. I want to show you where the big landslide was, but on the way we passed this house with gourds growing in them. There is a lady called Evi who paints gourds like these, when they are old and dried. Cypriots call them pumpkins, and we have blogged about her shop previously. If you are looking for a last-minute Christmas present, head on over to her website for more information.
Quaint
This house always looks well looked after. I wonder if the rut down the middle of the road siginfies the width it was orginally. If that is the case, it must have been very narrow in the past.
More Landslides
Last winter this road here was completely covered after a huge landslide blocked it. They have cleared it again, and put down more concrete, but I can easily see there being more landslides in the future. There are some lovely, huge, gypsum specimens in the rocks that fell down though, which are well worth a look at.
Parting Shot
So there you have it. Theletra still has a lot of secrets, but I shall leave exploring them for another day. I still find it surprising that nobody seems to know exactly when the village was abandoned. Even Wikipedia says that it was approximately 40 years ago. I must be getting old, but 40 years isn't that long ago! The hot summer of '76 was before that, and people still go on about that. So why can't people remember the exact date they moved villages? I seriously need to get better at Greek, so I can start reading original documents and newspaper cuttings from the era.
I did look on the Cyprus Mail website, but their online archives only go back as far as 1997.
If you fancy a quirky drive (and remember, our second road trip takes you here!) it is well worth a detour. If you want to enter Full On Urban Explore mode though, then this, more than any of the other abandoned villages in the Paphos area, will be right up your street. Just remember the Urbex motto: leave only footprints, take only pictures...
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Related Blogs:
The Abandoned Village of Theletra - Part 1
Old Theletra was abandoned several decades ago. The threat of landslides drove the population up the hll to a new settlement. Since then the village has mainly been left to crumble, save for its church and a few buildings which are still inhabited. At first glance, there is not much to see here, aside from some picture-postcard views. But get adventurous, and there is a whole host of places to explore...
From Miliou To Theletra
While we were exploring the sulphur springs of Miliou a few weeks ago, we couldn't help but notice a village in the distance. When we realised that it was the abandoned village of Theletra, we were surprised, as we hadn't appreciated how close the two places were. So we thought we would find a scenic route between the two locations...
From Miliou To Theletra
While we were exploring the sulphur springs of Miliou a few weeks ago, we couldn't help but notice a village in the distance. When we realised that it was the abandoned village of Theletra, we were surprised, as we hadn't appreciated how close the two places were. So we thought we would find a scenic route between the two locations...Related Pages
MapThe Abandoned Village of Theletra - Part 2
In our last blog we started exploring the abandoned village of Theletra. There was a lot to explore, so we split the blog in two. In this, the second part, we examine buildings behind the church, visit an old, abandoned school, and risk fig pimples to bring you splendid views from the top of the town...
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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.
