Our journey starts on the B7. If you take this road from Paphos, over the hill and down the other side, you will come to this sign. We applaud WindowRama for their initiative, and hope that other companies will follow their lead. Strictly speaking it isn't in Polemi, but its on the way, and we thought the message was worth sharing.

Just past the sign there will be a new bridge appearing, above the B7. It will carry the new motorway from Kallepeia up to Stroumbi. There's still a lot of work to be done, but they are making progress.

When you come to the petrol station you will see a junction on your right. This leads to Polemi, so let's take it. Incidentally, you may not have noticed it, but on your right you have just driven past Polemi Mountain. It may not look like a mountain, but if you walk up the track to the summit (or drive if you fancy a bit of off-roading), you will see an official sign identifying it as such. You also get some lovely views, and there is a quaint church along the way. But we won't be going there today.

There is also a water feature on your left, but it is nothing special. What you will soon see though is the Kamanterena Winery. This is part of the SODAP group. You might have heard that name with reference to a beach in Kato Paphos. This is what the website has to say about them:

From the beginning SODAP was supported by the whole Vine Growing Community, as it has played the role of the Stabilizing factor in the Wine Sector. SODAP owns and operates its KAMANTERENA Winery situated right in the middle of the main vine producing areas of Cyprus Mountains, between the villages of Stroumbi and Polemi.

KAMANTERENA Winery at Stroumbi, is one of the most complete and modern wineries in the world, equipped with machinery of the latest technology which the expertise and know how of our Oenologists, produce excellent quality wines, as well as Regional Wines, of the Paphos Region.

Since its beginning (1997), the project of the Island Vines / Mountain Vines has established SODAP’s name of quality in international competitions, such as the International Wine Challenge Competition, held in London, winning metals and seals of approval, consistently year after year, and it became the basis of SODAP’s metamorphosis to a Quality Winery.

SODAP itself stands for Synergatikos Organismos Diathesis Ambelourgikon Proionton. If you run that through Google Translate, it comes up with Cooperative Organization for the Disposal of Viticultural Products. Basically, all the vineyard owners got together to form a COOP.

Just past the winery you will come to a rather unusual attraction. Polemi Concentration Camp. The sign here will tell you all about it:

The Detention Centre (Concentration Camp) of Polemi was one of eight that the British operated in Cyprus during the Freedom Fight against colonial rule in the years 1955-1959. The Centre was opened towards the end of the conflict, in August 1958, and operated for 102 days. The Camp was very different from the other detention camps in Cyprus. It became notorious for the horrific and inhumane conditions suffered by the detainees, the violence, cruelty and torture to which the prisoners were subjected.