The Semi-Abandoned Village of Mathikoloni
1950 Water Fountain

One of Britain's more positive contributions to Cypriot society. The humble water fountain appears in just about every village we visit in Cyprus.

Falling Down

It is worth remembering as well, that these abandoned places are works in progress. If you put off visiting them for too long, there may be nothing left.

Presumably there used to be a balcony there...
What Is This?

I couldn't work out what this was for though. Perhaps there was another one below it at some point, and it was to allow somebody to get off a cart, or something. If you look there is a rock below it of a similar colour which seems to have a fresh bit of cement on it. Who knows?
Up To Civilisation

We described this village as semi-abandoned, and indeed it is. From this point onwards, the ruins give way to more modern buildings, and there are electricity and telephone wires. However, we want to explore the old part some more instead, so we are taking a left turn here and going back on ourselves. I say left turn, we are on foot now, having parked the car in a handy layby. When you visit a place like this it is always useful to drive through it first, so you can see what you are dealing with. Then find a nice, convenient place to park which doesn't block anybody, and explore on foot.
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Related Blogs:

Abandoned Villages - Trozena
If you've driven over the iron bridge which lies just beyond the abandoned village of Gerovasa, near the outskirts of Paphos Forest, then you will also have driven past the abandoned village of Trozena. Unless you are very observant, you won't have noticed it though, as it is barely visible from the road. It is worth taking a detour to explore the ruins, as these photos will hopefully show...
Abandoned Villages - Agios Fotios
Given that I wrote a blog about Statos last week, it would be unfair of me not to cover its close neighbour, Agios Fotios. Their histories are intertwined, as they were both abandoned for the same reason. Indeed, they merged to form a new, single town, called Statos Agios - Fotios. So what was left behind...
Foinikas Revisited
When we first blogged about Foinikas it was springtime, and the abandoned village was bathed in a sea of yellow. It was always an essential destination on our holidays, but we had never been in Spring, so it came as a pleasant surprise. However, it made it difficult to explore, as you never know what you might tread on when you have to wade through thigh-high flowers. As frequently happens with our blogs, people posted more information about the site in the comments. So we decided to pay another visit a few days ago, and explore it in more depth...
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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.
