Paphos Country Sightseeing

Published 15th of May, 2025

We have recently had friends from the UK visiting, and naturally took them to see some of the treasures of Paphos that are away from the usual tourist's eye. In this article we explore the top part of the Xeros Valley, take in an abandoned village and a beautiful Venetian Bridge.

Dam Fine VIew

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We began our adventure in Polemi, and set off towards Paphos Forest. Our first destination was Pano Panagia, though on the way we stopped for this lovely view of the somewhat empty Kannaviou Reservoir.

Panagia Heights

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Once we arrived in Pano Panagia, I took us on some farm tracks to the top of the hills that dominate the area. On previous occasions I have walked here by taking the Vouni Trail, which starts in the village. But today, we were more interested in visiting a variety of sites, so I drove up.

Dusty Views

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I had intended flying the drone up here briefly, but there was a fair amount of dust in the air, and that can spoil the shot. So the trusty drone remained in its case.

Breathtaking

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The hills above Panagia provide one of my favourite Cypriot scenes. Once I had shown the area off, I intended driving back down via a previously used route which went past a Fire Watch Station. However, the route for some reason was closed off. A helpful farmer showed us a different route, but this turned out to be no good, as a lot of it had been washed away by winter rainfall. So, after making a 28 point turn, we returned to civilisation using the route we came up. It is worth stating that if you go offroad exploring in Cyprus, you should always, always, always make sure you only drive a route that you can safely come back on, should the need arise.

The Abandoned Village Of Vretsia

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Next stop was the abandoned village of Vretsia. We got here by driving to Statos-Agios Fotios, and taking the rarely used road to Koilineia. From there it is a straightforward drive to the village, which can be done in any car provided you take the winding road nice and slow.

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