Paphos Life Road Trip #1
Inner Courtyard
I walked through to the inner courtyard – there is no entrance fee – and have to say it was rather lovely. Ever so peaceful, and very well maintained. However, before I entered the church, I saw a NO PHOTOGRAPHS sign on the side of a wall. In respect to that I put my camera away. I will say though, that the little church they have here is absolutely stunning. Of all the churches I mention in this guide, this one was by far the most ornate, so if you have the time and can avoid the crowds, it is well worth a visit.
Distant Reservoir
Anyway, we are back on the road again, and we have the Ezousa Valley to our right. The dam and reservoir are now quite a distance away. It’s time to visit some abandoned villages. Now normally in Cyprus, if you want to do that, you have to do a bit of off-roading. However, Statos, and Agios Fotios, are slightly different. These villages weren’t abandoned as a result of the troubles. They were abandoned because of adverse weather conditions.
Agia Moni
Rapid rainfall caused devastating landslides, and the government called in geologists who studied the situation and decided that the two villages should be moved. The new village, which we don’t visit on this trip unless you take a slight diversion, was built a couple of kilometres away, and people started moving there in 1973.
Oh I forgot, there is another monastery you pass on the way to Statos. That looked more functional than touristy though, so I didn’t stop there. But for the sake of completeness, here is a shot of Agia Moni.
Turn Right Here
Once past Agia Moni, you are on the lookout for a turning to the right. This is the road to the old village of Statos. Note that It doesn’t mention Statos, instead it has directions for Choulou and Paphos. But before you get to Choulou you will pass through both Statos and Agios Fotios.
You've Come A Long Way...
So the residents of Statos and Agios Fotios left their homes because of the threat of landslides. However, over time, a few people have began occupying some of the old buildings. So while Statos is mainly abandoned, please bear in mind that some people are actually living there, and don’t go poking your nose into places that might still be inhabited.
The view in this picture was taken just before the outskirts of Statos. The route through Simou is in the far distance.
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Related Blogs:
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...
Cyprus Road Trip #2: Paphos - Coast to Coast
It's time for another road trip! This time we are going Coast to Coast, from Paphos, to Agios Georgios, and across the island to Latsi and the Baths of Aphrodite. We are also stopping at lots of fun locations on the way, so buckle your seatbelts and let's get started!
From Pentalia to Polemi
A few weeks ago we produced a rather long film, showing a drive from Pentalia to Polemi. I was going to do a sped-up version, but I found the full version quite relaxing, especially with the soothing soundtrack, so I have left it alone. People were curious as to the route we took, so I retraced our steps, and stopped to take some photographs along the way...
The Legend of Akoursos
Akoursos is a little village situated above Coral Bay, nestled in the hillside. It is off most people's radars and most visitors are probably tourists still searching in vain for the "suitable for all vehicles" road that will take them to Aphrodite's Water Baths. The other week we drove through there just so we could explore the hills behind it. While passing through, we couldn't help but notice a striking cave, embedded high up a cliff face. We decided to investigate...
Simou
As promised at the end of our last blog about Skarfos Bridge, we now take a lot at the village of Skarfos, nestled 16km oustide of Polis, and see what it has to offer.
Abandoned Villages - Statos
Statos is unusual, as abandoned villages go. People deserted it not because of inter-communal fighting, but because of the threat of landslides. And then, no sooner had they emptied, some of the abandoned buildings were repopulated. Were villagers returning, or had outsiders moved in, prepared to take the risk of landslide?
Letymbou
Over the last few months, we have blogged about a number of abandoned villages in the Paphos region. As the summer holidays are approaching we thought it would be nice to change the focus to the non-abandoned villages. First up is Letymbou. We chose this first because on a recent forum discussion somebody mentioned that Letymbou was famous for having TEN churches. We felt that needed investigation, as we had only ever seen two on our travels.
Stroumpi Murals
If you drive along the B7 from Paphos to Polis, you will eventually hit Stroumpi. It is about midway between the two towns, and nestled on the Paphos Hills. If you look to your right as you ascend the hill, you will notice some lovely murals adorning the walls. In due course, I will write a blog on the whole of Stroumpi, but today, I just want to concentrate on these murals...Related Pages
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.
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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.
