The Xeros Valley
Ancient Watermills
From the river crossing beyond Sinti Monastery, if you want to continue up the Xeros Valley you are entering Off Road territory. The last time we made the journey the track was pretty good. However, a heavy rainy season can soon wash tracks away, so do take your care. In this article we focus on the ancient water mill and surrounding buildings you will find on the track, but we also cover the route already covered. So it is a good way of seeing what you might be dealing with should you choose to make the journey yourself.
For the full article use the following link:
Ayios Ioannis
The route from the ruins featured yesterday heads towards Paphos Forest. There are a couple of interesting diversions on either side of you along the way though. First, on the right, you have the village of Ayios Ioannis. It was a large Turkish Cypriot settlement until the 1974 invasion. Since then it was inhabited by displaced Greek Cypriots, but most of them left. Recently however, it has shown signs of regrowth. To get to Ayios Ioannis from the Xeros Valley you can either drive up from the river crossing by Sinti, or take one of the farm tracks further up the valley. If you just want to visit the village, you can simply take the road from Choletria.
Vretsia
On the opposite side of the valley from Agios Ioannis you will find another village, which is now completely abandoned. Vretsia would have been considered a Gateway to Paphos Forest when it was still inhabited. Since 1974 though it has gradually been crumbling to dust. For a few years a tavern survived, and opened occasionally, presumably to cater for hunters. However, that burnt down a while ago.
We have written a number of articles on Vretsia. If you do decide to visit, be sure to say hello to the donkeys. This was our second blog, but be sure to check out the others as well.
Roudia Bridge
Our journey up the Xeros Valley ends when we reach Roudia Bridge. Well, it doesn't end here. We still have to get home. But if you are following the river you will find that you run out of road. You can either turn right and head into the depths of Paphos Forest, or turn left towards Vretsia or Pano Panagia. First though, enjoy the bridge.
Have A Go!
We've travelled the entire length of the Xeros Valley now. Hope you enjoyed the ride. In this final article we show a typical route you might want to try in a 4x4. The article itself focuses on the kind of flora and fauna you can expect to find in Paphos Forest itself. It also shows a great place to have a cooling dip. The area is full of lovely surprises. We like it so much it was the first place we went once lockdown had been lifted, hence the title...
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Related Blogs:
Cyprus Roadtrips 3 and 4
Finally, after years in the making - thanks to COVID - we are proud to bring you our third and fourth Road Trip eBooks on Cyprus. In these two outings we take you to the North Coast of Paphos and Nicosia, from Polis all the way to Kato Pyrgos. In this article we give you a taste of what you can expect to find along the way.
Is this the Oldest Olive Tree in Cyprus?
We were out exploring in the Akamas the other day, and we came across this lovely old Olive Tree. I can't help wondering how long it has stood here...Related Pages
MapThe Xeros Valley
The Xeros Valley should be the goto destination for anybody who wants to experience off-roading in Cyprus without running the gauntlet of assorted buggies and ATVs you find on the Akamas in mid-summer. This article is a summary of the recent Facebook journey we made up it, from the sea to Paphos Forest.
Good Pages To Visit
FB PagePaphos Life on Facebook
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FB PageOur Facebook Chat Group
Paphos Chat has been created for people who like our site and want to chat using Facebook. You can also easily upload photos of any size here. A lot of people are members of the Facebook chat group and the main forum. It's entirely up to you.
ListBlog Locations
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.
