Journey To Vretsia
In this film we drive through Galataria and Koilineia to get to Vretsia. We take a break from our usual display to bring you more information on the route itself. Let us know what you think about the various gauges and map...
For more information on Vretsia, see the articles we wrote on the subject:
Abandoned Villages: Vretsia
Return To Vretsia
Vretsia Tavern
This comes from the first article I wrote, and is worth repeating:
Cyprus has more than it's fair share of abandoned villages. The troubles caused the displacement of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.The environment itself has caused other villages to be abandoned for reasons of safety. Whatever the reason, the abandonment caused emotional pain and suffering to the affected people. So is it right to right a series of blog articles on them? I thought about this for a while, but decided that yes it was. Cyprus is a land built on antiquities, and these villages are just the latest example. I had no problem blogging about a Necropolis after all.
However, some of these villages, and especially Vretsia, do still get visits from the displaced families. So if you do decide to visit these places on the strength of these articles, please bear that in mind, and treat them with respect. Remember the urban exploring motto: "take only pictures, leave only footprints...".
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Route Map
Area Map
Related Pages
Blog ArticleAbandoned Villages: Vretsia
The abandoned village of Vretsia lies on the borders of Paphos Forest, and is a lovely, yet tragic place to explore. What must once have been a thriving community now lies in ruins.
Blog ArticleReturn to Vretsia
Vretsia has always been a favourite place of ours to explore in Cyprus. Nestled on the edge of Paphos Forest, it has been the gateway to many an offroad adventure. We first blogged about it a couple of years ago, but recent changes have made us return to take a closer look...
Blog ArticlePlaying With The Vretsia Donkeys
We meet any number of animals when we are out on our travels. On the last bank holiday, we thought we would pay some of them another visit, so we packed a picnic and headed off to Vretsia, to say hello to the donkeys...
Blog ArticleVretsia Tavern
Until recently, Vretsia Tavern was still a functioning restaurant, albeit only seasonally. However, in 2016 it burnt down, as we found out...
Blog ArticleVretsia Tavern Revisited
Well, after our last report on Vretsia Tavern, imagine our surprise a few months later when we passed, to find it had all been cleaned up.
Video ClipVretsia On and Off-Road
Vretsia is a village on the western fringe of Paphos Forest. It used to be inhabited by Turkish Cypriots, but since the invasion of 1974 it has been almost completely abandoned. In this film, we start near Roudia Bridge, in paphos Forest, and take the direct route to Vretsia up the fire break.We then drive through Vretsia up towards Pentalia.
360 PanoramaAn Abandoned House in Vretsia
This abandoned house in Vretsia used to be locked up, but it seems to have been broken in to fairly recently. The previous inhabitants are long gone though.
360 PanoramaVretsia Mosque Roof
The mosque in Vrestia is well maintained, considering it hasn't been used for over 50 years. A sad monument to the trouble recent history of Cyprus, it stands amid the ruins of this once vibrant village, with only horses and donkeys to keep it company.
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.
