Akourdaleia Cave Church
The countryside of Paphos holds many secrets. We found one of them while I was looking for potential gorges on Google Maps. Labelled as a Cave Church, a Church and a Cave, it was obvious that there was something worth investigating. So we set off to the area between Arodes and Akourdaleia, to see what we could find.
A Hunting We Shall Go...

I've always had a soft spot for finding remote gorges, and they crop up in the most unexpected places. They are normally inaccessible though, which is why they remain remote I guess. The hills around Akourdaleia are ripe for exploration, as they consist of a multitude of steep valleys criss-crossed by farm tracks.
Panagia Chrysospiliotissa

While studying the map, I noticed that if you took the road from Kathikas to Polis as far as the Arodes junction, but turned right instead of left, you would come across an interesting feature: meet Panagia Chrysospiliotissa. Now, according to the map there is also a cave here. Indeed, when we first arrived, we drove past the church and found it. But let's take a look at the church first.
Inside

From what I can determine, "Chrysospiliotissa" means "Our Lady of the Golden Cave". This indicates that the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Indeed, there are a number of "Mary The Guide" murals inside.
New Murals

The church itself looks fairly new.
Absent Friends

Unusually, I didn't see any murals depicting St George.
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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.
