Kouklia Memorial
We recently blogged about a little shrine by the motorway. It turns out that it was placed there in memory of two soldiers who lost their lives in a helicopter accident. I was confused myself, because I knew there was a helicopter crash memorial, but it was a little further away from Paphos, near Kouklia. An internet search revealed that there had been two crashes. So in the interest of fairness, I thought we should take a look at the other shrine. It isn't visible from the motorway, but if you take the trouble to find it, you will not be disappointed, as it is a lovely memorial...
To Get There
To visit the memorial, you should take the B6 out of Paphos towards Limassol. So head east at the Debenham's roundabout. Just before you hit Kouklia, you will see this sign on your left. Turn here and drive up the road. There are a couple of side roads along the way,but stick to the main road and you will soon be at the memorial. If you are still unsure where it is, look at this map.
View From The Memorial
The B6 is that way. Note that the track shown at the front of the picture is NOT your route. You can get here safely in any vehicle.
Memorial Gates
Indeed, when we arrived we saw a man leaving the memorial via a motorbike, He actually drove it through that little pedestrian gate you can see to the right of the main gate. Some Cypriots really hate walking any distance!
Memorial Sign
This is a sign near the gate. I am ashamed to say that I can only read the last line: Kouklia, 10 July 2002
The Memorial
This is how the BBC reported the crash:
A helicopter crash in south-western Cyprus has killed the commanders of both the Greek Cypriot national guard and the island's air force. The aircraft carrying guard commander General Evangelos Florakis and air force chief Vassilis Dervenagas went down near Paphos. It remains unclear what caused the helicopter, a Bell 206, to crash, but Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos said he had already ordered an investigation.
Three other people on board - two crew members and an unidentified passenger - also died.
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The Shrine by the Motorway
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Today's blog is about a funny little place we found a few years ago while geocaching. It is also about some other relics we discovered while researching for this article. Together they demonstrate that you don't have to travel far from Paphos in order to find adventure. There are a number of mysteries here: What is the ancient monument? Why are the pill boxes so close together? Whatever happened to the Michalis Party Tavern? For more questions than answers, read on...
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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.
