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The Cypriot countryside is blessed with natural and man-made beauty and an abundant historical heritage. Traditional villages and architecture give it a special character, always welcoming visitors in the warm, hospitable Cypriot way.
Here you meet welcoming locals, experience a simple and serene life, learn old folk customs, take in the tranquil nature and enjoy the island's unique traditional food and drink.
The beautiful central square of Kakopetria, with tall plane trees and coffee shops where you can try the traditional homemade sweets of the area and sit by the fireplace in winter. It is just a few minutes from the old quarter, a listed area of cobbled streets where old houses have been carefully restored.
The mill was built by a deacon of Saint Nicholas monastery in 1754 and belonged to the Archbishop before being rented to others. Visitors can learn how it worked and about the history of mills in Cyprus: cereals, wheat and barley were poured into a wooden tub and ground by the millstone into fine or coarse grains.
Dedicated to the villagers who fought in the national war of independence of 1955–59, the monument shows the goddess Niki (Victory). It was unveiled on 27 June 1993 by former President Glafkos Klerides; the figures of Alekos Kostantinou and Panayiotis Toumazou were added in 2005.
Opened in 1926 on the initiative of villager Christos Vasiliou, this water-powered station holds a special place in the history of electricity in Cyprus. A 50-metre tower and concrete channel drove the turbine. The Electricity Authority and the community are restoring it as a museum.
The community honours fighter Panayiotis Toumazou with a monument on the spot where he fell, on the Nicosia–Troodos road at “Saranta Mili”. It was unveiled on 23 June 1993.
EOKA fighters built hideouts on the densely wooded slopes of Kakopetria: one at “Vrysi” on Piteron peak, reached by a wild uphill trail, and another near the church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, at “Shiaka”, near a narrow trail leading to the river.
Housed in the yard of the Church of Soteros in the old neighbourhood, this olive-mill museum displays the traditional “skoutellin” basin stone and the millstone that villagers once turned by pushing a wooden post.
Follow the Troodos cycling routes or create your own. Set your own pace, for training or leisure, and fill your lungs with fresh mountain air.
On Old Kakopetria Street, Linos has three themed sections dedicated to wine, bread and olive oil, in a building restored with the Pancyprian Organisation of Architectural Heritage and the Department of Town Planning.
On the main road to Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, in the centre of the new village, with parking, a bar, restaurant and cafeteria serving ice cream, cocktails and local wine. Reservations: 00357 22922100. Free Wi-Fi.
Palia Kakopetria, the old part of the village, sits between the Karkotis and Garilis rivers. Two-storey houses stand shoulder to shoulder along a winding stone street, their roofs almost forming one; it is a living museum of folk tradition and architecture.
A forest of pine, plane and poplar trees, with acacia and oak in between. Nature lovers can follow the “Trail of Atalanti” from “Chromio” all the way to Troodos Square.
Home of the Kakopetria Sports Association (AEK), founded in 1984, and the only grass-covered stadium in the Solea valley.
Two branches of the River Clarios meet in the heart of Kakopetria, filling the village with the sound of running water among wild and cultivated land.
The Forestry Department has created gentle, mostly circular trails through rich vegetation and cultural sites, with signposts on flora and geology. The best seasons are late autumn and spring, when the forests are in full bloom.
The Troodos mountains rise almost 2,000 m at the centre of the island. In March, skiers on Mount Olympus can see sails on the sea. The region is famous for its Byzantine churches and monasteries, nature trails of three to nine kilometres, and plants found nowhere else.