Seaside at Saint George Alamanos, Pentakomo village, Limassol

Seaside at Saint George Alamanos

After visiting the Monastery of Saint George Alamanos we decided to go to the seaside which was only a few minutes away.

The seaside there is a very popular destination to visit but does not offer much opportunity for bathing. The place is very calm and quiet and if you walk down the small cliff with the characteristic white stone you will be rewarded.

The sound of waves hitting the rocks breaks the silence and lets you relax completely. Just near by you can also see some caves which cannot be reached though on foot.

Visiting the place to watch the sun setting is an excellent choice! 

The Monastery of Saint George Alamanos, Monagroulli-Pentakomo, Limassol

The Monastery of Saint George Alamanos 

The Monastery of Saint George Alamanos is located near Monagroulli and Pentakomo village very near to the Nicosia-Limassol highway and the seaside. 

We passed there several times and a couple of weeks ago we decided to visit it. As we found out it was the first officially recognized women's Monastery in Cyprus! Although the Monastery is very old and many monks have lived there, it was abandoned for sometime until Nun's started leaving there. 

Saint George Alamanos was one of the recorded 300 Christians who came to Cyprus from Palestine looking for a safe place to live. Him along with others lived in the caves in the surrounding mountains. .     

Our visit was late in the afternoon and the Monastery was open to the many visitors who went there to pray. The main Church, which is dedicated to Saint George Tropeoforos, was open for us to visit but none of the Nuns was there at that time. A small store is always open were you can buy books and other things regarding the Monastery.

The Hantara Waterfalls, Fini village, Limassol (Part 2)

The Hantara waterfalls at Fini village (Part 2) 

Here we present the second video from our visit at the beautiful Hantara waterfalls at Fini village in Limassol. 

The river that runs through Fini village, and also forms the waterfall, is one of the two roots of the Diarizos river, one of the largest rivers n Cyprus!  

We stayed there exploring the area for more than an hour as the environment surrounding the waterfall is very beautiful. 

The access to the waterfall is very easy as it is very close to the village and the road, despite being a country road, is smooth. 

The Hantara Waterfalls, Fini village, Limassol

The Hantara Waterfalls at Fini village

On a recent trip at Fini village in Limassol we had the opportunity to visit the beautiful waterfalls of "Hantara". 

The waterfalls of Hantara is double and you have to climb the stairs on the right side to see the second waterfall. This was not accessible a few years ago as we learned from friends who travelled with us. 

Lucky for us the past month's rain made the waterfalls a really amazing spectacle to see! We definitely recommend a visit!     

Snow in Cyprus - A view of Nicosia from Madari Mountains, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Snow in Cyprus - A view of Nicosia from Madari Mountains

During our stop beneath Madari mountain, while heading for Agros village, we had the opportunity once more to admire the view towards Nicosia town.

This time though it was very different than any other time we have been there. The snow around us made the scenery simply magic!

Enjoy the third video from our expedition in the snowy mountains of Madari this season.

Griffon in the snowy mountains of Madari, Pitsilia area, Nicosia-Limassol route

Griffon in the snowy mountains of Madari

Once we got beneath the peak of Madari mountain, on our way to Agros village, we made a quick stop to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the view towards Nicosia like we did several times in the past. 

This time though we had an unexpected visit. It was a Griffon! Perhaps the one we saw almost 2 years ago (click here to read the story)  near the Church of Stavros Agiasmati in one of our first expeditions! 

It is quite rare to see a Griffon in this area since they are almost extinct. It was nice to see an old friend still doing well! 

Snow in the route Lagoudera-Agros, Pitsilia area, Nicosia-Limassol

Snow in the route Lagoudera-Agros 

After our visit at Livadia and Polystypos village we ended up in Saranti village for lunch.

After a couple of hours we took the road from Lagoudera village towards Agros to see even more places covered in snow around the mountains of Madari.

The snow was even more than before as we continued in a higher altitude.

The scenery was simply magic in every step of the way and lucky for us we had our Audi Q7 quattro to help us drive through the thick snow and enjoy the trip!

Afternoon at Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Afternoon at Agros village

Driving around the mountains of Pitsilia area is always a pleasure. So many beautiful villages were you can have a great time!

Nature, history and culture all meet together. It was such a nice day last Tuesday and we decided to spend the day exploring more of the beautiful area of Pitsilia.

In the afternoon we decided to go for a coffee at Agros village. Agros, with a population of around 800 people is one of the biggest villages of the area and of course one can find many nice cafeterias and restaurants.

The time was perfect once we arrived at Agros as the sun was about to set and the orange colors in the sky made the scenery very rustic and nostalgic!

The abandoned Verengaria Hotel at Prodromos village, Limassol

The abandoned Verengaria Hotel at Prodromos

A visit at Prodromos village is not complete without passing by the famous abandoned hotel of Verengaria!

Prodromos village which located at Troodos mountains is a very popular destination specially in the summer time due to its good climate.

The Verengaria hotel was built at the early 20th century and soon became famous around the middle east! It was a truly a unique hotel with top of the class facilities and service which along with its architecture and location boosted its fame.

The hotel had a night club, huge dinning rooms, playgrounds, casino, bars and other extras which added to its success as it was a pioneer for that time.

Its famous guests like Pharouk, the King of Egypt and Ezer Vaisman president of Israel along with the elite of the business and show world of the time, gave the hotel the nickname "Hotel of Kings"!

The name Verengaria on the other hand was the name of the queen of Navarre(Berengaria), and wife of Richard the Lionheart, King of England. They got married in Cyprus on May 12, 1191.

Verengaria's management the next decades did not manage to keep its glory and for various reasons the hotel closed down. Despite the interest form various parties to restore the hotel the past years nothing has been done.

Today the Verengaria is an attraction for locals and tourists all year round.

The Church of Saints Gerasimoi, Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

The Church of Saints Gerasimoi

At our recent stay at the beautiful Agros village we visited the newly build Church of Saints Gerasimoi.

The Church is dedicated to two Saints by the same name-Gerasimos.

Saint Gerasimos from Kefalonia had origins from the family of Duke Lucas Notaras from Constantinople. He lived during the 16th century and founded a monastery at Kefalonia in 1559. He died in 1579 and his body is preserved in excellent condition until today! His memory is celebrated on October 20.

Saint Gerasimos Iordanitis was born in Minor Asia on the 4th century and came from a wealthy family. At a young age he denied his belongings and wealth and became a monk. Saint Gerasimos is always pictured with a Lion besides him. The story says that the Saint treated a wounded Lion and since then the Lion followed him and obeyed him. Saint Gerasimos died in 475 at a very late age. Story says that the Lion died soon after just beside his grave. His memory is celebrated on March 4.

Night-view of Limassol from Madari Mountain, Pitsilia area

Night-view of Limassol from Madari Mountain

After admiring the night view of Nicosia from Madari mountains we turned on the other side looking towards Limassol.

Despite the humidity that night Limassol looked great too. Just beneath us was the village of Chandria and after the mountain peaks the city of Limassol.

A breathtaking view indeed from that spot night or day!

The Kourion Stadium, Limassol

The Kourion Stadium, Limassol

The Kourion Stadium was our final stop in this short visit at the Kourion area.

The stadium is very close to the Theater and between the city of Kourion and the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.

The Stadium was constructed around the 2nd century A.D. and it was used for various games and athletic events like the Pentathlon chariot and horse races.

The Stadium is yet another example that Kourion was an important city once with great importance for the whole area.

Today it is not clear enough how many spectators it could accommodate but its size shows that the number could be up to 6,000! Certainly an impressive number at the time.  It is estimated that the Stadium was used up until the 5th century A.D.

The ancient Kourion Theater, Limassol

The ancient Kourion Theater

Our next stop while visiting the Kourion settlement was the famous theater which is just next to the main city.

The Theater is in a great condition and operates every year especially on the summer season with many performances taking place such as theatrical plays, concerts etc.

The Kourion theater is build similarly to other ancient Greek theaters and provides a unique experience to anyone who has the opportunity to see a performance there. Its location gives a superb view of the sea making the experience of any spectator even better.

It was constructed at the 2nd century B.C. and improvements were made at the second century A.D. The Theater can hold up to 3,500 spectators!

During our visit we had the opportunity to watch the rehearsals of an opera show that was going to be performed the very same night. We took the opportunity to sit there and enjoy it as much as we could!  

If you happen to visit Cyprus do not miss the chance to watch a performance at Kourion. It is highly recommended!!

The ancient Kourion, Limassol (Part 2)

The ancient Kourion (Part 2) 

Exploring Kourion and learning about its history and artifacts gives you a whole new perspective of things.

The connection between culture, religion, history, practicality and technology is simply stunning.

The first mosaic shows a woman holding a measuring instrument and the word "KTISIS" around her which represents the creation of the world!

The house of "Eustolios" is yet another of the findings in Kourion. It was the house of a rich man, probably a very important one too, and dates back to the 4th - 5th century A.D. Some of the mosaics in the house provide evidence that he was a Christian! Around the house the famous baths are found, a place of calmness for the owner and his guests.

One of the inscriptions states that Eustolios had helped restore the wealth and importance of Kourion after an earthquake damaged the area.

We wondered around Kourion reading even more inscriptions and learning more about its history for a long time. Our next stop, just a few meters away was the famous Kourion theater!

The ancient Kourion,Limassol

 The ancient Kourion

Cyprus is a beautiful island with one of the oldest civilizations and history on earth!

One of the most important places to visit once in Cyprus is the ancient "Kourion" near Episkopi area in Limassol.

At Kourion traces of civilization have been found as far as 4,500-3,900 B.C. !!

At around the 13th or 12th century B.C. settlers from Greece arrived mainly from Argos - Pelloponisos forming their own city kingdom. The very famous ancient Greek historian Herodotus states evidence of that fact.

Legend says that Kourion was named after the son of Kyniras king of Pafos.

Today the whole area of Kourion has to show important evidence of that era like the ancient theater, the baths and other areas with great importance like the beautiful mosaics.

Monument of Georgios Nikodimou, Agios Theodoros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Monument of Georgios Nikodimou

On our recent visit at Agios Theodoros, at Pitsilia area, we didn't miss the opportunity to continue searching and discovering this beautiful village.

As we wondered on the streets with the guidance of our friend Anna we came across the monument of Georgios Nikodimou.

Georgios Nikodimou was an 18 year old soldier serving in the army during the Turkish invasion in 1974. He was killed during the second part of the invasion on August 6 at the village of "Agridaki" in Kyrenia town.

Agridaki is now occupied as well as Kyrenia town.

Sunset at Agios Theodoros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Sunset at Agios Theodoros

Summer time sunsets in Cyprus are always fascinating! Most of the times, and depending where you are, you get a different version.

On a recent visit at Agios Theodoros village in the mountains of Pitsilia area we got the chance to see a beautiful one.

The weather was mostly cloudy and a bit rainy, but just a after seven o'clock when the sun was about to set, we found ourselves outside Agios Theodoros village. The sky was bursting with colors of yellow and orange at the back and blue to purple in front of the clouds.

We parked our New Seat Leon at the first available spot and sat there enjoying the sunset. It was indeed an exciting day with an exciting new car and a perfect view of the mountains!! 

Monument of Petros Eliades at Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Monument of Petros Eliades at Agros

The Apeitios School at Agros does not only have a monument in the memory of Kyriakos Apeitos but also one in the memory of Petros Eliades.

Petros Eliades is one of the local heroes of Agros who died on June 15th 1956 during the EOKA struggle.

Petros Eliades was born in 1932 and was a student later on at the Apeitios school. He joined EOKA very early mainly taking action in Nicosia were he worked at the same time.

On June 14th he took part in an attack against the Nicosia post office were he was injured seriously and did not manage to survive. He was buried in Agros and he memory is celebrated every year.

The "Apeitios" School of Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

The "Apeitios" School of Agros

One of the many things Agros is known for around the area of Pitsilia is its high esteemed "Apeitios" higher education school.

It is called "Apeitios" because of the great benefactor of the village Kyriakos Apeitos.

The school was built in 1944-45 under difficult conditions and when money was a scarcity. The school though had a great impact not only for the citizens of Agros but for the whole area where a higher education school was a luxury.

Since then tens of thousands of students from all the area of Pitsilia have studied there and have become some of the most profound citizens of Cyprus!

Today the "Apeitios" School operates along with the "Agros Hotel School" which helps many young people to make a career at the hotel industry.  

A visit at the "Rose Festival" (Part2), Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Rose Festival at Agros village

After our long walk visiting the kiosks at the "Rose Festival" it was time to visit the "Rose Production Museum".

Inside we saw many tools used in the past by locals to collect the roses. we also saw some of the old machinery of distilling and bottling the rose water.

On the next room though the more modern machinery and equipment were on display showing the transition of the production to the modern age.

A traditional "Lambikos" (shown below) was the most common way to distill and it is still used at home of some locals.

Moving to the outside area of the museum one of the local rose water producers was exhibiting the whole process of producing and distilling for visitors to see.Using a traditional "Lambikos" he was distilling rose water and at the same time explained to the spectators the "secrets" of his job.

At the end of our tour we bought a couple of rose-water bottles to take with us. Its most common use especially in summer time is a zip inside the traditional "mahalepi" desert!