6 day trips for a pleasant escape in September
Cyprus offers us a huge range of options for all seasons. From the sea to the mountain our island offers endless accommodation, dining, and relaxation experiences. September is the first month of autumn, and we are gradually getting back into our rhythms and look for small excursions to the beautiful villages.
There are many reasons for an excursion to the village, but My Cyprus Travel has found the best that are none other than various traditional festivals held in September in the following six villages in Cyprus. So learn what to do, what to see, and where to eat in these picturesque towns.
Omodos, Limassol
From Sunday, September 8 until Monday, September 16, Omodos, one of the most picturesque villages in Cyprus, turns into a huge celebration on the occasion of the Holy Cross, which is celebrated on September 14 every year. After all, the monastery of the Holy Cross is one of the most historic monasteries on the island, where there are artefacts of priceless value. Hence, a great festival is set up in the village days before, which is the best reason to visit the village!
This year, make sure you pass through the square in the heart of Omodos and take in the traditional and authentic character of the town. It’s definitely worth visiting traditional cosy cafes, traditional bars, and small taverns for a drink, or a delicious meal.
Do not forget to buy some of the village’s traditional products, and also drink wine made in Omodos, as there are four wineries in the area. Take a stroll on the mountain “Afamis” as well as in the area of ”Laona”, which are considered the areas with the oldest vineyards and the finest wines of the island. As for accommodation, there are many options, such as the Katoi Restaurant (+357 25 423033) which combines both food and accommodation, and the Yiannis’ Tavern with Rooms (70 000100) and the Mavres Chines Tavern (70 005459). Take a look at Omodos Village Houses (+357 99 749065) for a stay.
Vouni, Limassol
Vouni is a beautiful, picturesque Limassol village. It is built on a slope to the south, and has a rich architectural heritage and a raw natural beauty. In Vouni this September you will go, to relax and enjoy a great community celebration on Sunday, September 22.
During your visit, make sure you stop by the church of Panayia Peravouniotissa, the church of Ayios Mamas and the Monastery of the Holy Resurrection, the mountain museums, including the traditional folk museum, the ecclesiastical museum, the oenological museum and the traditional olive press.
As for where to eat, famous for their delicacies are Takis Tavern (25 943631), Restaurant “Oraia Hellas” (25 944328), Alexandros Tavern (99 626291) and Vouniotiko (99 316979). Take a look at Vouni Lodge (99 685395), Ipio Vouni Suites (99 577140), Oinohori (99 649460) and Oinou Strata Luxury Suites & Wine Bar (25 944244), if you are looking to stay.
Potamitissa, Limassol
A good reason to find yourself in the small, picturesque village of the Pitsilia area is the Potamitissa Sausages Festival, which takes place on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday September 29 at the community church square. Here you will enjoy nature and its beauties. Walk along the new nature trail, called “Diosmides – Geratzia”. The route starts from the community’s new water reservoir, passes through the residential area and ends at about the middle of the Potamitissa-Agridon road, in the Geratzia area. If you choose to walk the trail, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the colours and aromas of nature, to see and study the forest, flora, fauna and rocks of the area. The trail is 1.5 km long and takes about 50 minutes to walk.
In Potamitissa you will find a great place to stay for the night, the rural retreat, Ambelikos (25 522211, 99 877589), which offers the visitor a feeling of serenity and tranquility. This is the only hotel in the village, with only 15 rooms, which are traditionally decorated. Rooms come with a TV, free Wi-Fi, a shower or a spa bath, and a balcony with mountain views. The hotel also has an outdoor pool and a shared terrace.
For lunch you can visit the Ambelikos Traditional Agrohotel’s tavern, which operates daily from 19.00 until 21.00. It features traditional Cypriot cuisine, mainly grilled dishes. For a pilgrimage visit the church of the village, which is dedicated to Panayia Potamitissa. Very close to Potamitissa are Agros, Kyperounda, Kato Mylos and Pelendri which you can also visit.
Lefkara, Larnaca
The most visited town on one-day excursions, has it all: beautiful hiking trails for the more active of us, and historical treasures, and shopping! The town will be organising a very special celebration dedicated to one of the most famous Lefkara dishes on Sunday, September 15. This is the feast of the Lefkaritikos Tavas, which has been a huge success in recent years and is a great occasion to be there in September.
In this village you can enjoy walks in the narrow streets with traditional houses and admire the rich white linen embroidery and the small silver masterpieces. Visit the Local Ethnological Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmithing. There are 19th and early 20th century urban furniture, traditional costumes, silver pieces and an interesting collection of Lefkaritika embroideries, for which the village was renowned worldwide. Also, check out the Lefkara Crafts Centre created to maintain, develop and continue the village’s tradition in embroidery and silversmithing.
Visit the church of the Holy Cross with the great silver cross which, according to tradition, carries a piece of the wood from Christ’s cross. Pass by the small craft making “The Beautiful Lefkara” (24 342525, 99 644989), which has been operating for one and a half centuries. For accommodation, check out Kozakos Luxury Houses (www.kozakosluxuryhouses.com / 99 676704), Red Blue Door (www.redbluedoor.com / 22 446552, 99 420984), Iosiphis’s Stone Built House Ltd (www.iosiphishouse.com / 24 664677, 99 790780).
For food and more, you will go to Tasties, a coffeehouse. It is an impressive 1850 mansion, restored in 1927, and in recent years has received some additional decorative intervention by its new owners. In this stylishly decorated café-restaurant, you can choose to sit either inside, beside the books or next to the imposing piano, or in the nice courtyard with clock and cuckoo, while enjoying dishes from the Mediterranean-style menu (24 343411, 99 828303). Alternatively, you can visit the Lefkara Coffee Yard Bar-Restaurant in Pano Lefkara. The shop serves coffees and various drinks daily from early in the morning while lunches and evenings serve Cypriot and international cuisine.
Kalavasos, Larnaca
It is the best season for a visit to Kalavasos, which is built about 40 kilometres southwest of Larnaca. As you stroll through the village, you can always feel its rich historical past, on one hand, meeting the archaeological sites between them the famous Neolithic settlement of Tenta, on the other hand, chatting with the old inhabitants, as they share their stories. There, do not miss to visit the archaeological sites of Kalavasos and especially the archaeological settlement of Tenta that receives visitors from all over the world. Walking around the village you will see its churches, remnants of old mines, such as an old train, an old mosque, and its rich wildlife. When it comes to accommodation, the choices you have are many.
Some of them are The Library Hotel & Wellness Resort (24 817071) and the “Alonia House” (24 332998), Stratos ArtDeco House (99 104208), Charalambos Holiday Cottage (99 619396) and many more. For food, in addition to the choices the village gives you, you can even stop by the nearby fishing village of Zygi, where you will find fish taverns. But definitely go to the beautiful Laya, where the 16th Festival of Traditional Culture will take place on October 1.
Miliou, Paphos
Still haven’t gone to Miliou? It is a very beautiful village of Paphos province, located 26 km north of Paphos and only 10 km before Polis Chrysochou. Miliou is a very beautiful village, hidden in the deep green of the orange groves, so in September it organises the 3rd Orange Festival on Saturday, September 14.
Apart from its oranges, the village is famous for its thermal baths at the entrance of the village of Agioi Anargyri, where the monastery used to be, and which attracted many visitors. The thermal baths have been renovated and the work is one-of-a-kind in Cyprus. The Hydrotherapy Centre and Ayii Anargyri Natural Healing Spa Resort (26 814003) are a attraction for locals and foreigners alike. The resort, which is aimed only at adults and children over 14, has the largest spa in the Mediterranean and is the only spa to have been known for their healing properties for generations. The hotel’s spa offers various health and wellness treatments for both men and women. The hotel is housed in an old monastery, which has been renovated with natural stone and wood, preserving the traditional architectural style of Cyprus.
Nature lovers can head to the nature trail ‘Anerades’, which is circular, starting at the entrance of the village and ending at the same point. If you walk, you will have the opportunity to admire the rich flora and fauna of Miliou, as well as to collect walnuts in autumn and various fruits such as blueberries in summer and oranges in winter from the trees you meet. If you’re lucky, on the river that crosses the path, you can also see freshwater crabs.
For food, you will go to the tavern Pagratios (70 003757). You will find it in the village square, in a renovated 1847 building. It offers traditional appetizers, which include halloumi, ribs, sausage, liver, souvlaki, sheftalies, breadcrumbs, wild asparagus and many other delicacies. It also serves grilled foods and various other cooked foods such as kleftiko.
