Discover Agros this weekend
Agros is an ideal destination, providing a number of winter activities and cosy areas to spend a night comfortably by a fireplace enjoying nights out with friends and family on cold winter evenings, when we seek the warmth of traditional foods and great company.
If you are heading to the village from Nicosia then take the exit on the Troodos highway towards Palaichori and follow the road until you reach Agros. From Limassol you can follow the road that leads from the Ayia Fylas roundabout or the Polemidion roundabout.
Agros is named for a monastery of Agros, which once stood in the village, and is now the home of the church of the Virgin Mary. According to legend, the monks from the Agros monastery in the ancient town of Cyzicus in Asia Minor fled during the iconoclasm and brought the icon of the Virgin Mary with them to Cyprus. On the island, they settled in the area that is now Agros. In 1692 there was a plague that his the island and killed thousands, leading people to settle near the monastery for protection. Slowly, they area became populated that the village was constructed. The monastery was destroyed in 1894, but the village remained.
For those of you interested in wandering the narrow streets of villages and exploring religious sites, a stroll through the town should be a top priority as well as a visit to the town’s to churches, the one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which houses an icon from 1856 and the other is the Church of Saint Prodromos.
If you are looking to immerse yourself in nature, Agros has three nature trails that lead from the village, where you can wander among trails alive with the scent of sage, lavender, and pine. The first trail starts in the village and goes to the village of Lagoudera, while the second takes you to Madari and the third to Kato Mylos.
The town also has two old water fountains that were used to supply water to the villagers in years gone by. The one is in the centre of the town and is called Kaoura, while the other Anastasia is located at the southern edge of the town.
Many traditional Cypriot products are made in the town from locally grown fruit, including jams and spoon sweets. The town also produces various charcuterie meats from locally raised livestock, including lountza (Cypriot smoked ham) and sausages. During you visit make sure you sample some locally-made zivania Petralona (+357 99 609716) with some of the cured meats prepared by Kafkalias Agros (+357 25 521426), all made in the village and in the traditional way. You can also sample the cured meats from the company Daskalos (+357 25 522505).
Agros is the place to be if you are looking for spoon sweets, with many fruit varieties produced in the town as well as the famous and EU protected rose spoon sweet. Make sure you stop by the Niki’s Homemade Desserts (+357 25 521400) to taste some great sweets, and buy a small bottle to take home.
The town is known for its roses in the spring, that are used to make the spoon sweet but also rose water. Look for Agrose products in the village, which produce: sweets, rose water, rose syrup, and even rose beauty products.
Another favourite area in the town is the Rose Factory of Christakis Tsolakis (+357 25 521893), known for the production of rose aperitif, wine, oil, candles, rose water, tea, soap, jam, and beauty products.
Tip: Visit in May, when the annual rose festival is hosted.
For your night out, you will want to head to Hapsis’ Tavern (+357 99 409108), which was once an old shop in Agros. There you can order a sampling of great traditional dishes in a platter. You can also visit Linari tavern (+357 25 522215) for meze, wine, or just coffee and a snack.
You have various options in Agros, including To Pezema (+357 99 551381) for traditional food, Pantheon (+357 25 521889) also serving Cypriot cuisine, and similarly Koilada (+357 25 521303).
Kaouras (+357 99 793801) functions as a coffee shop in the morning and at night they serve platter of Cypriot food.
To stay, you can pick from the agro-touristic retreats at Agrospito (+357 99 470622), which has six stone-built little apartments with all the amenities. Otherwise, head to the hotel Vlahos (+357 25 521330), which has been operating for decades in the town.
