Midnight in Kato Akourdhalia, in the rural heart of northwest Cyprus, and even
though I’m a little weary, I just can’t persuade myself to go to bed. Warm
air is scented with rosemary and orange blossom, and a deep, sweet silence
has settled across the olive groves and vineyards that surround Amarakos,
the inn where I am staying.
Silence has not always been sweet in rural Cyprus. Inland villages have seen
serious depopulation, starting with mass emigration in the 1950s followed by
the civil war in the Seventies. Then came the tourism boom when sons and
daughters left their parents’ farms and headed to the coast. The silence
then was hard and empty; villages lay abandoned, houses crumbled and fields
were left untended.
But slowly, thanks to a different type of tourism from that which defines
Cyprus’s coastline, life is starting to return. “Agrotourism” has been a
buzzword on the island for some time, with increasing numbers of village
houses being converted into holiday villas and cottages. But those involved
with rural tourism are keen to offer more, and a new breed of village inns
is springing up that offers different ways for visitors to experience and
become involved in rural life.
“Agrotourism has been successful, but it can be limited,” says Philippos
Droushiotis, chairman of the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI).
“All a place has to do to qualify is to be old. But we should offer much
more than that — village life in Cyprus is rich with tradition and we need
to share that with people.”
The road between Paphos and Limassol is a stretch of natural decimation:
barren landscapes, disused mines, hills of sand and dust. And yet just half
an hour north of Limassol lie the lush landscapes of the Troodos mountains,
with picturesque villages scattered among the pine forests.
Kakopetria is just such a place, built at the convergence of two rivers with a
preserved old village dating back hundreds of years. In the heart of the
cobbled streets lies the Linos Inn, a rambling, low-ceilinged building with
rooms chockful of character; high four-poster beds, old telephones and
radios on bedside tables, and a restaurant serving up the best Cypriot meze
I have ever eaten on the island.
As the demand has increased, so the inn has spread in size and in what it
offers: guided walks, the chance to try a little local cookery,
introductions to local villagers. And the Amarakos in Kato Akourdhalia is
similarly keen to introduce visitors to local people and traditions.
“Tourism is the future for us, but it cannot all be in the big resorts,” says
the loquacious owner, Mantis, who also runs the Cyprus Wildflower Festival
each year. “I have started a herb garden in the village, written a book on
our wildflowers — this is an incredibly fertile island, but few people
discover that side.”
The Amarakos is testament to Mantis’s passion for gardening. The courtyard is
dotted with pots filled with scarlet geraniums, bejewelled citrus trees and
herbs that end up in Mrs Angela’s cooking. The night I stay, the courtyard
is full of healthy types in walking boots, fresh from a day out among the
citrus orchards.
Fortunately, their days exploring the island have sent them to bed early,
leaving Amarakos, Kato Akourdhalia and seemingly the whole of this evolving
island just for me.
Need to know Annabelle Thorpe travelled with Sunvil (020-8758 4758, www.sunvil.co.uk/cyprus),
which offers small village hotels and inns in rural Cyprus. A week’s B&B,
including flights and car hire, costs from £616pp at Amarakos or the Linos
Inn.
Further information: Cyprus Tourist Office (020-7569 8800, www.visitcyprus.com).
Reading: Cyprus (Rough Guides, £11.99).
Five great Cypriot inns
Amarakos, Akourdhalia
Amarakos has seven rooms around a flower-filled courtyard where Mrs Angela
serves up leisurely breakfasts and fantastic evening meals. Rooms are cosy
and comfortable. Guided walks, cooking and pottery lessons and visits to
archaeological sites can all be arranged. Details: 00 357 22 313374, www.amarakos.com.
B&B doubles from £66.
Linos Inn, Kakopetria
Hidden away in the cobbled streets of Old Kakopetria, the Linos is a delight.
Rooms are in several different buildings, some with rickety balconies. The
courtyard restaurant serves fabulous meze and grilled meats and fish. Details:
22 923161, www.linos-inn.com.cy
, B&B doubles from £53.
Vasilias Nikoklis, Nikoklia
Only 20 minutes’ drive from Paphos, the inn is converted from a traditional khan,
where travellers would break their journey. There are eight simply furnished
rooms and a taverna renowned for sumptuous grilled meats. Details: 26
432211, www.
vasilias-nikoklis-inn.com, B&B doubles from £33.
Tokhni Tavern, Tokhni
Bigger than other village inns, the Tokhni offers studios and one-bedroom
stone-built cottages around a pool with gorgeous views. Olive picking, grape
harvesting and Halloumi-making are all on offer, according to the season. Details:
24 332998, www.cyprusvillages.com.cy,
studio apartments from £40, room only.
Anthony’s Garden House, Episkopi
A short drive from Limassol, this charming house was built in the
mid-19th-century and has been sympathetically converted. The pool,
surrounded by lemon groves, is a five-minute stroll up the road. Details: 25
932748, www.katerinatravel.com. cy/anthonys_hotels.htm. Doubles from £30.
All the above inns can be booked through Sunvil (020-8758 4758, www.sunvil.co.uk/cyprus).
