When people think of the mountains of Cyprus , their thought goes immediately to Troodos mountain range and the rural areas of Nicosia and Limassol district. I don't know if you knew this, but the mountains of Larnaca are pretty amazing, too. I don't want to get into the depth of the matter, you will see for yourself below. So here are the locations we visited , which completed a lovely road trip and I think that you will enjoy. By the way, the last location is a combination of Larnaca and Nicosia mountains.
Panagia tis Agapis
Agioi Vavatsinias waterfall
Agioi Vavatsinias dam
Odou village
Off road to Machairas
Panagia tis Agapis
Panagia tis Agapis (Holy Mary of Love chapel) , is located 3 km next to the village of Vavla of Larnaca District. While driving to Choirokoitia - Ora road , you will see a sign on your right (just after you pass Vavla village) writing ‘’Παναγίας της Αγάπης’’. After turning right, you will have to drive a small unpaved road for a while. Make sure you do that during winter, where rivers will flow along the road. (Click) here for the exact location of the chapel.
Agioi Vavatsinias waterfall
This is an amazing hidden gem that you should visit. I won't say much, as I will let the photos speak. The place is here (click) and you have to walk for appr. 100m to find it. Keep trying if you fail the first time because there are no signs and I hope it stays that way. If you are reading my blogs, you should have already known by now that many of the places I suggest here, are not so known and visited to the general public, thus are still clean, unpolluted and natural. Let’s keep it that way guys.
Agioi Vavatsinias dam
Since we were around the area we decided to visit Agioi Vavatsinias dam. A cute little dam with a unique rounded crest (the top part of a Dam, used for providing a walkway above). The dam is located just outside the village and you can find it (here). Agioi Vavatsinias dam was constructed in 1981 for irrigation purposes and has a capacity of 53000m³.
Odou village
I’ve passed through Odou village at least a couple of times, but I can’t seem to remember ever stopping there. Small little village on the south base of mount Troodos 850m above sea level and 50 km from Larnaca. We have been told that we should stop for a break on a nearby viewpoint (click here) that has been recently constructed and so we did. The view was amazing, as was the wooden structure that adds to the experience. The village has some interesting old houses and the 16th century church of Agia Marina. In the middle of the village you can enjoy your coffee at a coffee shop named ‘’gia panta xeimwnas’’. That's about it for now, Odou village was just for a quick stop and I know that if you come for a stay here, there are a bunch of things you can see and do.
Off road to Machairas
As you head from Odou Village to Machairas you will see written on a road sign ‘’ΛΕΙΒΑΔΟΧΟΡΤΟΣ ΜΑΧΑΙΡΑΣ’ - (approximately here). It is an old rural unpaved road (mostly) that leads you to Machairas area. So this is an amazing off road drive from Larnaca to Nicosia district through the mountains. If you don't have the appropriate vehicle to drive this road, at least give a chance and drive at the first few hundred meters of the road and so as other rural roads surrounding Odou village , where you can find big tomato fields , which add a unique touch to the mountainous scenery.
That’s it guys. This is an easy going road trip, not too demanding, where you can easily visit either you are driving from Nicosia or Limassol and of course from Larnaca. The surrounding area we visited has some more interesting destinations of which some we visited before and you can (find them here) and some we are planning to visit (I hope soon). So stay tuned for more of the mountainous Larnaca district and not only. I hope you liked it. Make sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already. Until the next time.. Cheers!