Herbs and halloumi
There’s stunning views from this month’s trip, but you’ll have to go soon
This day trip is an easy drive and offers lovely scenery, and, if you include lunch in the itinerary, you can easily be back home by early afternoon after leaving Limassol or Paphos at around 9 to 10am.
The route can be travelled either from a starting point in the village of Peyia or by taking the B7 route out of Paphos, signposted to Polis. We took the B7 option, a road that rollercoasters through gentle hills dotted with vineyards, fruit trees, banks of fire-red poppies and occasional hedges of wild artichokes.
Don’t be too distracted by the beauty of the surroundings as the road is twisty with sharp gradients and the inevitable convoy of slow moving lorries.
Go through the village of Stroumbi and, after about two minutes, take a left turn signed for Kathikas. This leads you to a reasonably quiet road, offering fantastic long-distance views to mount Olympus, not forgetting a bird’s eye glimpse of the jewel-box-like chapel of Ayia Paraskevi to the right that has, for over 1,000years, perched opposite a ruined watermill on the side of the deep Kyparisha ravine.
Pano Akordhalia is the next village. To get there, turn off to the right at the end of the village of Kathikas. It’s a very narrow, winding road, which, after ten minutes, enters this quite beautiful peaceful village almost undisturbed by the relentless march of the developers.
Wind your way through to the end of the village and park under the shade of an ancient olive tree standing at the entrance of a herb centre. This Laona-instigated project is a real joy to walk around, with the large well laid out garden obviously relished by both bees and butterflies.
Return the same way and turn right at the junction, making your way to the Sterna winery, which is well signposted down a reasonably car friendly track. It’s an establishment worth visiting just to climb down into the 3,000-year-old cellars that, on a hot day, make for a cooling rest spot as the temperature inside these caves climb no higher than 15°C. Here you can also indulge in a bit of retail therapy as the winery promotes the locally made Savvas pottery.
Back to the main road, turn left, and after a five-minute drive, turn right at a sign for Kritou Terra. Park at the entrance to the village, behind the taverna and enjoy a gentle, eight-minute amble down through the winding main street. This is the village of the Blue Doors; with every step you spot yet another handsome frontage decorated with old iron door handles and bright blue slashes of colour. Sweet-scented roses clambering out of old tin containers line part of the road until you get to the Laona project educational centre, situated at the far end of the village. After a coffee and a glass of water at the local watering hole next to the eclectic and old-fashioned supermarket you might be sufficiently revived to go for a rather rewarding short walk. A 4km trail begins just past The House of Anastasia, descending south into a deep canyon. Follow the clearly-marked track as it bends northeast and you will then arrive at the lonely, but quite lovely church of Ayia Ekaterini, reckoned to be the best preserved late Byzantium church in the Akamas.
Time to make up your mind re lunch: two options, after you leave Kritou Terra and, if indeed you have done the walk then hunger pangs will no doubt have set in, the swiftest sustenance available at lunchtime is at the Petradaki Tavern, on the right when returning back from the village on the main road. It’s a lovely place with a big balcony that looks out over the valley and, under the shade of an umbrella, you can enjoy a light lunch.
The other option, if you can hold on for another 10 to 15 minutes, is to make your way in the opposite direction to Polis. From the municipal car park, walk up into the square and turn down the first little lane on the left (by the Alpha bank), then turn right, and a jolly good lunch can be had at the very welcoming Moustakallis tavern. Known for their substantial value-for-money meze, dozens of home-cooked dishes are on offer.
Return home either via the B7 to Paphos or, return on the back road again, exiting past the village of Peyia.
Sterna Winery Tel: 99 699082, Petradakis Tavern 26 814191, Moustakallis 26 322883
