Cyprus Passion

Vouni village can be found just 7km north of Agios Therapon, situated in the Limassol district. The village actually gets its name from its location. The meaning behind it is ‘small mountain’. It is at an altitude of 800m and only 35k from Limassol city.

The history of Vouni village is dated all the way back to the Middle Ages which can be found on Venetian maps with the name ‘Voni’. From history we believe there were 4 settlements back in the day. The three were known as Pera Vouni, Velonaka and Ais Mamas. These three were hit by a plague that came to Cyprus in 1692. This left only the fourth settlement, Vouni, which was salvaged and protected by St John Prodromos. All settlements that made it through the plague later moved to Vouni.

Vouni village is a picturesque village itself let alone its surroundings which are breathtaking. The houses have beautifully coloured doors and verandas, cobble stone streets and stone build homes. Amazing architecture and a very popular destination for agrotourism in Cyprus.

A unique site to this village is the caves on the southern slopes of the village. There are 2 old caves that were thought to have been used as catacombs. The Panagia Can and the Moulou Cave. Beautiful rock formations on the inside and enough sunlight shines in to showcase the amazing colours of the rocks.

The village square is another amazing place to visit while in the village. The square is known as ‘Mesochoros’ or ‘Plateia’ and has a very pretty café named ‘H Plateia’. You can also find many other cafes that serve coffee, breakfast and brunch but also a taverna for lunch and dinner too. The charming coffee shops also serve traditional Greek coffee and sweets.

A walk through the village will show you just how beautiful traditional style home and cobblestone streets are. You can also visit the village museums, see the old olive oil mill or even go further out of the village to see the abandoned school. If you are interested in the museums, one is a Byzantine Museum which has a collection of Folk Art. Another is the Oenological Museum; the old Olive mill and the others are the Venetian and Ottoman Havouza (Water basin).

Church of Timios Prodromou is the main church of the village. This wonderful church has walls of stone and an entrance of beautifully carved stone. The interior is of 18th century frescos and there is a Ecclesiatical Museum located right next to the church. Inside the museum you will see ancient icons which date back to the 16th century.

Vouni village also has the Chapel of St. John the Russian, Chrysosotiros Chapel and Agios Mammas Chapel. All very beautiful in their own way inside and outside.

If you are thinking of visiting, then think about staying the night. There are many options for accommodation. Most of which are old homes restored and modernized a little. You can find houses suitable for families, couples or even a group of friends.

During the 3rd week of September there is a Palouze Festival. This is an annual festival which showcases Palouze, a sweet made from grape juice. Another annual event is the Flower wreath competition. This is head on the 1st of May. May is typically when we have the festival of flowers all over Cyprus or otherwise known as ‘Anthestiria’.

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