Cyprus Villages – Adorable Farm Visits And Religious Tourism

Tia — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 21:22:43 +0000

Welcome to another article about Cyprus villages that have a lot to offer! In this article we will talk about 2 Cyprus villages in Nicosia District – Paliometoxo and Nikitari.

In Paliometoxo, I visited the most adorable animal farm, and in Nikitari, I enjoyed religious tourism in Panagia Asinou Unesco church along with excellent food and a fair few pleasant surprises!

So keep reading to find the truth about 2 Cyprus villages that are off the radar…but totally worth a visit!

Cyprus Villages – Paliometoxo

In general, Paliometoxo is a modern village, possibly because of its close proximity to the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia! You won’t find the picturesque alleys, the cobbles streets, the colorful wooden doors, or breathtaking nature.

But Paliometoxo is a must visit for two things; The Royal Goat Farm, and Panagia Chrysogalaktousa Church!

Paliometoxo Village

The Royal Goat Farm

I love to discover places that offer pure entertainment and unique experiences for every age! The Royal Goat Farm is a warm and hospitable farm in Paliometocho village, just a few minutes outside Nicosia.

Lambs, goats, donkeys, bunnies, and all kinds of birds live harmoniously here, and you cannot get enough of just seeing and studying them!

At The Royal Goat Farm, they love tradition, and this is evident, from their classic Cypriot hospitality and their love for all creatures on earth!

Roula and Christos are the owners, and you will have a hard time meeting more kind-hearted people – that truly love what they do!

What animals are there at the Royal Goat Farm?

My goodness, there are so many! So first off, we have the most adorable goats and sheep!

Next, we have a sweet little family of Donkeys, the mother, father, and their 3-week old baby son!

There are also turkeys, chickens of various breeds (and their cute baby chicks), and geese – one of which was hatching her eggs when I visited!

You will also encounter rabbits – and let me tell you, that baby rabbits are the cutest thing there is!

Are the animals well taken care of?

The animals are loved; truly loved and taken care of in such a beautiful way! The baby lambs and goats are kept in one enclosure, and the mothers are always kept safe with their calves!

The Donkeys are kept outside in their own covered enclosure, and the male goats and sheep are kept entirely separate. On another part of the farm, there are different areas for the turkeys, another for the chickens, one for geese and lastly, an area for the rabbits!

In conclusion, each species has their own large space, that is filled with food, water and shade. All the animals are released every morning and spent their whole day outside grazing, eating, and generally being…animals!

They only go indoors at nightfall and during designated feeding times! Each morning, the goats and sheep are milked, and then off they go to enjoy a day of fun and freedom on the vast premises of the farm!

Are there any other activities at the farm apart from the animals?

Absolutely! For starters, the farm is in the process of finishing building a beautiful outdoor restaurant right on the farm’s premises! The restaurant will be offering a set of traditional and seasonal Cypriot dishes, and themed nights.

There is also a certified station for the preparation of halloumi cheese, goat cheese, and anari, all of which you can book to take a workshop in!

In the wood-fired oven outside, you can observe the art of traditional bread making – which you can later devour in the beautiful brunch you will be eating.

Of course, I took part in every activity and workshop available – quite clearly I didn’t want to leave!

Making Cheese for flaounes
Traditional bread in the food-fired oven
Cyprus breakfast!
Traditional wood-fired oven

I met, cuddled, and milked the animals, made bread in the wood-fired oven, made cheese for ”flaounes” – ( traditional pastries with cheese and raising made during Easter!), and ate an amazing Cypriot Brunch.

In conclusion, at the Royal Goat Farm, you can:

Visit the farm and meet/play with the animals
Eat Cyprus brunch ( and soon lunch/dinner at the restaurant)
Take a bread-making workshop
Take a halloumi and anari cheese workshop

To book: Call 00357- 99653957

Panagia Chrysogalaktousa – Paliometoxo

After you finish visiting The Royal Goat Farm, I highly suggest a visit to the beautiful Panagia Chrysogalaktousa church, which is located in the heart of Paliometoxo Village.

This 19th-century church is built of limestone porphyry stones in the shape of a single-aisled basilica.

Its architecture is in line with the Byzantine style that most temples have built from the last years of Ottoman rule until the middle of the 20th century.

The bell tower is beaytiful, and it is built with the same stone as the rest of the Temple. It has unique and elaborate carvings all over the body. I also observed intricate shapes and carvings in the windows and entrances of the church.

From 2013 to 2017, the church underwent extensive renovations! The exterior masonry was cleaned and repaired and the roof of the temple was restored with the installation of new semi-cylindrical tiles.

Work was also done inside the church where the masonry was preserved and a new floor of traditional Cypriot plaster was placed.

In the center of the main church, where the foundations of the medieval church were located, the surface was covered with a glass floor and lighting was placed to better highlight the space. You can see the foundations of the ancient church under the glass floor, which i thought was a lovely touch!

All the wood-carved parts of the temple (doors, windows, gynaeconite, pulpit, episcopal throne, image stalls, iconostasis) have been preserved. 

The old chandeliers of the temple were preserved and relocated, and the bell tower was fixed and cleaned. 
Finally, the surrounding area of the church was beautified with the landscaping of the precinct with Cobblestone paving and pebbles.

Cyprus Villages – Nikitari Village

In Nikitari, we find mansions of old traditional architecture, picnic areas, taverns with courtyards and lovely views and of course, nature trails, in the luscious state forest.

Panagia Asinou Church

The Christian Orthodox Easter is approaching, and with joy and excitement Ι visit the impressive stone-built Byzantine church of Panagia Asinou, which is a building of the 12th century.

This church is located in the village of Nikitari in the province of Nicosia and is of course included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Do you need to book in advance to visit Panagia Asinou Church?

Panagia Asinou is, as mentioned above, a Church protected by Unesco. This means, that for its preservation, it does not operate daily and it is only open for visitors on Sundays!

Im not sure I agree with this, as so many people might wish to visit on a weekday or on Saturday, but it is what it is!

Please note, that photography and videography are strictly forbidden in Panagia Asinou. The same rules apply for all Cyprus villages with Unesco Churches.

I was fortunate enough to get special access and permission for the photos you see here and the videos in my travel episode!

What restaurants are near Panagia Asinou Church?

There are two restaurants within a minute from Panagia Asinou Church. Both were open on Sunday I visited, and both are traditional Cyprus Meze restaurants.

One is ”Stavros Tis Asinou” and the other is Forviotissa Restaurant – which was my choice and it was excellent! Let me tell you about it below!

Forviotissa Restaurant

This restaurant is one of those family businesses that understand the culture and culinary excellence of Cyprus.

They skillfully take the art of the Cyprus meze and elevate it so that everything you eat is an incredible culinary journey through the island’s top dishes. Warning; Make sure you arrive hungry!

Cyprus taverns are notorious for serving so much food, that it is simply impossible to eat. At Forviotissa restaurant, the food was plentiful, but in no excess – which makes my eco-friendly side very happy!

In their large outdoor space, overlooking the endless green of the forest, they can entertain a large number of customers whilst keeping up with the social distancing that is essential in Cyprus at the moment.

The menu consists of huge array of starters dips, bread, potatoes, and meats like souvla and souvlaki (skewers of meat barbequed on an open coal fire).

There are also cooked traditional dishes that you don’t often find in taverns, and the spoon sweets and caramel pudding at the end, are to die for. Highly recommend!

To book: 22 999922

Asinou- Agios Theodoros Nature Trail

This gorgeous nature trail starts at the eastern side of Agios Theodoros village and ends at The Virgin Mary of Asinou church.

The trail is deep into the Aderfoi Forest and it will reward you with amazing views through the beautiful green hills of Paliospora village, the forested mountain of Faraklou, and the Pentadaktylos mountain.

Trail Information
Starting Point: Agios Theodoros Soleas Village
End Point: The Virgin Mary of Asinou church
Distance: 5,6km
Timeframe: 1 ½ – 2 hours
Difficulty Level: 2

And while we are on the subject of nature..consider finishing your road trip by taking a 15-minute drive from Nikitari to Xyliatos Reservoir. The reservoir consists of the Xyliatou Dam and the nature trail too, which is a relaxing trail perfect for leisurely hikers.

Xyliatos Dam

Along the trail, you will have a chance to spot endemic bird and plant species to the island, including the Cyprus warbler and frogs, as well as, the Cyprus skullcap.

The trail is approximately 4km long and takes an average of one and a half hours to complete.

Thank you for sticking around and reading about these special Cyprus villages that put the agro- into agrotourism! Have you ever visited a farm? Share your experience in the comments below!

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter! May the Resurrection of Christ be a Resurrection of hope for all of us, for a brighter, more humane, and more peaceful world.

Christos Anesti!

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