Local Villages near Panoramic Village

Panoramic Village is surrounded by a number of interesting villages, which are well worth a visit during your stay. Some of the more important ones are described below.

Mazotos Village

The nearest village to the Panoramic Village is Mazotos, which is no more than a 5 minute walk away. Mazotos is a small and quiet community with some 1000 inhabitants - mainly Greek Cypriots, although over recent years a small British community has steadily developed.

Within the village you will find almost everything necessary to make your stay at Panoramic Village as pleasant as possible. It has 2 small but well stocked supermarkets selling a wide range of tinned and fresh food as well as most other household provisions. There is also a very pleasant bar called Legends that is open most evenings, providing simple food and drink to order. The village also has a couple of small cafe bars, a bank and cash point.

In the centre of Mazotos, you can also find the Community Council offices, a museum dedicated to the work of Costas Argrou and the Church of St George. Pictured opposite this church is home to the Icon of Saint Xenophon which is paraded around the village on feast days and is believed to have magical healing powers.

Kiti Village

The small town of Kiti is less than 5 minutes drive from Panoramic Village, heading towards Larnaca. It is a thriving little community of around 5,000 residents and it is the nearest development to Panoramic Village where you can buy virtually any items that you may need during your stay. There are numerous bars, cafes, tavernas and restaurants that you may want to try, as well as banks, ATM cash machines, petrol stations, doctors and dentists. Although Kiti is not the most attractive of towns - mainly built along the main road from Larnaca - it is an important Cypriot commuter town and well worth investigating for its shops and food outlets.

The main tourist attraction in Kiti is the famous church, Panagia tis Aggeloktistis, or Our Lady, built by the Angels. Located to the northwestern end of Kiti, the church was built in the 11th century over the ruins of a 5th century early Christian basilica. The basilica had a semi-circular synthronon, still surviving in the bema of the 11th century church. The interior of the church is decorated with significant frescoes of the 13th century, icons dated to various periods and the famous mosaic of Panagia tis Aggeloktistis. The mosaic is on the conch of the apse, inside the bema, and it is considered to be one of the most significant and elaborate wall mosaics of Early Christian art.

Pervolia

If you travel from Panoramic Village to Kiti, and then turn right at the crossroads, you will eventually come to the small village of Pervolia. This idyllic and tranquil Cypriot village has a population of around 1,600 inhabitants and good local amenities. These include banks, shops, Cypriot bars, tavernas and local restaurants, supermarkets, a sports centre and of course a number of local beaches. Most of the villages amenities line Pervolia’s main street, although others are found along the coastal road in the new part of the village. During the summer months the village centre is closed off to motorised traffic each evening to create an open pedestrian area where all residents can come together to experience the village’s unique atmosphere in the various bars, tavernas and restaurants.

Although the beaches in the Pervolia and Cape Kiti area are shingle rather than sandy beaches, most people think that they are ideal for families with young children because of their gradual incline into the se and the general calmness of the water. The most popular beach in this area is the small Faros beach which also has water activities and local refreshments available during the summer months.

Tersefanou Village

Tersefanou is the village at the centre of the proposed new Larnaca Golf Course and Country Club. Prior to the announcement on the new golf course in 2005, Tersefanou was a very small farming village outside Larnaca. Now it is very much at the centre of a building and construction storm with a wide range of new properties appearing overnight. The village is surrounded on all sides by massive, modern apartment blocks and villa complexes. This is especially true to the north of the village where the new properties will be directly adjacent to the proposed course. Surprising enough however, the heart of the village has been preserved and still retains it’s traditional Cypriot atmosphere - but who knows for how long.

Initial work on the golf course is now beginning, and the surrounding infrastructure is first in line. A road will shortly link Tersefanou to Kiti and Pervolia and a new spur is being planned that will link the course directly to the motorway just a few miles to the north. Commercial and retail developments will then almost certainly follow and Tersefanou will almost certainly change permanently in the near future.

Alaminos Village

The next village to Mazotos travelling north west along the F405 is Alaminos. This is a small traditional and picturesque Cypriot village of some 300 inhabitants. The houses are of a traditional design with sky blue doors and windows. There are also traditional coffee shops, a supermarket, an elementary school, an old Turkish school and mosque. After the 1974 invasion most of the Turkish inhabitants left the village and went north to be replaced by 40 or so refugees from the northern territories. An old church built around 1600 (Agios Mamas) stands on the higher part of the village and contains some beautiful wall paintings and wooden icons.

If you leave the village along the F107 and head towards the old coast road, you will come to the Hotel Aldiana, which is a 300 room hotel, mainly catering for German tourists - although most of the staff speak good English. The hotel provides a swimming pool, restaurants, excellent club and sport facilities and a small beach referred to as Alaminos beach, which provides access to the sea along with some water activities.

Maroni Village

Just 8km west of Panoramic Village, you will come across the picture postcard village of Maroni. This is an old farming village of some 500 inhabitants, that has resisted all attempts to modify it and still carries on the old traditional Cypriot ways. There are very few new buildings but there are numerous beautifully restored Cypriot houses located amongst the narrow winding streets of the village. With the northern part of the village reaching an altitude of 200 metres, Maroni provides some spectacular views to the sea 2km to the south.

Whilst Maroni has little in the way of tourist orientated amenities and facilities, it does have a few small shops and a couple of local village tavernas, and of course the small local beach. All of which makes it an interesting place to visit if you want to while away your time and see a traditional Cypriot village with a tradition Cypriot way of life.

Zygi Village

A few kilometres further west along the old coast road, you will come to the small fishing village of Zygi. Whilst the village itself is a charming traditional Cypriot village, it does also have some unsightly features including the numerous radio masts that have flourish just a mile outside the village and the old cement works that dominates the coastline towards Limassol. Having said that, Zygi is well worth a visit, if only for it’s superb seafood restaurants which are said to be the best in all of Cyprus. The fish served in these 20 or so restaurants is always fresh and supplied by local fishermen who make up the bulk of the local inhabitants.

Over recent years, Zygi has made serious attempts to attract more tourists and visitors and to make their stay even more pleasurable. Recent developments include the building of a 175 berth marina that will be available to tourists as well as the local fishing fleet. It is expected that the marina will be completed by late 2010/11. Attempts have also been made to enhance the local beach and change it froma shingle to a sandy beach. This may take a while, but in the meantime, the culinary delights of Zygi are still worth a visit in their own right.