Travel Guide Panagia

At an altitude of 900 metres, the village of the "All-Holy" is the birthplace of President-Archbishop Makarios III (1913-1977). Cypriots come here to visit the museum dedicated to him and the house where he lived with his eleven brothers and sisters, before being sent to the Kykkos monastery at the age of 13. But Panagia is also the gateway to the state forest of Paphos, the largest wooded area in Cyprus, covering 700 km2 in the Troodos massif. The landscape is thus varied, with green mountains to the north, arid zones to the south and vineyards well adapted to the harsh changes between winter and summer. Nearby, the monastery of the "Golden Pomegranate" (Chrysoroyiatissa) offers a good summary of all this: religious history, magnificent panoramas and wine. And yet, tourism here is relatively undeveloped. Panagia has only one real hotel, Oniro, and it's disappointing. But there are some nice, comfortable rooms available from the locals, as well as a few restaurants.