Kalo Chorio is a beautiful village located 21 kilometers north of Limassol. Driving to Kalo Chorio from Limassol, you will go through the villages of Ayia Fila, Palodia, Paramytha and Gerasa. As soon as you leave Gerasa you pass through the beautiful evergreen forest of Ayia Paraskevi where after two kilometers you come to Kalo Chorio. The neighboring villages are Zopygi, Louvaras, Ayios Pavlos and Ayios Constantinos.
The inhabitants of these five villages work in the fields, growing vegetables and fruit but mostly cultivating vineyards for the production of Commandaria, a port-like wine that in Homeric times was known as “Nama”, before being given its present name by the Crusaders
What a visitor should look for in Kalo Chorio
* A Tour of the Commandaria Winery
Here visitors can watch a short film regarding vineyards and the production of Commandaria. In the winery they can see the machinery for processing the grapes and the wine barrels where Commandaria is stored. They can taste Commandaria and also buy bottles to take home. Small souvenirs are also available.
A visit to the “eleotrivio” Olive press
It is very interesting to see how the olive press was used compared to the modern ways of extracting the oil from olives. The village council has plans to organize this building as an agricultural museum to exhibit the machinery of the olive press and other tools that the locals used for all their agricultural activities through the ages.
Production of Zivania (Traditional Local Drink)
Visitors in the months of October, November and December will be able to see Zivania being distilled from the skins of the grapes after extracting all the juice for the production of Commandaria. The rest of the year visitors will be able to see the “Kazani”(boiler) used to distil Zivania.
The Church of St. George
This small and beautiful church was built in 1768. Visitors can see on the wall on the north side of the church, an icon of St. George and other paintings around it. The icons of Christ and Panagia (St. Mary), to the left and right of the entrance to the Holy Altar of the church are rare and marvellous works of art.
The Church of Agia Marina.
In the church located in the centre of the village, visitors can see new and old icons and also appreciate the wooden hand-carved Iconostasis (screen separating the worshippers from the altar according to Orthodox tradition). It was carved in the early 1900s, a great creation. According to stories of the old villagers, the sculptor stayed in the village for seven years, working solely on the Iconostasis.
The traditional part of the village
Leaving the church, visitors can walk through the narrow and beautiful streets of the village. Houses are built out of stone and their balconies provide excellent views. A visit to one of the restored houses will give a taste of traditional living in Kalo Chorio and will lead the visitor through time. Most of the villagers used to keep their goats near their houses, so they could have their own milk and make the local cheese (halloumi). After walking through the village, visitors can sit in either of the two coffee shops for a Cyprus coffee or a mahallepi (a traditional sweet). Next to the coffee shops is the water pool. The natural spring that pours its waters into the pool is situated a few meters away, and villagers are very proud of their spring-fed water supply. The water that is collected in the pool is used for watering trees and vegetable gardens (Kotsinogia) close to Pera Gitonia. Pera Gitonia is the south neighbourhood of the village and is also worth exploring.
Nature Trail through Kotsinogia “The redland”.
After resting at the coffee shop visitors can take a walk along a nature trail. Starting at the centre of the village near the water pool, it passes through the south neighbourhood of the village and enters the local gardens full of orange, lemon, walnut and fig trees and many others, as well as vegetable plots. This trail is unique owing to the morphology of the land and the view. Enjoy as well the sounds of the birds and the water in the nearby stream. The end of this trail is east of the village on the main road that leads to Agios Pavlos. The Local Council, in co-operation with the Friends of Kalo Chorio Association, is thinking of creating another nature trail along the banks of the stream that leads to a waterfall in the winter months.
Buying Traditional Sweets and Others
Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the co-op mini-market of the village opposite the Church of Agia Marina. They can buy local products like Commandaria, Zivania, other local wines, soutzouko, traditional sweets, preserves, nuts, bee honey, fruit, and many other organic products. The local council and the friendly and hospitable villagers are willing to do their best so that visitors will have an unforgettable experience in Kalo Chorio. Our aim is to satisfy all our visitors so that when they leave, it will be with happy memories.
Courtesy of the Community Council of Kalo Chorio
