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Peristerona Polis

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Peristerona is a traditional Cypriot village located at a 10 minutes drive from the seaside town Polis Chrysochous and a 40 minutes drive from Pafos and Pafos International Airport. This picturesque mountain village is famous for its efforts to maintain the beauty and the traditions of Cyprus.

The Community leader (in Cyprus called the muchtar) and the council are putting a lot of energy in improving the local environment, encouraging people to renovate their stone houses and so keeping the traditional Cyprus village culture and atmosphere. Also they actively encourage new buildings in Peristerona to be made of stone. On top of that there is a great effort being made to try and keep the village alive and encourage the many Peristeronians who live abroad to retire in their village and spend the rest of their days here in Cyprus. Peristerona was therefore rewarded by the Bishopric of Pafos which decided to build its church here.

Peristerona derives its name from the word peristeri – meaning pigeons. Years ago there were thousands of pigeons living in the nearby so-called “Gorge of the Eagles” which is particularly loved for being so photo genetic.

All visitors to Peristerona will notice that the roads are planted with local trees to add to the green feel of the area. This is a tradition carried on through the ages. Many of the locals work for the Cyprus Forestry Department and indeed the Pafos regional Forest Chief comes from the village. The surrounding countryside is also very picturesque and an extremely romantic place. At approximately 300 meters above sea level the soft undulating hills are covered with vines, olive trees, wild flowers and herbs, and fruit trees while most of the locations offer views to the sea and the Akamas Peninsula or to the Evretou dam. It is highly recommended to take the old road from Peristerona to Lysos village and then down to Pelathousa and on to Polis -the drive is absolutely beautiful.

The village has a perfect climate for the local delicacy of wild mushrooms which are very much sought after. Try asking a local to take you on a mushroom picking day out. Its and unforgettable experience (December to April).

The local church is dedicated to St Mamas and is, like most village churches in Cyprus, located in the centre of the village. The church is nowadays part of the Bishopric of Arsinoe. The local Bishopric headquarters are a magnificent building, housing an interesting Byzantine museum. The museum has an impressive collection of icons metalwork art, characteristic Cyprus embroideries and woodcarvings. The museum is open daily.The area of Peristerona is home to 4 other churches, which are small but very old. They are dedicated to St. Theodoros, St George, St Zoni and The Holy Fathers.

Recent years have seen a rise in tourism related activities due to the popular demand of the Peristerona area, which is rich in natural beauty, has a cool climate and has a traditional Cypriot atmosphere and architecture.

Courtesy of  www.polischrysochous.net

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