The Donkey Farm Concept: In 1998 the owners came up with the idea of creating a donkey farm near the village of Kelokedara, where they would provide shelter and veterinary care for the Cyprus Donkey, which was on the verge of becoming an endangered species. The second part of the idea was to create an exclusive and out of the ordinary excursion product, a way to bring our project into the public eye and make it available for adventurous tourists to enjoy. This enabled us to give our clients the chance to see the donkeys in their own environment & to combine a meeting with real Cyprus countryside, original hospitality, extreme experience, fun, adventure, good food and unexpected entertainment.
The whole ambience is exceptional; you can’t really understand it, until you experience it yourself! It’s a unique day out for all ages, from children to grandparents. Our numerous questionnaires as well as the guest book at the Donkey Farm provide some interesting statistics: 100% customer satisfaction; 50% would like to come back again; and 10% ask if they can spend the night at the Farm.
The aim is focussed not only on the satisfaction we give to our guests, but also on the healthy breeding program we have instituted for the benefit of the 90 donkeys we shelter. A couple of important points: Each donkey bears a sub-skin microchip and we have a strong program of preventive medical treatment for all the animals.
ARGONAFTIS Donkey Farm location: The farm is located in 19 hectares of land approximately 30 km East of Paphos in the Xeros river valley, one of the most untouched and tranquil parts of the island. The beautiful landscape, the variety of plants and wild life and the authentic sounds of Nature in this area, makes it the perfect setting for nature lovers. Our facilities attempt to blend in with the natural environment. Stone & wood are the main materials and we can accommodate up to 160 people for lunch or dinner during winter months, and 300 people or more in the summer.
Local delicacies: On arrival at the Donkey farm guests will sample many of local delicacies such as halloumi cheese, “sushukko”, village bread, olives, cucumber, all of them produced and made in the village, as well as local wine, the famous local distilled “Zivania”.
Donkey Riding: All visitors will have a chance to meet and pet the friendly baby donkeys before a demonstration and a safety briefing will take place about how to ride & control the Cyprus Donkey. Each rider will be assessed according to his/her weight & will be given the appropriate donkey. Then we will start our ride that will take us for about 25 minutes through the riverbed and along country tracks passing local shepherds with the flocks of grazing sheep and goats. The entire Donkey Ride is conducted under the watchful supervision of our professional staff to ensure safety and comfort for all.)
At the far end of the valley nestled in the hills we will find the 16thC Sindi monastery. Once at the monastery, we will have an approx. 20-minute break for guiding, light refreshments and free time to wonder around on your own.
Sindi Monastery: This is an abandoned 16th century monastery, which has been restored by UNESCO. In 1997 this restoration project was granted the prestigious EUROPA NOSTRA award and was recognised as a World Cultural Heritage monument. It is surrounded by some of the most spectacular landscape in Cyprus. Watermills: There are ruins of four watermills in the area, remnants of an era long past, when wheat and barely were cultivated widely and abundant amounts of water flowed regularly through the valley. Now the river is flowing only during the winter months December to May and is dry during the rest of the year.
Lunch or Dinner: The meal is a mix of typical Cypriot homemade dishes, such as afelia (pork with wine and coriander), pourgouri (cracked Bulgar wheat) tzatziki (yogurt dip), mixed vegetables, souvla (BBQ pork with oregano & CHICKEN), potatoes in the oven, village bread, salad and lemon. Village wine and zivania will be served through the meal with squash for the children.
Fully Stocked Bar: Soft drinks, beers or other import alcoholic drinks can be bought at reasonable prices.
