Coming down from the verdant mountaintops of Troodos, you face an exquisite village built inside the green, surrounded by forests and mountains. It is the renowned Phini.

 

Taking the steep, descending road with its abrupt turns, and heading for the village, you come across a very old, stone-made, fountain. It is the fountain of "Pellomarou" (Crazy Mare), which quenches your thirst with its cool water. It took its name - a long time ago -from the dweller that was next to the fountain who was deranged. According to tradition, whoever drinks from the fountain will forever remain in the village.

 

After moving on, you will see modern residences next to traditional houses made with stone and mud-bricks all around you, reaching the former centre of the village without even realising it! Next to the small plaza stands the "Pilavakio" Museum Folkloric Art where one can observe and be acquainted with the history of Phini through the passage of time. Old photographs, earthenware jars, clay pots, objects of everyday use from the time of our grandfathers, transferring you to some other distant eras, making you forget the intense tempos of everyday living and surrender to the magical ands of the past.

 

Next to the Museum stand the village's Co-operative Credit Society, the community council's office, and a picturesque coffee-house. A bit further on rises an ancient steeple that snatches your attention and leads you to the temple's forecourt through the stone-made stairs. There lies the village's church, dedicated to the Holy Cross. Built in 1860, it still stands well and continues to attract the village's Christians and also the foreigners that come to visit.   

 

Heading up a bit and going through the verdant alleys, coming closer to the village's centre, the plaza, which is dedicated to the community's two youths -Demos Erodotou and Efstathios Xenofontos - that died fighting for the ideals of Freedom during the Liberation Struggle of 1955-1959. Further down, the bust of Archbishop Sofronios stands in reverence, Phini being his birthplace, drawing one's attention as a patron saint and a guardian. Across lies the Youth Centre's building, in which the youths of the village and the surrounding area find refuge in order to be entertained, to discuss, play and have fun. Various other entertainment centres are located in the region of the plaza.

 

Also close by is the elementary school, today operating with 26 students and 3 teachers. The cultural centre is housed in the same courtyard. Both buildings were made several years ago with donations by Antonios and Eugenia Theodotou.

 

The community of Phini has managed to operate a nursing home for persons in need, in a building donated by Nina Saloumi. With the passage of time the elderly needed more care and so a second nursing home operated in a separate building.

 

As you enjoy the beauty of the village and its various buildings while walking in its streets, restaurants and cafeterias offer you rest, quality food, cool drinks, and home-made dishes.

 

A few kilometres outside the village there is an exquisite natural landscape, the Chantara fall, from where the Diarizos river -with its crystal waters -springs. The river crosses through the village and as its waters run they grant you a melodic tune and provide a sense of relaxation. A privately owned fish-farm -the only one in the area -operates next to the fall and it's famous for its tasty trouts.

 

At the same time, a religious element characterises the villages inhabitants, revealed through the country churches of St. Anna , of St. Marina, of the Anargyroi Saints, and of St. George. These four small churches, which surround the village and protect it from any external evil, are drowned in the green.

 

their warm hospitality, the pure and selfless help they offer you, their unselfishness, and their respect. Perhaps all these have aided to the cultural, economic, and social progress of the village.

 

With the passage of the centuries, the village succeeded in maintaining and transferring to the new generation traditional manners and customs that, in spite of the harsh living conditions, it managed to keep alive. The making of Turkish delights that made the village known throughout Cyprus, its pottery, and the making of its well known wooden chairs reveal that the inhabitants, with their thoughts turned to the past, were able to preserve whatever they took from their ancestors with respect and dignity and -remaining loyal to their obligation -spread this knowledge to the new generation.

 

If you have not yet visited the enchanting, wine-producing village, make that decision and do so. Believe this, you will not regret it. Once you enjoy the produce that the village generates and taste the various dishes that the inhabitants will offer you, you will understand the meaning of Hospitality-made-in-Phini. You will be surprised and your visit will remain unforgettable.

 

The singing of the birds and the cool breeze will keep you company throughout the whole journey and will help you escape from the noise and pollution of the city for a while.