Omodos Village is located in the Troodos mountains just 42km northwest of Limassol City. It is in the geographical location of wine making villages and hosts a wine festival every year in August. The village is found at an altitude of 810 meters and is built on the banks of the river of Cha-potami. The natural surroundings consist of tall mountains and of course vineyards and many other fruit trees too.
This village dates back to the Frankish rule which was then known as ‘Homodos’ or ‘Homoclos’. These names can be found on old maps of that era too. All these names are derived from the Greek word ‘Odos’ (Οδος) which means street.
The most popular attraction of this village is the Holy Cross Monastery. This houses a piece of the Cross upon which Jesus was crucified along with other relics. This 17th century monastery was built of stone native to the area and has cobblestone paths.
Agrotourism is ideal in this village as you get a wide variety of things to do and see here. Most famous is the wine tasting but you can also taste the traditional Zivania made here and the ‘arkatena’ breads. Arkatena breads are like a crouton type bread but bigger in size like rusks. They are traditionaly eaten while having a Greek coffee and mostly dunked into is to make it easier to eat once soaked in the coffee.
Moreover, there are also many traditional sweets made locally which you can taste and buy. Some of which are shoushouko, ppalouze, kkiofterka, which are all made of grape juice and also sweets made of local fruit. These sweets made of fruit are known as ‘glyko tou koutaliou’.
As for sights to see, apart from the Monastery of the Holy Cross there is so much more. There is a medieval wine press, all the old stone houses, local wineries, two museums and even a center for preservation of hand made lace. All these are walking distance of each other and will give you a change to see the village and the traditional homes.
You can walk the cobble stone street and see local arts and crafts like jewelry, lace work, embroideries, straw-fiber chairs and more. Houses have tiled roofs, terraces or verandas and beautiful upper story levels with a courtyard like area for a garden. People are very hospitable and may invite you into their home for a drink or sweet. Inside the homes you will also find the traditional embroidery and lacework adorning the furniture and walls.
Omodos village had a big festival every year on the 14th of September that is dedicated to the Holly Cross. It is a three-day celebration full of sellers selling local food, drinks and crafts. It takes place in the square of the village which is in front of the Monastery.
There are also restaurants, cafes, bars, taverns and shops for you to pass your time if you are staying in one of the holiday homes. There are also nearby villages that you could visit like Mandria, Vasa Koilaniou and Malia.
This is one of the most picturesque villages in Cyprus. Just one visit to Omodos Village will take your breath away. The beautiful and colourful doors of the traditional homes, brightly coloured flowers in the narrow cobblestone streets of the village will give you a taste of the traditional way people live. The fresh mountain air and sweet taste of the local food and drinks will make you want to stay.
Explore this amazing village and find yourself absorbing all that you can from local architecture to local tastes. Make sure Omodos Village is at the top of your list of places to see while in Cyprus.
