Inland from Ayia Napa and the south coast, the gently undulating terrain is dotted with the Kokkinokhoria or “Red Villages”, so called after the local soil, tinted by large amounts of iron and other metallic oxides. This is the island’s main potato-growing region, the little spuds irrigated by water drawn up by dozens of windmills-the only distinguishing feature of an otherwise featureless region-and harvested in May.(Since 1990 the overdrawn aquifer has been invaded by the sea, and fresh water must be brought in by pipeline from the Troodos.) Less savoury is the are’s tradition of trapping songbirds for food, particularly at Paralimni; ambelopoulia are small fig-eating blackcaps (often known by their Italian name, beccafico), pickled whole and mostly exported to the Middle East. The practice is now illegal under EU law, but continues.
Other than this, there is little to be said for or about the hinterland, and even the CTO admits as much in its earnest, rather desperate promotion of a handful of second-division, late medieval churches scattered in or near various relentlessly modern villages. Despite their inland location, however, they’re too close to the seashore fleshpots to have entirely escaped the notice of visitors and expatriates, so Dherinia and Paralimni in particular have a smattering of necessary infrastructure and recommendable restaurants. East of Paralimni , tiny coves flank Pernera resort, dwarfed by the massive development of Protaras extending south towards Cape Greco which enjoys some protection as a natural reserve.
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