Tourism initiatives for most ‘instagrammable’ village in Cyprus

The Larnaca tourism board (Etap) on Thursday said several initiatives aimed at putting the village of Ayios Theodoros on the tourism map are underway.

Recently, the village was named the most “instagrammable” in Cyprus, which prompted Etap to carry out a series of actions to enrich the village’s reference points, such as the restoration of the traditional olive mill, the creation of an art gallery that displays the artworks of community member Andreas Evripides, as well as the creation of the community excursion area “The Village Orchard”.

“Agios Theodoros is also home to the Women’s Association of Rural Larnaka (WARL), whose premises are located in a listed building,” Etap said.

Furthermore, Etap added that the village is set to feature experiential workshops as part of the Heartlands of Legends initiative of the deputy ministry of tourism, as well as an open-air market selling local products starting in March.

“Agios Theodoros also has an interesting nature trail, called ‘To Vrytzii’, which is located within an area that has a strong geological relief and is included in the Natura 2000 nature protected areas network,” Etap continued.

“The 850 metres long linear trail passes between gorges and caves and was awarded the Green Flag in Cyprus in 2019 at the ‘Green City and Green Community of Cyprus’ Awards.

Among other various projects underway in the village is the restoration of the 7th century church of Ayios Athanasios the Pentashkinite, which was discovered during excavations in 2004. The project is expected to be completed around June.

The renovation of the square in the centre of the village is also underway, as well as the creation of a multipurpose centre for events and conferences that will host up to 200 people.

“The inclusion of Ayios Theodoros is an important addition in the context of the development of the Larnaca region as a multidimensional tourist destination,” said the chairman of Etap Dinos Lefkaritis.

“The community, through gentle tourism development and strengthening of its alternative forms of tourism, has prospects to become a valuable part of the tapestry that makes up Larnaca’s tourism product.”

His words were echoed by Ayios Theodoros community leader Iakovos Stefanou, who said that the village offers the visitor plenty of multi-dimensional experiences, such as tours and gastronomy workshops, adding that the community council is working intensively to improve the tourism product and the infrastructure it offers, with the aim of satisfying the needs of the both local and foreign visitors.