Village bound: the rising appeal of quitting the city

ELENI PHILIPPOU asks if village life is what it’s hyped up to be

Swapping the hustle and bustle of the city for the tranquillity of village life is a growing trend around the world and is being seen in Cyprus too. While rural life is not for everyone, four Cypriots detail what made them move to the country and whether they are glad they did.

“This is where I was supposed to live,” says Elsie who’s made Kalavassos village her base for the past couple of years. Being closer to nature and walking her dogs in more picturesque scenery than Limassol’s noisy pavements were two of Elsie’s main reasons for moving to the village with her partner. Having made it her home and place of business, she sees the perks go beyond nature and quiet escapes.

“There is a higher quality of life for people with learning difficulties or physical challenges,” she says, “as well as for the elderly and children. The streets are generally safer to walk and everything is within walking distance.”

Cheaper housing is another benefit although for those who have to commute to the city daily for work, fuel is a big added cost. For Elsie, her cosmetics lab is only a short walk from her house, passing the village square and its tavernas on the way. Working locally and independently can help sustain this life yet it can become quite solitary.

In the beginning “it was a challenge learning to adapt to a more solitary lifestyle while retaining the balance between solitude and socialising.” Fewer spontaneous meet-ups with friends and going to events happen when you live in a village but Elsie finds a way around it and neighbouring villages have plenty to do. “Community is something you can find wherever you are, I believe. It doesn’t need to be the people you see every day.”

Sometimes, the stereotypes of village life are true. “Everyone knows everyone’s business, which can be annoying if you are a private person, however, I actually don’t really mind for some reason. People here can be more open and warmer than the people in my Limassol neighbourhood,” she admits.

For Marina, a 33-year-old who lives in Sia with her husband, the social and community aspects of life outside the city can at times be tough. “I miss being able to just call up a friend or my sister and arrange to meet up on the spot,” she says and although friends and adult hobbies in Sia are scarce, Marina too has found other ways to get creative.

“One of the perks is that I am close to Lefkara where I have been taking Lefkaritiko embroidery lessons with the wonderful Lefkara ladies who continue this tradition.” The growing interest in Cyprus’ rural areas has brought all kinds of life back to these locations.

“It’s great to see many events and festivals moving out of the city or exclusively organised in villages,” says Marina, “so the cultural offerings are quite rich if you know where to look. I am particularly intrigued by the forest school in our area and hope to visit soon to see what it is all about.”

Marina’s decision to move away from Nicosia happened when she relocated from the UK. She felt the need to stay close to green public space and a 25-minute drive to the city was nothing compared to London’s long commute. With a family house in Sia and remote jobs, the move was easier.

The working-from-home boom during the pandemic helped make transitions like this smoother yet working and living remotely can be challenging for a young adult. “I wish there was a coworking space somewhere in or near Sia to be able to sometimes work from there and socialise with others,” she adds.

Although thought of as more serene, noise problems can actually be reason enough for some to leave the village life dream. For 29-year-old Chara and her husband, the quiet life in Ayios Epifanios was cut short after a year when the couple couldn’t take the loud neighbourhood bar that kept them up all night. When Chara confronted them one day, the response was unexpected.

“They replied to me that I wasn’t from the village and they didn’t care because I was an outsider and I hadn’t introduced myself to them before. What nonsense at 5am! Local police were covering it but if you dared go against it you might find yourself in trouble.”

Before the noise situation took a toll, the couple enjoyed village life. As a Cypriot with a passion for local culture, finding a traditional house with a courtyard and a fireplace was dreamy. After moving back from China, Chara and her Chinese husband wanted to move out of her parents’ house. Renting outside the city was a more affordable option and closer to the slow pace of life they wanted.

During that one-year stay, life in the village did offer beautiful moments; experiencing the seasons, mountain walks at night, stargazing and smelling the pine trees. Yet as a young couple only recently returned to the island, a bigger need to socialise appeared. Friends wouldn’t spontaneously show up and arranging nights out needed careful planning. With a change in careers and the noise in the bar, the couple moved back to Nicosia. It may not be forever though as Chara says she could move to the suburbs one day to get the benefits of both worlds.

The experience of rural living also depend, of course, on where you relocate to. Agamemnon and his wife Elya always dreamt about having a house with land outside the city. Having left the capital for Anafotia, they now have a fruit and vegetable garden in their yard – a challenging task. The work is constant and at times overwhelming yet is worth it when your daily salad ingredients are homegrown.

The 40-minute drive to the city for work every day is something Agamemnon has got used to, using it as a time to listen to podcasts and enjoy a coffee. “When I come back home from the city, I feel the difference immediately. From the noisiness to the calmness!

“It’s so interesting to observe how only a few kilometres distance has such a difference in lifestyles. Men gathered at the coffee shop, no women around to be seen. Although here fewer things are going on, I don’t have time to feel bored. There is always something that needs to be done. I found a sense of purpose here that I didn’t have in the city.”

As with anything else, different people have different experiences. Age, work, finances, social needs and location influence lifestyle. Only time will tell if this is the trend of the future to enrich the quality of local life, land and housing.