Pissouri

...on the other side, lies Pissouri village. The village is like a pin-prick on the maps, grown as it has, up the sides of a 500 foot high hill.

It is a tiny little village housing something like 550 residents, mostly traditional Cypriot families working the huge expanse of grape vines that cover the ground between the village and the sea.

Of course, the relatively new addition of a motorway has put Pissouri on the map ...
.../> But just for now, Pissouri is still a very “real” place.

Don’t get me wrong, the village is surprisingly welcoming to travellers and the many tavernas and bars would certainly not survive without the tourists’ dollars. My very favourite place to eat is The Bunch of Grapes which was, once upon a time, literally the only place TO eat in Pissouri. Like many of its more recent competitors it serves traditional ... more

On the south coast of Cyprus – half an hours drive away from busy Pafos on one side, and half an hour’s drive away from noisy Lemesos on the other side, lies Pissouri village. The village is like a pin-prick on the maps, grown as it has, up the sides of a 500 foot high hill.

It is a tiny little village housing something like 550 residents, mostly traditional Cypriot families working the huge expanse of grape vines that cover the ground between the village and the sea.

Of course, the relatively new addition of a motorway has put Pissouri on the map and made access easy. It has also fuelled much discussion that a “modern invasion” could be on its way to steal the tranquil lifestyle of the villagers just as it was stolen from their countrymen in Ayia Napa, in the name of progress, not so very long ago.

But just for now, Pissouri is still a very “real” place.

Don’t get me wrong, the village is surprisingly welcoming to travellers and the many tavernas and bars would certainly not survive without the tourists’ dollars. My very favourite place to eat is The Bunch of Grapes which was, once upon a time, literally the only place TO eat in Pissouri. Like many of its more recent competitors it serves traditional meze, vine leaves and the grilled meats, kebabs and lamb chops that are prerequisite for any authentic Cypriot meal. You can expect to eat until you burst for about £10 a head in any of them.

Another absolute must is the local wine – a real surprise that tastes more like sherry than anything else and can be bought in the tiny local shops for a couple of quid. Kia is the local lager and will similarly not exactly break the bank.

But there is something that I haven’t told you about Pissouri. Many many years ago down the hill that is Pissouri village lay a fishing jetty running out into the sea. The jetty is no longer there but in its place has grown another tiny community known as Pissouri Beach.

Pissouri Beach is nothing more than a rural beach-side collection of shops, tavernas and banks. This radiates out from the piece-de-resistance of Pissouri: the Columbia Beach Hotel. With its 101 double bedrooms and magnificent communal rooms and bars, all set on the great swathe of the two kilometre long Blue Flag bay beach you would be forgiven for thinking that this must be a 5 star hotel.

The enormous colonial-style lobby harbours many sumptuous sofas for afternoon teas and late night drinks, running through to the beautiful Piano Bar and spacious Atrium restaurant. During one memorable stay several years ago during which the rain failed to ease off once in our entire seven day stay we virtually lived in these rooms!

The double bedrooms are all a good size and have a balcony facing out onto the pretty swimming pool and terrace area on one side or directly onto the sea on the other, and all have all the usual mod-cons: air conditioning, mini-bar, TV, Video, hair-dryer etc.

We have stayed in the hotel several times and have experienced it for just bed and breakfast, for half board and for full board. We have always preferred to stay just for bed and breakfast because although both the lunches and dinners served are lovely traditional dishes mixed in with some more “main stream” dishes for those less keen on traditional Cypriot foods, nevertheless we found that the “excuse” to be forced out every night in search of another taverna with anything but a trial. What’s more, breakfast at the hotel is a real treat: the ample buffet with as much fresh orange juice as you choose to squeeze yourself, all taken out on the terrace overlooking the swimming pool can easily keep you fuelled up until your evening meal.

If you do feel the need to stop for lunch then you will find it a very informal affair: try the open air The Vine Leaf just a stones throw away for toasted haloumi and tomato sandwiches - haloumi is the local cheese, and most delicious it is too, with the bizarre texture of chicken!

Have I got across the idea that this place is tranquil?? I certainly hope so because if you are looking for nightlife you won’t find any here. Pissouri is for taking things easy and de-stressing, if you are looking to live it up then this is going to be the most boring place on earth to you.

Of course there ARE lots of other things to do: there are water sports in the summer months and two golf courses that you can get to every morning on the courtesy hotel buses. But virtually everything else is going to require a hire car and although they are cheap you will find it difficult to hire anything other than a tin can on wheels.

So off you set on your first adventure in your tiny 1990 fiat…take care! The roads are high and winding and the Cypriots know them well so often drive at a rate of knots. Pafos and Lemesos both offer the established bigger city delights, the museums, boat trips, shopping etc that you would expect and you can enjoy any number of restaurants and bars at either.

But make sure you take in Aphrodite’s Rock on the way – a huge rock jutting out of the sea is thought to be the very birthplace of Aphrodite and Cypriots traditionally knot all sorts of coloured materials and plastics into the nearby hedges out of respect and for luck.

The other trip that your little tin can must take is up up up into the dramatic Trodos Mountains to the thin air and snowy surrounds of the very highest – Mount Olympus. The journey will take you through the many twisted and tiny vine fields and hamlets that have grown up on the income from the wine they produce. At the top you will find a small tourist area with shops and cafes – but wrap up warm, even in the height of summer snow will have settled at the top!

Of course prices vary depending on which airline and tourist operator you book with but we have generally found that at our preferred time of year (Feb/March/April) we will pay about £1000 per person for half board at the Columbia Beach Hotel all inclusive. At that time the weather is usually of the “average English summer” variety – certainly not too hot to stop you going on local walks to see the local birds and sea turtles!

Maybe Pissouri isn’t safe and a “modern invasion” is on its way: I certainly see more villas springing into life every time I visit. I do hope it doesn’t spoil the genuine welcome that you currently receive from the locals or the tranquillity of a place that whilst very comfortable, still allows the visitor to feel that they are integrated into the normal goings on of a very charming Cypriot village. Maybe you should visit soon, just in case.

Thanks for reading.
 

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