We are in the village of Ayia Varvara, half an hour drive from the airport and the beaches of Larnaca (35 km) and half an hour drive from the capital of Cyprus Nicosia (24,3 km), in the heart of Cyprus. We are also about 40 minutes drive from the beautiful and cosmopolitan beaches of Limassol  (65,5 km) and Ayia Napa (67,6 km).

Ιn Ayia Varvara, the boutique villa “Elegou’s House” is located at the foot of the rocky hill “Pamboulos”, which offers an unspoiled scenery with its cactuses and prickly pears. There are stone steps leading to the top of the hill, where one can explore the chapel of the Holy Cross, an open air theatre and the “Sculpture Park”. All these are within a few minutes’ walk from the villa, and on the way up there is a kiosk with a panoramic view of the village.

In the village and in the neighboring villages there are restaurants, coffee-shops, supermarkets, banks, pharmacies, doctors and petrol stations.

Related sites:

- Cyprus Distance Calculator

- Cyprus Tourism Organisation

- Cyprus – Google My Maps

The history of Ayia Varvara :

In the ancient times the area belonged to the kingdom of “Idalion”, one of the 10 kingdoms of ancient Cyprus, founded by Chalkanoras, in the place where he “saw the sun” (idou alion “ιδού άλιον”), in the 12th century B.C., which today is the modern city of Dali. Dali, which is 10,8 km from Ayia Varvara (15 minutes drive), grew into a major urban and copper-trading center at the end of the 8^th century BC. “Idalion” was also the centre of worship to the Great Goddess of Cyprus, “Wanassa” or Queen of Heaven, known later as “Kypris” and “Aphrodite”.

Ιn 1982 archeologists discovered in Ayia Varvara “Almyras”, an ancient copper treatment plant, the only one that has been found in Cyprus. The lamps that have been found around the furnaces of copper testify that they were working during the night. The written ceramics, the two earthen anthropomorphous figurines and the statuette of a ram from limestone, show that at this place certain events of adoration took place.

 In Ayia Varvara, various caverns were also found that have marked roofs in the form of a cross. Some of them are very big and it is believed that they were used as catacombs by the first Christians. During the domination of the Franks, the village constituted a fief, whilst during the domination of the Turks; 15-20 Turkish families migrated to the village.

In the same location, there used to be a smaller village named Agios Georgios. 620 years ago, the church of the village was burned and destroyed. From the fire, only the icon of Ayia Varvara (Saint Barbara) remained intact, and the villagers rebuilt the church and dedicated it to Ayia Varvara, from which the village took its name.

Interesting sights to visit in Ayia Varvara:

• The Archaeological site of Almyras
• The Sculpture Park
• Museum – The First Industrial Laboratory of Agia Varvara
• Church of Ayia Varvara
• Chapel of Ayia Paraskevi
• Chapel of Ayios Nektarios
• Chapel of the Holy Cross

Related sites: - ayiavarvara.org.cy/en