Filenews 8 December 2025 - by Ioanna Mantziipa
The province of Limassol is not exclusively identified with the sea and its coastal development. In recent years, the mountain villages of Limassol have emerged as dynamic destinations, offering nature, fresh air and local flavours that enhance the tourist experience. Limassol offers more than 50% of our country's Gross Domestic Product and combines mountain, sea, culture, history and gastronomy.
Entering the last month of the year, the villages of the province record increased traffic from local and foreign visitors. The institution of Christmas Villages, which was first implemented in Cyprus in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, plays a decisive role in increased mobility. Since then, the institution has grown into a real success, breathing life into communities and producers of local traditional products.
The Christmas Villages offer a variety of activities for young and old, turning squares and alleys into lively meeting places. Musical events, creative workshops, handicrafts, theatrical events, festive treats. The atmosphere is magical with the squares filled with happy voices, illuminated routes and visitors who enjoy wandering. Many, in addition to the festive atmosphere, take the opportunity to visit monuments, churches, museums and of course to taste Cypriot food. Others choose to combine the excursion with an overnight stay in picturesque accommodations in the mountainous areas.
The benefits are enormous
Traffic during this period is noticeably increased, Konstantinos Konstantinou, an officer of the Troodos Tourism Development and Promotion Company, tells "F".As he notes, the Cypriot countryside is an integral part of the tourism product of Cyprus, while the Christmas Villages have essentially come to fill the "gap" created by the lack of snow in recent years.
This year, there are four Christmas Villages operating in the Troodos region - Agros, Kakopetria, Kalopanagiotis and Kyperounta, under the umbrella of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. At the same time, several smaller communities organize their own festive events for one or two weekends, offering even more reasons for excursions.
The Christmas Villages now give Cypriots the opportunity to climb the mountain, spend the night, live the experience of the countryside before and during the holidays, something that was not so common in the past, notes Mr. Constantinou. Winter tourism has increased, despite the absence of snow, with citizens and foreign visitors looking for good food, contact with nature and acquaintance with tradition and local culture, notes the official of the Troodos Tourism Development and Promotion Company.
Boosting the local economy
For his part, the president of the Union of Communities of the Limassol District, Lefteris Pericles, notes that the stimulation of the economy and mountain communities is a decisive element of increased mobility. As he states, "the economy is significantly strengthened, as the operation of cafes, taverns, small crafts, agrotourism accommodation and units for the production of traditional products is strengthened".
According to Mr. Pericles, in recent years more and more young people have turned to the countryside, mainly due to the increase in rents, the cost of living and the purchase prices of houses in urban areas. This trend is also reflected, as he notes, in the process of revising the "Policy Statement" for communities, where there is increased interest from citizens who wish to include their plots, according to the requests of the communities, in residential zones, in order to secure housing permits and state sponsorships for installation in the countryside.
People have regained their morale, the atmosphere has changed and the anxieties of everyday life are reduced when people are close to nature and our communities", notes Mr. Pericles, underlining the multiple benefits of increased mobility. The rise in interest is also reflected in catering. Visitors have increased to a large extent, with the result that many taverns are now operating at full capacity, even in periods that were previously considered "dead" for mountainous areas.
