Enjoy the mountain village of Panagia... with your dog

Along the main road through the village of Panagia

I chose the village of Panagia for a weekend break due to its location up in the hills north of Paphos, a short drive from Cedar Valley and the Kykkos Monastery, which I wanted to visit. Searching the usual sites for eco-tourism apartments  (https://www.agrotourism.com.cy) I found at least 2 dog-friendly apartments, both of which looked beautiful.

Palati Apartments

We stayed in the Palati Apartments (see previous post http://bit.ly/HrVe9Y) which I fully recommend. Another eco-tourism option at Panagia, the Archontiko tou Meletiou, was fully booked for the period (see the CTO website for contact details and information http://bit.ly/1cJvC2X). I did contact the owners of Archontiko tou Meletiou, however, and they told me that dogs are permitted in their accommodation.

Archontiko tou Meletiou Apartments

Panagia is the birthplace of Archbishop Makarios III, and you can visit his childhood home (next door to the Archontiko Apartments). It was closed when we passed by.

There is not much to do in this village, except sit in one of the many small kafeneia and watch the world go by, or try some of the wine that this region is famous for. When we were there, in late October, there were few people around, and bars and tavernas closed early in the evenings. 

In the restaurant area of the Oniro Hotel

One evening, we tried the restaurant of the only place that was open past 8 in the evening - the Oniro (dream) Hotel. This hotel is located towards the edge of the village beyond the Museum of Cultural Foundation (which houses personal objects and photographs that belonged to Archbishop Makarios III).

I must admit that on a cold autumnal evening, this place seemed a bit dreary. We were the only customers. The huge tv, set on an endless Greek news channel, dominated the restaurant. Very little of the menu was available. And the whole place was lit with strong artificial lighting.

On the other hand, the owners and serving staff were extremely friendly to us and had no problem with us bringing Sage inside while we ate dinner. They explained that they didn't prepare much food in the evenings as there were so few customers, and made a big effort to bring us whatever they could, including some oranges they picked themselves from the gardens. I can't really recommend this place for style or atmosphere, at least for the autumn/winter period, but I can recommend them for their hospitality and for allowing our large dog inside on a cold evening.

Oniro Hotel

This village is a lovely base for exploring Western Cyprus. We spend one long day driving around Cedar Valley and the Western Troodos mountains (see earlier post:  http://bit.ly/1fofsfX), and another long day around Paphos and the coast.

There is so much to see in this area and it's great to have a quiet, mountain base to relax in at the end of a day's exploring.

Finally, there are a couple of mini-markets for provisions in Panagia, and plenty of short dog-walks in and around the village. 

For more info: http://panagiavillage.chooseyourcyprus.com/en/

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