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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Cyprus: Kakopetria

A winding street in Kakopetria
Kakopetria's winding streets are delightful

After the exertions of digging the car out of the Troodos snow, we realised that the only way to cope with the unexpected weather Cyprus was throwing at us was to relax. The problem with relaxing in wintry Cyprus is that the beaches, the normal route for holiday makers looking for somewhere to crash out, are far too cold and windswept to be comfortable, and the sea is distinctly Arctic. Cyprus does excel, though, in cosy little hotels with real fires, and as luck would have it we stumbled on a real gem in Kakopetria, a short drive north of Troodos on the Nicosia road.

The Linos Hotel
The Linos Hotel looks rustic from the outside, but is pure luxury on the inside

Around Town

Peta on a four-poster bed in the Linos Inn
Our room in the Linos Inn, complete with its iron-framed four-poster bed

Kakopetria's old town is long and thin, following its main road (well, a one-car wide track) along the top of a ridge while the river tumbles away down a deep gorge to one side. It's a beautiful place that has been saved from the idiocies of the coastal developers by a preservation order, but like the vast majority of places in the south of Cyprus, the old town is littered with tumbledown buildings that have been left to rot, while the other buildings have obviously had serious amounts of investment lavished on them in an attempt to preserve the historical style of Cyprus's old settlements.

Decorative cabbages in a tub
Decorative cabbages (yes, cabbages) in the streets of Kakopetria

1 Thanks to Karen H for sending me an update on the Linos Inn, though I'm sad to report that it's not exactly positive. 'After reading your report, we decided to have a meal at the Linos Taverna,' writes Karen. 'What a disappointment! We were virtually ignored and had the poorest service since our arrival in Cyprus. Our food was mediocre at best and we couldn't wait to depart.' She goes on to say that she and her husband stayed and ate at the Mill House Hotel during their visit to Kakopetria, where they felt 'pampered and welcome' in comparison. Here's hoping the Linos Inn manages to get back to the high standards of 2003; it really was a lovely place when we visited.