Larnaka Tourism Board (LTB) continues to grow with the addition of Agios Theodoros community, which seeks to further promote and develop its unique, alternative tourism product through its new membership. 

Built on the banks of the Pentaschinos river, the coastal village of Agios Theodoros in Larnaka region stands out for its traditional taverns serving meze and fresh fish, as well as its fragrant citrus valleys that surround the area of the gorge. The community has an 8.5km coastline with organized beaches, including the Akakia and Maia beaches. The accommodations it offers can be characterised as ‘alternative’, as alongside beach suites and agrotourism establishments, the village also offers glamping in wooden houses set within its natural environs. 

It is no coincidence that Agios Theodoros was named the ‘Instagrammable’ village of Cyprus thanks to the creation of photo spots as part of the Community Council’s pioneering actions, including the window-bench at ‘Stephani’ viewpoint and the famous ‘Heart’ directly on the beach. 

The Community Council has carried out a series of notable actions to enrich the village’s reference points, such as the restoration of the traditional olive mill, the creation of an art gallery that displays the artworks of community member Andreas Evripides - missing since 1974, as well as the creation of the community excursion area The Village Orchard where visitors can not only sit under the shade of the citrus trees, but also taste the fruit of the orchard, as a gesture of hospitality by the Community Council.  

Agios Theodoros is also home to the Women’s Association of Rural Larnaka (WARL), whose premises are located in a listed building. The organisation is active within the community and holds experiential workshops as part of the Heartlands of Legends initiative of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism (DMT). The organisation will also restart its open-air Local Market of Larnaka Producers in March, which is a farmers market selling fresh produce and handmade, local products. 

Agios Theodoros also has an interesting nature trail ‘To Vrytzii’, which is located within an area that has a strong geological relief and is included in the Natura 2000 nature protected areas network. The 850m long linear trail passes between gorges and caves and was awarded the Green Flag in Cyprus in 2019 at the ‘Green City and Green Community of Cyprus’ Awards in the ‘Sustainable Tourism’ category. 

Among the ancient monuments of the community is the Venetian Watermill, also known as ‘Hadjiatou Watermill’. It is a remarkable work of architecture from the past that hides a very interesting folkloric history. The landscaping works of the area surrounding the 15th century chapel of Panagia Astathkiotissa - which is located 1.5km east of the village on a small hill - have recently been completed. The chapel is single-aisle and arched with frescoes from the 16th century and has been declared an ancient monument. 

Among the various projects underway in the community is the restoration of the 7th century church of Agios Athanasios the Pentashkinite, which was built over the tomb of the Saint discovered in 2004 during excavations. The project is expected to be completed around the middle of this year. 

The renovation of the square in the centre of the village is also underway, as well as the creation of a Multipurpose Centre for events and conferences that will host up to 200 people. 

Chairman of LTB, Mr Dinos Lefkaritis, stated that the inclusion of Agios Theodoros is an important addition in the context of the development of Larnaka Region as a multidimensional tourist destination. The community, through gentle tourism development and strengthening of its alternative forms of tourism, has prospects to become a valuable part of the tapestry that makes up Larnaka’s tourism product. 

The President of Agios Theodoros Community Council, Mr Iakovos Stefanou, stated that the community offers the visitor multi-dimensional experiences, such as tours, gastronomy and experiential workshops, and added that the Community Council is working intensively to improve the tourism product and the infrastructure it offers, with the aim of satisfying the needs of the modern visitor; both local and tourist. 

February 9, 2023