Parekklisia

The Parekklisia village is located about 18 km from Limassol in the homonymous province of Cyprus, and is 85 km from Paphos, about 70 km from Larnaca, and more than 80 km from Nicosia.

Just a few kilometers away from the famous archaeological site of Amathous, hidden and protected behind a huge hill, you will find the village of Pareklishia. The settlement, even though its exact founding date has not been found, is considered according to archaeological excavations as established prior to that of Choirokoitia.

Historically, the settlement of Parekklisia seems to have got its name (with a paraphrasing of the word) probably from a Byzantine church (ekklisia in Greek means church), that of the Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) (built in the 12th or 13th century) situated high on the hill and it was known in the past as the “upper” church, built by residents of neighboring villages (Kellaki, Eptagonia, Sanida Limassol), who came and went to the region in order to cultivate their wheat. The southern part of Parekklisia has been developed, while next to Parekklisia beach, which is considered one of the cleanest in the region, there is a small marina that hosts tourist boats in the summer. The 2500 permanent residents of the community have been growing and increasing in numbers during the recent years, as many Limassolians move here, commuting to the capital for their jobs and leaving behind the hustle of the big city.

In Parekklisia there is a community library, a community court and park with a playground, as well as a traditional cafe. Besides the well-known cultural attractions, visitors can make one stop at the second largest church, the newly built (at the location of the old church of the 17th century) church of the Archangel Michael, with many remains of old olive mills that still stand around.

In addition, the two huge craters of quarries situated to the north of Parekklisia, are not just attractions, but there one can also marvel at the particular geomorphology of the area, at the location where once stood the forest of Leistovounou.