Treis Elies

Treis Elies is a village of the district of Limassol in Cyprus and is situated about 50 kilometers northwest of the homonymous capital, 120 kilometers from Larnaca, 70 kilometers from Paphos and 90 kilometers from Nicosia.

The settlement of Treis Elies is built on the outskirts of the Dracontas river, a tributary of Diarizos, and at an average altitude of about 900 meters and is considered to be one of the last settlements in the province of Limassol, famously rich in natural sights.

In the past, the settlement of Treis Elies was the most important passage for traders and caravans of merchants from three provinces of the island (Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos), who in order to orient themselves more easily named each region according to some of its characteristics. According to the tradition, the name of the village comes from the existence of three olive trees (treis meaning three and elies – olives, in Greek), which was considered rare for the altitude of the area.

Historically, Treis Elies was one of the villages of Marathasa that belonged to Venetians from 1489 to 1570, while the architrave of the iconostasis of the central church of the village, Archangel Michael, testifies to the existence of the settlement ever since the end of the Frankish rule (15th century). In addition, the locals claim that Saint Charalampos martyred in Treis Elies, and so in the parish church of Panagia Chrysostoupou (in honor of which a great feast is held on September 8th), a reliquary with a Saint’s bone is kept.

Shortly before the entrance of the settlement of Treis Elies, there is the famous katsounopetra, the rock that resembles a bird’s head and when you enter the village you can see two very old churches next to each other, the central church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Chrysostouros and the Archangel Michael of the 15th century, as well as two stone drinking fountains with running water at the press of a stone. One of them has beneficial sulphurous water, the other cool drinking water. To the north of the settlement there are two chapels of Prophet Elias, dating back to the 17th century, with a view all the way to Paphos and Agia Paraskevi.

In Treis Elies one can visit the ancestral home of Archbishop Chrysanthos (an important personality during the Ottoman domination), which also bears the name of his father, hence the name “the house of Konomos”. The village is also suitable for nature lovers and hikers, as from there passes the Nature Trail of the Venetian bridges (to the south of the settlement), which leads out of the village of Kaminaria and which in the past connected Paphos with the Morphou area. This hike, apart from its unique natural beauty, as it passes along the river, is also known for its three well-preserved Venetian bridges, and it is also connected to the European path E4. Also in the village there are several century-old trees, such as the two pine trees (at the entrance of the community), and many others.

Treis Elies, among others, aspire to become the first ecological village in Cyprus through a non- governmental organization, while its 20 permanent residents continue to cultivate apples, cherries, pears and engage in viticulture, as well as the few women of the village are famous for their traditional embroideries and homemade “spoon sweets” (sweet preserves of fruits and vegetables). On weekends, the tranquil green village of the Troodos mountains is transformed, as it becomes filled with tourists and those Cypriots who have their country houses there.

There is a small guest house in Treis Elies and there are three traditional cafes, the one next to the other, while for lunch you would have to go to one of the other nearby settlements, such as Phini and Prodromos.