Achelia

Achelia is a village in the province of Paphos, which is situated about 9 kilometers southeast of the homonymous capital, and is located on the main street of Limassol – Paphos. Very close to the Pafos International Airport, to the northeast it is adjacent to Agia Varvara Paphou and is located about 60 kilometers away from Limassol and 150 kilometers from Nicosia.

Built at an altitude of about 35 meters, the Ezousa river flows through Achelia and a variety of crops (vegetables, vines, citrus, grain, peanuts, fodder plants, potatoes, olives, deciduous trees and others) thrive on its coastal plain. It is one of the villages that have benefited from modern irrigation projects, and subsequently various units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources have been installed in the fertile land of the region, such as the Experimental Station of the Research Institute, for the experimentation regarding plant cultivation, and the livestock breeding Mansion (large farm). The Vegetable Units, where fruit and vegetables are grown both for the domestic market and for export, as well as the famous "Achelia" Mansion, with the nurseries that supply the whole island.

The name of the village seems to come from the French word L’ Eschelle (Asseleia) which means a harbor, since there was a small pier in the area under Frankish rule. Historically, at the location of today’s Acheleia, a small town flourished during Roman times, with its harbor, Mulia, becoming widely known. Originally, the village was a feud until 1570-1571, when it came to the possession of the Valide sultan. The fertile land of the settlement used to be rented as a pasture land, which was slowly deserted and eventually the land was given to the cooperative mansion of “Acheleia”.

Despite its economic robustness, today Achelia counts approximately only 100 permanent residents, most of whom are occupied with crops in the area, while the industrial activity of the village is limited to the production of pebbles. The fact that 90% of the land belongs to the government and partly constitutes a private land that belongs to the Agios Neophytos Monastery, does not allow for the further development of the community.

In addition to its plentitude and variety of cultivated lands, Achelia is also known for its small stone churches. The Byzantine-style central church of Agios Georgios, dating back to the 16th century with the icons of the 17th century, the old chapel of Agios Theodosios Acheleias, the ruined church of Agios Leontios, the small church of Agios Charalambos and the remains of Agia Mavri. In the area there are no places to stay, only a car rental shop and a separate local tavern (just outside the village center), a common local secret. Close to this village there are golf facilities and finally for the summer lovers – which in Cyprus never ends, the relatively unknown beach of Achelia is found a few kilometers away from the village.

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