Amiantos
Amiantos in the district of Limassol in Cyprus is a village located 36 km north of Limassol, 103 km west of Larnaca, 74 km southwest of Nicosia and 80 km northeast of Paphos.
Built in a wild and impressive mountainous landscape adjacent to the Troodos Mountains, between two steep slopes at an altitude of 980-1400 meters, Amiantos with the 300 inhabitants, is surrounded by wild vegetation and towering poplar trees and cypresses. It became known for the old mine that closed in 1988 and which used to occupy the residents of the village. Now, a large part of it has been reforested, since the 1990s. Today, the gray colors on the slopes, the abandoned machinery as relics of the past, in conjunction with the surrounding wild green vegetation, compose a scene of peculiar beauty and aesthetics. At this location, actually, was founded in 2015 the Troodos Geopark, displaying the rich geomorphological history of the region combined with the history of the mines.
In the village, which falls into the geographical region of Pitsilia and is crossed by the river Kouris, apple, cherry, peach, walnut, quince, plum and other trees grow and a few vines of wine-making varieties.
Till 2005 there were two villages, the Pano (Upper) and the Kato (Lower) Amiantos (from Fylagra to Kardamas), but after the abandonment of the mine that was located in the upper settlement, the two were merged and now there is a single community which explains the high altitude difference mentioned above. The main village, after the new houses were built, is split in half by the main Limassol-Troodos road and can be explored entirely by car.
The name of the village probably comes from the extraction of asbestos (amiantos in Greek), which was also the reason that the area was first inhabited by the workers in the mines when they were opened in 1904. Originally, in 1918, the settlement was named after its first inhabitant, – Chatziktoris – and was later changed to Kato (Lower) Amiantos, where the core of the settlement is today. Historically, Amiantos valley has been inhabited since the Greco-Roman era, but with the Arab raids that started in the 7th century, the valley was abandoned and the inhabitants moved to safe areas, ounding new villages such as Pelendri.
Among the must-attractions to be visited in Amiantos is the Troodos Botanical Garden “A.G. Leventis” which is located at the top of the mine (in the area of Pano (Upper) Amiantos). There, in a beautiful green landscape you will have the chance to admire the rarest species of local plants with information signs, while inside the building and through pictures, information materials and films for the mine, the visitor learns the history of the place and everything about the rich flora of the region. In the park there is a small lake, it is surrounded by mountainous vegetation and overlooking the carved slopes, there is an excellent viewing point with a telescope and a gazebo for resting, from where you can see the village and the surrounding area.
Going down to the main village, you will see the heroes monument dedicated to Evagoras Papachristoforou while continuing a little further down, is the largest community park, the park “Chatziktori” and across from it is the first house of the village. At the same place is located also the old bridge, which when it was constructed in 1902, was the tallest of the island (15 meters high) and below which flows the river. The other two community parks are those of Pontikas and Amiantos.
The churches of the village are the stone-built central church of Apostolos Andreas (St. Andrew) located at the entrance of the community, on the road that connects Amiantos with Karvounas and which was rebuilt in 1974-1975 at the site of the old church from the 1911, as well as the chapel of Agia Paraskevi (St. Paraskevi). The church is located on the main road Amiantos-Karvounas in Kardamas region. The wooden-roofed chapel of the Panagia (Virgin Mary) is located at the community border with Pelendri and was built in 1990. For the nature lovers who enjoy hiking, there is the Nature Trail Loumata ton Aeton which, besides its aesthetic beauty, offers the opportunity to visit the restored hideout of EOKA, located halfway through the trail.
After the tour of the village, travelers can taste local delicacies at the restaurants that operate throughout the year, except one which is open only during the summer months. For coffee, there is a traditional cafe in the center of the village and a more modern cafe at the intersection with the Kakopetria, while you will also find homemade pastries at the local store or local fruit from farmers who sell their produce at stands during the summer months.
One kilometer from the center of Amiantos, in the forest, there is the retreat of the working federation (SEK), which is only for Cypriot members of the organization, and the camping site Platania.