Cyprus has countless unique, charming villages and it is definitely worth spending a day or two away from the coast to experience them. We had a wonderful stay at Cyprus Villages Agrotourism in Tochni, one of the oldest villages in Cyprus. Tochni is one of many ‘agrotourism’ villages in Cyprus, where original, traditional Cypriot stone houses are restored and preserved. Our stay gave us a wondeful insight into traditional Cypriot life.

Cyprus Villages Agrotourism

Cyprus Villages was created in 1987 to revive rural Cypriot communities and preserve the traditional houses of these villages. Abandoned and ruined houses have been painstakingly renovated to provide modern comforts whilst retaining their traditional features and character.

Recently the Cypriot government has further implemented a program to help restore traditional villages and houses to strengthen agrotourism in the Cyprus countryside. The villages are away from the mass tourism and the resorts of the coast, but still centrally located on the island meaning visitors can have the best of both worlds.

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Tochni Village

Tochni is considered one of the oldest villages in Cyprus and is one of the most charming villages we saw during our time on the island. Tochni is one of many ‘agrotourism’ villages in Cyprus, where original, traditional Cypriot stone houses are restored and preserved. Cyprus has countless unique, charming villages and it is definitely worth spending a day or two away from the coast to experience them.

Tochni is located on the slopes of two hills and the traditional, stone-built houses line the narrow streets which wind around the village towards the beautiful church of Constantinos and Eleni. Tochni is so picturesque with its stone houses, steep paths and staircases, colourful doors and shutters. Wildflowers bloom everywhere you look and curious kittens poke their heads out from abandoned buildings as you walk by.

We spent the afternoon strolling around the village and picked up some local cheese, meats, wine and olives which we enjoyed on the balcony of our agrotourism apartment as we watched the sun set over Tochni.

Our stay in Tochni gave us a wonderful insight into village life in Cyprus and I was sad we didn’t have more time to visit other charming villages.

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Our Apartment

We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment in Mespilo House. Mespilo was a quaint house with the most beautiful, panoramic views over Tochni!

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The apartment was rustic and traditional but with a contemporary design and modern facilities. I loved the apartment style and particularly the traditional stone walls, beautiful linens and Mediterranean vibes.

We were super comfortable in the apartment and could have spent at least a week there! We had a decent sized kitchen, a small dining area, a spacious bedroom, modern bathroom and a large balcony.

The bed was super comfortable and we were very grateful for the powerful air conditioning as it was incredibly hot in Cyprus at the time of our visit (September). The bathroom was modern and stylish and had indulgent toiletries and a wonderful shower!

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Our favourite part of our apartment was definitely our huge balcony. It had a table and chairs and was the perfect place to spend an afternoon with local wine, an antipasti platter and a good book.

We were lucky enough to be treated to an absolute cracker of a sunset that night which finished off a perfect day in Tochni.

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There is a tavern on site and we had breakfast there as a continental breakfast was included in our room rate. Breakfast was a lovely, fresh spread of cheeses, meats, cakes, breads, yoghurt and cereal, with juices and tea and coffee.

The tavern overlooks Tochni and if we were to ever return we would definitely dine there as the reviews were great and apparently it is one of the best places to experience authentic Cypriot cuisine.

There is a pool near the restaurant for all guests to use. The pool area overlooks the whole of Tochni and is a nice place to cool down after a day of exploring.

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We took the time to explore Tochni on foot and there was a path from our apartment down to the main road in the village.

It is a small, quaint village and I’m sure anyone who visits will fall in love, just as we did!

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Final thoughts

We had a great stay at Cyprus Villages Agrotourism and would definitely recommend escaping to the countryside in Cyprus to experience a different side of this wonderful country.

There are steep paths and steps throughout the accommodation so that is something to keep in mind if you are looking for accessible accommodation as it may not be suitable.

We paid €61.94 through booking.com for our one night stay which included breakfast. You can find out more out the accommodation here.

Effective Ways To Top Up Your Travel Budget On The Road

Whilst we love staying in luxury accommodation when travelling, we also like to mix it up with more affordable, self catered accommodation like this which allows our travel budget to stretch that bit further.

Here are some other effective ways to top up your travel budget on the road:

• Look for a job. This will obviously depend on how long you’re planning to travel for, but if you’re planning to stay for an extended period of time then it may be worth finding a job or even starting your own small business. There are so many options out there from bar work to even growing herbs and veg, or looking into wheat varieties!
• Offer freelance services.
• Blogging or vlogging.
• Affiliate marketing.
• Sell ebooks or courses. Selling digital products is a great way to make money on the road.
• Teach English.
• Become a tour guide.

This post was written in collaboration with Premier Estate Properties.
All words are our own.