The perfect spot for walks and family celebrations
This cosy park is tucked away behind the motorway, not far from Paphos Airport. Within its relatively small grounds, there are 13 themed gardens featuring 50,000 plants: cacti, tropical foliage, a rose garden, conifers and many others, all of which delight visitors as they stroll leisurely along the narrow paths. It’s a great place to visit on a Sunday afternoon with the children, to have a stroll and then have lunch at a local taverna. You can also celebrate a family occasion here.
Eleouthkia is very easy to find: take the motorway linking Paphos and Limassol, and about 10 km from Paphos, turn off towards Paphos Airport (look for the sign for Anarita). The park entrance is on the left, just before the junction with the road running parallel to the motorway (map).
There’s a large car park in front of the park, and we’re greeted at the entrance by a smiling Cypriot.
– Yassas! (Greek for ‘hello’)
– Yassas!
I’m immediately given a map of the park in three languages – English, Russian and Greek. It’s a nice touch. On weekends, children get in for free, whilst adults pay €5. However, this isn’t strictly an entrance fee. This amount will be taken into account when you pay at the local taverna (you just need to hand the waiter the receipt you received at the entrance). Yes, it’s a clever marketing move, which I appreciated. You wouldn’t turn down the chance to use a €5 deposit, would you? And you definitely won’t spend exactly that amount – that’s a fact!
Once you pass through the gates, you’re immediately transported into a magical world of diverse flora. It feels as though you’ve been flying for a very long time and have finally set foot on a wondrous, faraway land.
The scents… A variety of aromas wash over you in waves, making you breathe deeper: the spicy scents of rosemary and thyme, the sweet fragrances of roses, and some other elusive notes of exotic plants.
We move slowly along the narrow paths winding through the vegetation: cacti and succulents give way to a rose garden, followed by bonsai. Look at that charming little palm tree (photo below)!
A Cypriot garden, a European garden, a tropical garden… Step by step, we’re travelling around the world. My daughters run tirelessly along the paths, whilst I peer closely at the inscriptions on the signs.
Here’s the Jelly Palm (Butia capitata) from Brazil – the capitate butia or marmalade palm. Its juicy orange fruits contain plenty of gelling agents and are used in making jams and marmalade.
And here is ‘Perovskaya’ (thank goodness it’s not ‘Sofia’), or Russian sage. Phew… What a smell this tree has!
The next visitor is from neighbouring Israel – the Judas tree, the Jewish tree, or simply the aspen. The first name alludes to Judas – the betrayer of Jesus Christ. According to some legends, he hanged himself from such a tree.
After wandering along the park’s paths, we emerge into its central area, where items from Cypriot village life are on display.
An oven, a mill, and what’s this (photo on the right)? Have you guessed? IT! A moonshine still. Mind you, here it’s called ‘zivania’, which is produced from fermented grape juice. Thanks to its noble origins, zivania, like grappa, can be drunk as a digestif after a meal accompanied by wine (you’ll agree that when drinking different spirits together, it’s best to opt for those made from the same raw materials).
But my little rascal of a daughter, Ksyusha, is up to her old tricks:
– Dad, buy a brick!
This is a reference to a recent episode of ‘Yeralash’. It’s a brilliant sketch; if you haven’t seen it, do have a look (link).
And to conclude… Of course! We’re off to the tavern, where you can not only have lunch after a walk, but also book a family celebration: they really know how to look after guests here. The children, having jumped around on the inflatable bouncy castle (completely free of charge – kudos to the tavern owners), are thirsty. Dad is too…
Have a lovely weekend!
