Subscribe To The Real Cyprus Blog
Erimi Village Limassol
Erimi village is west of Limassol and casually sits between its more famous neighbour Kolossi village, home to Richard The Lionheart and Episkopi village in whose district boundary lies the lovely Curium (Kourion) beach and the fabulous amphitheatre with a view to die for. What Is There?
Erimi is a very residential village, not much has been written about it, and it almost now seems a to be a suburb of Kolossi village across the road. There are many homes that belong to expats, mostly British in this area. It is well situated for a holiday. It is a great location for the beach at curium which is minutes away and has 3 tavernas to choose from and the thriving 2nd largest city of Limassol is only 20 minutes as you speed along the very convenient highway. It is also next to Episkopi village which is brilliant for food shopping and a reasonable restaurant at the Episkopi Village Inn. The image of the map above will give you a clear indication of the location of Erimi. Erimi does have its charm and for 2 particular reasons for us:
What Else Can You Tell Me? There is a very lovely church called Timios Prodromos I would love to give you a bit of history about the village but sadly the main village website history page is blank and virtually nothing seems to be available to make reference to. If you want to visit the main site for the village to see what information is available and some local contacts please click here So Is It Worth A Visit?Well yes we think so...
Erimi almost always never gets a mention in the major cyprus tourist guide books, which is a shame because it does have a charm of its own.
It you want to have the real cyprus experience then we recommend you visit both the Cyprus Wine Museum and Michaels Taverna so you don't miss out. You will probably want to also spend some time at Curium (Kourion) visiting the antiquities and seeing the splendid amphitheatre because you are in the area and then perhaps wind your way down to the beach for spot of lunch. The beach and historical sites fall into the Episkopi village district and are so close to Erimi it would silly to be in the vicinity and not see them while you are there!
The Cyprus Wine Museum building used to be a restaurant way back when. It was called the Knightsbridge Steak House. It closed in the 1990's and never re-opened but was left looking sad, forlorn and very unloved for a number of years. The building was inherited by Anastasia Gray in 1990, it had been in her family for a very long time. After closure of the restaurant it lay empty for a while until she had the foresight to create the museum, the building it has become today. The site of this museum is very significant and the work to restore the building from shell to authentic cypriot museum was undertaken at great expense and with a great deal of care and patience. It has been a triumph in collaboration using public and private financing and has put Erimi village squarely on the cyprus tourism map. Specialist teams of craftsmen were carefully handpicked for their expertise, the evidence of which you can see in the carpentry and stonemasonry work on the building. The way the stone has been cut and laid and the woodwork details throughout are typical of the area.
Side Entrance To The Cyprus Wine Museum
From the website... "Inspired by the fact that Cyprus is one of the first wine producing countries and with the advantage of owning a traditional Cypriot building that has been in my family for generations, instigated the creation of The Cyprus Wine Museum as tribute to this integral part of the history of the island.
Erimi village, with its 5500 years history of wine making, is at the crossroads of the wine routes of Cyprus, in close proximity to the prehistoric settlement of Sotira, where the oldest remains of grape seeds have been found and near to Kolossi Castle, a medieval Commanderie of The Hospitaller Knights that give the name to the Commandaria Wine first produced by them, gives to Cyprus Wine Museum its perfect location. "
Lovely Sign At The Entrance To The Museum
How Do I Find The Museum? Well straight from the horses mouth, or should we say the website...
The Cyprus Wine Museum is situated in Erimi village on the old Limassol (Lemesos) - Paphos road. Immediately before the highway. By bus from Limassol From Limassol central marketplace you can catch the number 16-17 bus, the last stop is 200 metres from the Cyprus Wine Museum. Get off the bus at Poppy’s flower shop in Erimi village and continue walking in the same direction and you will find the museum just before the Erimi Bridge.
By bus the journey will take approximately 30 mins. Cypriot people are extremely accomodating and your bus driver or anyone in the vicinity will be more than happy to assist you with any directions you may need when you get off the bus. If you wish to impress the local name for the Cyprus Wine Museum is "OINOMOUSIO". By car from Limassol To Paphos Take the Kantou / Sotira exit just after the brige on the highway. Turn left at the T junction, then right at the following T junction which will bring you to the Erimi bridge, turn left to go over the bridge. The parking area for the wine museum is immediately on your right as you come over the Erimi bridge. By car from Paphos to Limassol Take the Kantou / Omodhos exit at the T junction turn right, follow the road which will take you to the Erimi Bridge. Turn left to go over the bridge, the wine museum is on your right just after the bridge.
There are signs for The Cyprus Wine Museum to assist you.
Contact Details & Opening Hours
Opening hours are 10 till 4 pm everyday of the week
Website:
So Now You Need To Eat!Well, after all that sightseeing and history at the wine museum plus the tastings, and your visit up the hill to Kourion and then all the activity on the beach you must be hungry? Well the most well known and visited taverna in this area is Michaels Taverna.
Michael On The Phone Outside His Restaurant What is special about this restaurant is the building. The restaurant is the original family home of Michael and he has paid homage to his family by using the house in this way. Inside you will find lots of local farming implements, old photographs and you will definately find the real cyprus here. He is a really nice guy, and he will welcome you with open arms if he has not seen you before and certainly greet you like a long lost friend if he knows you. His food is a simple but authentic meze and the prices are still very reasonable. Michael On You TubeWe managed to find this video of Michael playing bazouki, something he is very famous for, and you probably not see him at the weekend during the Cyprus wedding season as he plays far and wide around the island at this time.This will just give you a flavour of Michaels Taverna in Erimi village.
Apologies for the quality but many thanks to the person who made the video during a night out from RAF Akrotiri just up the road.
Michael has a website if you would like to visit here Update: The website seems to be down lately. I have tried a few times but to no avail. Keep trying it might be back up soon. Here you will find, the menu.. we recommend liver bbq'd if you have never had it before, it is something quite unique to cyprus in its cuisine. Something to do with using every part of the animal so nothing goes to waste. We always eat bbq'd liver in Cyprus. You may as well go the whole hog and have the meze as it is several dishes not much more expensive than having 1 or 2. The wine and drinks prices are reasonable too. There are some more photographs of the inside of the restaurant plus you can ring to make a reservation or speak to someone about the restaurant. Hope you go and enjoy it! If You Just Want A Sandwich & A Drink
It is very "rustic" but her mixed sandwich is terrific. We like her halloumi too. She is from Episkopi Village and has had her little sandwich shop for as long as we can remember.
To Leave Erimi Village To Return Home Go Here
|
