Lofou village in Cyprus

People from All over Cyprus travel to Lofou, in the summer people escape the heat and in winter people enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and the log fires. A traditional village which will make you feel like you have stepped out of the present Cyprus and back in to the past.

‘Lofou’ village is northwest of Limasol, it’s a village made of stone houses 800meters above sea level surrounded by natural beauty. The cobbled streets, the traditional restaurants with log fires and amazing cuisine will take your breath away.

I first visited Lofou about a year ago and it was out of this world, I hired a car and we drove from the east of Cyprus all the way there. The immediate feeling was of isolation, looking around I never knew somewhere so calming existed. Wandering through the cobbled pathways we came to a court yard with wooden doors, inside four individual stone buildings, with wooden doors, not like the ones in the world today with a key and security locks, but one with a bolt. Entering the room was again all stone with wooden beams on the ceiling. Behind the bed was candles built in to the walls, its was relaxing and calming and romantic all in one moment. We had been renting a villa in Protaras Cyprus through Spot on villa rentals Cyprus and both were ideal in their own ways, completely different but both very memorable.

There is a small restaurant with a log fire and amazing food, again everything is built from stone. The ideal place for a weekend away from reality. Lofou is close to Troodos and Limasol and people from all over the island visit at some point, from Paralimni and Protaras to Pahos and Polis. The website is http://www.lofou-agrovino.com/ and it comes highly recommended for a weekend away.

Long term renting in Cyprus

Renting in Cyprus is the alternative to buying a property in Cyprus.

When you are in the middle of a decision of 'to buy or not to buy' why not rent. Thats what i did when i first moved to Cyprus. I had been to Cyprus a lot of times for holidays but things are different when you live somewhere, you are not on holiday any more so how do you decide where to live without actually being there.

I first rented an apartment in Protaras, a one bedroom furnished apartment and then moved to a two bedroom apartment in Pernera. The apartment in Protaras was so central for Protaras and was great for holidays but as i discovered not so great for long term living. My next apartment that i rented in Pernera was ideal, quiet and relaxing and perfect for walking to the beach and Pernera. After that i decided that i would actually prefer to be closer to the main town of Paralimni, where i now live as it is walking distance to the centre and only a 2minute drive to the beach and is open all year. Plus there is lots of local people around me which i wanted, i didnt move to Cyprus to be around only English speaking people.

The most important thing to do when renting is be picky. If you are moving over and wish to rent for a year or more, then book an apartment for a holiday for example, two three nights or short term like one month until you find something you like. If you move over and rush in to things then things will go wrong! Once you have found your dream property dont let it go, i did that too, found a perfect apartment and then by the time i blinked it had gone. In cyprus apartments and villas dont wait around forever.

There are lots of areas you can rent in Cyprus. If you rent an apartment in Kapparis, there is lots of choices for unfurnished and furnished properties. For local traditional life you should rent in Paralimni areas, whether you rent an apartment or villa in Paralimni you will get used to the local traditions and also ideal for schools. For more of the village life you should rent an apartment in Xylofagou or rent a villa in Freneros, all surrounding villages of Paralimni and Protaras.

When i rented there was a variety of apartments and villas available, you may be asked to put down a damage deposit of between 1 and 3 months and although most pay monthly you may be asked to pay one year in advance or 6months rent in advance. Always make sure you use a repretable company and have contracts secured. Try Spot On Villa rentals long term rentals in Cyprus

Be aware that most places are not to keen on pets, so look in advance if you have cats or dogs as they will be harder to come by!