Louvaras is a village in the mountain areas of Limassol. It is at about 30 kilometres away from Limassol and it is found built on the northeast mountain slope that is surrounded by other hill peaks of the same height, which gives the village a particular and beautiful image.
In the centre of the village, you will find the offices of the authority of the community, and in the forecourt is where the monument in the honour of the Hero of Cyprus and the Republic, who lost his life while fighting for legality, was constructed. Twenty-year-old Costakis Evagorou, a policeman fell dead due to the betraying, fascist bullets. The progressive community of Louvaras organises events of honour to the Hero every year.
The old centre of the village is made up of houses that all have the characteristic architecture that we can find in all the mountain villages of Cyprus. Houses are built of stone coming from the nearby river, with its particular black-grey gabbro stones, they have an external yard and picturesque balconies, they are aligned along the helicoidal streets.
On the east side, at the edge of the old centre, there are two churches of the community. The main one is dedicated to Timios Prodromos and the other one is dedicated to Agios Mamas. They are both single aisled basilicas. They are built out of rocks from the river, and they reveal the residential flair of the builders that constructed them.
Next to the church of Agios Mamas, a few dozens of metres north, you fill find the old mill that processed olives and extracted olive oil from them. In the same building, there is a winepress, through which the settlers transformed the grapes into the sweet Commandaria, which is the nectar and the “blossom” of the Cypriot wines.
When carrying on for another few metres southwest, you will see “Kato Vrisi”. It is a location and a natural source of water that had great importance for every resident of Louvaras. Apart the fact that in the olden days it was the faucet from where the settlers supplied themselves with the necessary for their households amounts of water, today at this very faucet is where the sacrament of our religion, the diving of the Holy Cross on the day of Epiphany takes place
The faucet is found in a location which is really very beautiful which becomes even more beautiful thanks to the small ravine that has its beginning exactly next to it.
From there, a street covered with trees that create a stoa for you to pass from, will take you back to the beginning of the old centre.
Louvaras is a destination for all those who love and are interested in the natural beauty of the island and its history. As a village it has a lot to offer the visitor, and above all hospitality.
We left the human factor that makes up the community last, because we were afraid that we would give less value to it with what we wanted to write. They are people who hug you from the very first moment you step foot on the ground of their community. People who are progressive, something you can see from the works that are done, that have been already done and those planned to be done.
They are people who love nature and protect it at all prices. Each house is drowned in flowers, which gives the impression to the visitor, that he is walking along a blooming garden.
In terms of cleanliness, it is a model. The streets are sparkling clean and this shows the great job that the community council is doing. Congratulations to the village of Louvaras. It can be easily characterised as one of the cleanest villages of our island.
To go to Louvaras and to enjoy its natural and human beauties, you only have to take the highway road Agia Fyla - Agros when coming from the east of Limassol, and by taking the fourth exit.
Carry on straight and after you leave the village of Gerasa behind you, in a few minutes of journey, you will find a guiding sign that will take you to the right and to Louvaras. From the very first moment you arrive to the peak of the hill and you will see the village opposite you, you will understand that you made a right choice to cover these 30 kilometres.
We would like to thank the residents for their hospitality, the sightseeing tour and the advice given to our photographers during their first visit to Louvaras. Thank you.
This is Louvaras.
Enjoy.
