Green Monday

by Hannah Mclellan | Feb 2, 2023 | Cyprus Culture

Green Monday

Cyprus Culture
February 2, 2023
Hannah Mclellan

A Day to Lookup

Easter is the most celebrated event of the year in Cyprus, even more so than Christmas. There are many traditions involved in Easter celebrations, starting with Green Monday. This year, 2023, Green Monday lands on 27th February.

‘Green Monday’ or ‘Clean Monday’ is a national public holiday and is the day that officially marks the start of Lent. As the first day of fasting for Lent (a 40 day period), it is tradition to feast on veggies and other fasting foods (including lagana bread). It is a day to be outdoors and the best part is the tradition of flying kites, so on Green Monday we recommend you…look up!

Here come some facts:

Green Monday (also known as Clean Monday, Pure Monday, Ash Monday or Monday of Lent) is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread, baked only on that day, named “lagana” (Greek: λαγάνα) and the widespread custom of flying kites. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted in European denominations. This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, molluscs, fish roe etc.). Traditionally, it is considered to mark the beginning of the spring season, that denotes the start of Lent.

The common term for this day, “Clean Monday”, refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. Clean Monday—and thus Lent itself—begins on the preceding (Sunday) night,[1] at a special service called Forgiveness Vespers, which culminates with the Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness, at which all present will bow down before one another and ask forgiveness. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. The entire first week of Great Lent is often referred to as “Clean Week”, and it is customary to go to Confession during this week, and to clean the house thoroughly.

During Green Monday flying a kite is the main past time. Families and groups of friends descend onto the beaches. Laden with picnics and, of course, their best kites ready to take part in the local kite festival.

Did you know? The ‘fasting’ calendar of the orthodox church is 48 days before Easter, 40 days before Christmas & lesser fasting periods throughout the year – in total, half the year is taken up by fasting.

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The information provided by Aphroditerentals.com on this page is correct at the time of publication, and is provided in good faith. Aphroditerentals.com are not liable to any changes to this information and we recommend checking all current operating times and information with each individual facility on the Resort using the contact numbers provided.

Things to do as a Family on Holiday in Cyprus

by Hannah Mclellan | Jan 23, 2023 | 8509 Partners, Explore Cyprus

THINGS TO DO AS A FAMILY ON HOLIDAY IN CYPRUS

8509 Partners,Explore Cyprus
January 23, 2023
Hannah Mclellan

Our Favourite Fun Activities

Cyprus Diving Adventures – Pissouri Village
Scuba Diving
Tel: 97 661 046
Website
Googlemap location for Cyprus Diving Adventures shop.

Did you know that kids can start scuba diving from the age of 8? Scuba diving as a family can be a lovely way of bonding, nothing can beat sharing the experience of exploring the underwater world together!

Free local pick up service is available with Cyprus Diving Adventures, who are all about ‘safety-first’, especially when it comes to your little ones. Learning to scuba dive in Cyprus is also especially fun because you learn in the warm, clear, safe sea waters meaning that the kids will also get to discover some of the local sea life too.

8509 Discount:
1) Family deals and dive packages: 10 – 15% off
2) Daily dives and dive courses: 10% – 15% off (including all courses, without materials)
Discount % varies according to number of persons/dives (minimum 3 persons to apply discount). Enquire for full details

Fasouri Watermania – Limassol
Waterpark
Tel: 25 714 235
Website
Googlemap location for Cyprus Diving Adventures shop.

If you are young, or still aspire to be, Fasouri Waterpark is for you. It boasts speed slides, a lazy river, wave pool, kiddies pool and a big, inflatable dome to keep you wet and weary all day long..will you brave the kamikaze?!

There is also a good choice of eateries, where you can indulge in mini-donuts, crepes and icecreams (or a smoothie for the health-conscious!).

Fasouri is our preferred waterpark on the island because it is safe, clean, renovated annually and well manned with qualified lifeguards.

Directions: Take the A6 motorway to Limassol, getting off before the 1st flyover at the 1st roundabout (signposted port). Head towards the port, turn right at traffic lights, follow signs for waterpark.

Latchi Watersports – Latchi
Watersports and Boat Hire
Tel: 26 322 095
Website
Googlemap Location

8509 Discount: 15% off yacht charters. Discount on any watersports
Head over to Latchi, near the island’s beautiful Akamas peninsula, and hire out jet skis; inflatables; parasailing; and boats. Hiring a boat as a family from Latchi is one of our most recommended day trips – you can truly get away from it all and have amazing fun at sea, and swimming in the aptly named Blue Lagoon never disappoints.

Yacht charter is an incredible way to spend a day on holiday in Cyprus if you’re looking for a little more luxury.

Tom and his team at Latchi Watersports Centre have all the equipment you could wish for – the kids will have a blast, and we’re sure the adults will too!

Jimmy’s Jeep Adventures – Paphos
Jeep Tours
Tel: 99 556 257
Website

8509 Discount: 10% off bespoke tours

The ultimate Cyprus adventure! Jimmy’s Jeep Adventures offer a variety of wonderful jeep safari tours across Cyprus, with fully qualified English speaking PSV drivers that have a ‘no rushing, no fuss’ policy so that you can really enjoy your day out. Jimmy’s team are local to Paphos and are super friendly, fun and knowledgeable – they will make sure you have a fun, exciting and memorable day trip, whilst you learn lots of interesting information about Cyprus.

Wide variety of tours available, from Troodos mountains, Polis beaches and Akamas forests. See Jimmy’s website for full list of trips. Private, bespoke bookings can be arranged for groups of any size where you can customise your very own route.

Starting point: meet up at pre-arranged spot in Paphos, or pay a transfer fee to be picked up from your holiday home at Aphrodite Hills.

Kings Avenue Mall – Paphos
Shopping Mall
Tel: 26 207 000

Well-known eateries, some ride-on machines and an amusement arcade are included in the facilities within the mall. K-cineplex cinema also shows kid’s movies in English – check their website for showtimes. There’s a large store within the mall called ‘Jumbo’ that is foremost a kid’s toy store and has a great stock of toys including pool/beach toys and inflatables.

Paphos Sea Cruises Jolly Roger – Paphos
Pirate-themed Boat Trip
Tel: 26 910 200

This unforgettable Pirate Cruise experience offers relaxation for adults whilst keeping the kids entertained (suitable for all ages). On board there is an action show which includes pirates, a magician, acrobats, games and more. The cruise also includes a tasty buffet lunch. Are you brave enough to walk the plank into the crystal-clear water below? A day of pure entertainment, lots of fun! Call to book in advance. Leaves from Paphos Harbour.

Cosmic Bowling – Paphos
Bowling Alley and Soft Play
Tel: 26 220 033

This is a large ten pin bowling centre, suitable for both adults and children. There is also a fantastic soft play area for younger children, so there is something to keep all ages entertained. Situated at 1 Ifaistou, Paphos; past the Kings Avenue Mall on the right.

Paphos Zoo – Paphos
Zoo and Bird Park
Tel: 26 813 852

The zoo not only allows you to admire the many birds and animals on show but also educates about the importance of conservation and animal care. Go and visit the meerkats, elephants, monkeys and more – you can even feed the giraffes. Daily parrot and owl show is impressive in the park’s own 350 seater amphitheatre. North of Paphos & Coral Bay.

Playland – Paphos
Children’s Play Area and Restaurant
Tel: 99 869 111

Great family fun at this spacious playground. Including an indoor soft play for the smaller ones as well as exciting outdoor climbing frames, slides and inflatables. Relaxed and friendly service. Freshly cooked food and mouth-watering deserts. Located opposite Paphos main fire station.

Puzzle 3041 Escape Room – Limassol
Escape Room
Tel: 25 013 284

‘The Perfect Crime’, ‘Release the Kraken’, ‘The Conjuring’, and more. Have you and your family got what it takes to Escape? Discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in order to escape from your room. A great way to ‘escape’ the heat. Located in Limassol old town, near the marina.

Sparti Platres Adventure Park – Platres
Rope and Zip Line Park
Tel: 99 100 003

The Sparti Platres Adventure Park is located in the pretty village of Pano Platres in the Troodos mountains – a great stop-spot if you are exploring the area, but also well worth the drive for a specific visit.

The park features various courses with ropes and zip lines between the pine trees. Take your little monkey for some outdoor adventure – kids as young as 4 can enjoy the park (right through to adults), and safety is good too – using a French safety system.

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The information provided by Aphroditerentals.com on this page is correct at the time of publication, and is provided in good faith. Aphroditerentals.com are not liable to any changes to this information and we recommend checking all current operating times and information with each individual facility on the Resort using the contact numbers provided.

Cypriot Easter

by Hannah Mclellan | Jan 23, 2023 | Cyprus Culture

Event: Cypriot Easter 2023

Cyprus Culture
January 23, 2023
Hannah Mclellan

Learn about Greek Orthodox Easter

Easter in Cyprus is the most celebrated occasion of the year – trust us, it’s a big deal! This year Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday falls on Sunday 16th April 2023.

You can’t beat the atmosphere of Easter Sunday in Cyprus, especially in little villages; the delicious smell of souvla waving around in the air throughout the village, the sound of the traditional music as the locals sing and dance along, the games in the village square, the cheer from children running excitedly around, the sound of ‘Christos Anesti’ (Christ has risen) and ‘Yiamas’ (Cheers) being greeted from one smiling face to another…even the sound of the firecrackers (which also cause the occasional fright!) add to the buzz.

Easter Traditions in Cyprus

In the lead up to Easter it is traditional to have your house looking completely fresh and new so it will be properly spring cleaned, sometimes even painted, and most people will treat themselves to new clothes (especially shoes).

Holy Thursday (an optional public holiday) is a busy day in most houses; the women will prepare traditional Easter foods such as flaounes (delicious! – a kind of cheese cake with a cheese, egg and mint filling) and tyropittes. Hard boiled eggs are also colour dyed, mostly red, in preparation for Easter Sunday – it is traditional to bash eggs on the day, and whoever has the least cracked egg is said to receive luck.

Good Friday (public holiday) is mostly dedicated to the decoration of the ‘Epitafios’, a flowery decoration in the church in which the icon of Christ is normally laid. A traditional soup containing vinegar is normally eaten at lunch time, and then an evening church service will follow which then includes a solemn procession headed by the priest with the ‘epitafios’ lit up, and carried by young men, followed by the choir singing hymns and the congregation – usually with sparklers in hand. The procession goes around the parish boundaries and back to the church.

Easter Saturday is a quiet day, usually with a church service in morning, but the highlight being the ‘ceremony of the resurrection’ service which starts at 11pm, for which you will hear church bells ringing beforehand. A few minutes before midnight the lights in the church are turned out and the choir sings the story of the three women who arrived at Christ’s tomb only to find it empty. The lights are switched on again and the priest calls the congregation to “take from his candle the light which never dies.” The flame is passed from person to person until everyone is holding a lit candle. The ceremony then continues outside the church for approximately 30 minutes, after which the priest returns inside again to begin the special Sunday liturgy for another two and a half to three hours. Most people will then leave to start the Easter Sunday celebrations, which kick off with a bonfire in the church grounds, fireworks in the village and many locals will go home to eat traditional soup. This is also when the firecrackers tend to peak!

Easter Sunday is a day of rejoicing – the fast is broken so food (especially meat) is eaten in mass, wine flows freely, games are played, eggs are cracked, people dance, people sing, and people are merry! These celebrations tend to go on until Tuesday, and you will hear many greetings of ‘Christos Anesti’ (Christ has risen) met by ‘Alithos Anesti’ (indeed he has risen). Another lovely tradition on Easter Sunday is that the priest will stand at the church door with the Cross and everyone leaving kisses the Cross, then shakes-and takes the hand of the person in front, thus forming a large circle in the church yard which symbolizes the renewal of friendship with one another. After this, all friends and relations, but especially people from other towns or villages, are invited to the villagers’ homes where they sit down together, eating and drinking until late in the afternoon.

If you’re lucky enough to be spending the Orthodox Easter in Cyprus then we urge you not to miss the local celebrations. Neighbouring Pissouri Village is a wonderful place to soak up the Easter atmosphere, particularly on Easter Sunday when games, dancing and music are in full swing.

Easter 2023 - aphrodite Hills events schedule

This year there will be various events taking place at Aphrodite Hills Resort during UK Easter and Orthodox Easter, which you can view by selecting ‘Easter Activities’ on this link. Please take note that some items are reserved exclusively for hotel guests (this is outlined accordingly in the schedule). Enjoy – Kalo Pascha! (Happy Easter).

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The information provided by Aphroditerentals.com on this page is correct at the time of publication, and is provided in good faith. Aphroditerentals.com are not liable to any changes to this information and we recommend checking all current operating times and information with each individual facility on the Resort using the contact numbers provided.

What’s Where on Aphrodite Hills Resort?

by GingerGoat | Jan 23, 2023 | About Aphrodite Hills

What’s Where on Aphrodite Hills Resort?

About Aphrodite Hills
January 23, 2023
GingerGoat

The Resort:

Aphrodite Hills Resort is bigger than it looks – it stretches across a vast 234 hectares of land that is divided by two plateaux, East and West. We have put this page together so that you can quickly get your bearings and find your way around the various areas and facilities of the Resort nice and easily.

The West Plateau is the hub of the Resort, containing all the villages (comprising of apartments, junior villas and communal pools) as well as a selection of detached villas. This is where you will also find the Resort Village Centre and Resort facilities.

The East Plateau (accessed by car, or a 30 minute hilly walk from the Village Centre) is the most peaceful area of the Resort, home to detached villas only.

This map shows the location of all of the apartments and villas that we rent out. The colours depict the number of bedrooms (Red: 1 or 2 bedrooms | Green: 3 bedrooms | Blue: 4 bedrooms | Yellow: 5 or 6 bedrooms). The Purple icons indicate Resort Facilities.

The Resort village centre:

In the centre of the Resort, on the West Plateau, you will find the Villlage Square (or Village Centre) that hosts all of the Resort Facilities (with the exception of the Horse Riding Centre):
* Resort Restaurants
* Supermarket & Bakery
* Costa Coffee
* Haagen-Dazs
* Golf Clubhouse (Restaurant and Proshop)
* The Tennis Academy (Tennis, Padel Tennis and Basketball courts, and Proshop)
* Dream Team Soccer School
* The Retreat Spa
* The Gym
* Pharmacy
* ATM
* Medical Centre
* Leo’s Car Hire
* Kids’ Club
* Kids Playpark
* Beer Garden
* The Cycling Station

This map shows what’s where within the Village Centre these facilities can be found:

The villages:

There are a number of lovely villages within the Resort which have their own individual sense of community, each with something unique to offer and each with wonderful communal pools. All of the villages are within walking distance of the Resort Village Centre, with Orpheus village the furthest afield with a slightly longer walk, of around 25 minutes (though it’s a beautiful walk).

Visit our Villages Overview Page to learn more about each village – it has lots of photos, information and videos.

We have also created an interactive map of the villages that show the location within each of every property that is available for rent with aphroditerentals.com:

Hestiades Greens
Adonis Village
Alexander Heights
Theseus Village
Zephyros Village
Helios Heights
Apollo Heights
Orpheus Village

Theseus Village Communal Pool

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Family Fun at Aphrodite Hills

The information provided by Aphroditerentals.com on this page is correct at the time of publication, and is provided in good faith. Aphroditerentals.com are not liable to any changes to this information and we recommend checking all current operating times and information with each individual facility on the Resort using the contact numbers provided.

Family Fun at Aphrodite Hills

by Hannah Mclellan | Jan 23, 2023 | About Aphrodite Hills

Family Fun at Aphrodite Hills

About Aphrodite Hills
January 23, 2023
Hannah Mclellan

There's plenty of fun to be had!

Aphrodite Hills Resort is a fantastic choice of holiday destination for families, not just for the abundance of sunshine, the beautiful scenery, or the high level of safeness, but also for the wonderful facilities available that children can enjoy whilst here; keeping the little ones active and entertained while on holiday. That’s if you can drag them away from the pool of course!

The sport facilities at the Resort are first class, and offer children the opportunity to learn new skills or hone existing skills, but in a fun environment. This is particularly true of the Dream Team Soccer School, located next to the Tennis Academy. Lee and his team of UEFA qualified coaches offer private and group coaching all year round, as well as Masters Football Camps during selected weeks in UK holiday periods. Read more about Dream Team here. The Tennis Academy and Golf Academy also offer private coaching (individual, pairs and groups), and normally run summer group coaching sessions that are a great social way for children to learn, play and make friends. Read more about the Tennis Academy and Golf Academy here. Don’t forget that you can even simply rock up and buy driving range tokens for balls, and hire a few clubs and hit a few balls too.

The Tennis Academy also hosts two padel tennis courts (coaching is also available for padel), as well as a basketball court with adjustable nets. There is a great refreshment bar (that sells good coffee, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages) and plenty of seating at The Tennis Academy, as well as a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere, so parents can enjoy chilling out watching their kids take part if they don’t feel like being active themselves. This is one of the most social areas on the Resort.

If your children are more orientated towards animals then the Aphrodite Hills Horse Riding Centre is situated a little further past the top of the Resort, along a 3km dirt track (don’t worry, it’s level and can be accessed by car) that runs through some beautiful, typical Cypriot countryside. The Horse Riding Centre has a yard, school and is home to happy healthy horses, ponies and Cypriot donkeys! They run a lovely pony club during summer months where little ones can help groom the ponies and horses, but even if you don’t fancy booking the kids in for lessons, treks or pony club, it’s still a fun and worthwhile visit to pop in. Learn more about the Horse Riding Centre here.

The Kid’s Club in the village square is really popular and has a great reputation. They run an interactive, varied schedule of indoor and outdoor activities to keep children engaged, in another environment where they can make holiday friends. Babysitting is also available through the Kid’s Club, please enquire directly with them for more information. Next to the Kid’s Club, just beneath the Zimi Trattoria, there is a great playpark, which is free of charge for residents and non-residents of the Resort. It is a sand park so the ground doesn’t overheat in summer months and the climbing frames and swings have shade ports and trees for some protection from the sun too. The zip line is a firm favourite here!

Time by the pool is up there as a favourite holiday activity. It never ceases to amaze how much time children can be spent splashing, swimming and jumping around in a swimming pool. We recommend investing in some pool toys for your holiday, the best place to get these from is Jumbo superstore in Paphos Kings Avenue Mall.

If you venture off the Resort then there are of course plenty of other holiday activities to be enjoyed in Cyprus – Scuba Diving is a wonderful option (for children over 8 years, we recommend our friends at Cyprus Diving Adventures), the Waterpark (we recommend Fasouri Watermania near Limassol), boat trips (try our friends over at Latchiwatersports), beach days and more!

Whichever activities you choose to enjoy during your holiday at Aphrodite Hills, we guarantee you will have the best fun making memories together as a family.

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About Aphrodite Hills

Useful Telephone Numbers for your Holiday

About Aphrodite Hills

Specialist Shops

About Aphrodite Hills

What’s Where on Aphrodite Hills Resort?

About Aphrodite Hills

Family Fun at Aphrodite Hills

The information provided by Aphroditerentals.com on this page is correct at the time of publication, and is provided in good faith. Aphroditerentals.com are not liable to any changes to this information and we recommend checking all current operating times and information with each individual facility on the Resort using the contact numbers provided.

Green Monday

A Day to Lookup

Did you know? The ‘fasting’ calendar of the orthodox church is 48 days before Easter, 40 days before Christmas & lesser fasting periods throughout the year – in total, half the year is taken up by fasting.

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THINGS TO DO AS A FAMILY ON HOLIDAY IN CYPRUS

Our Favourite Fun Activities

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Event: Cypriot Easter 2023

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What’s Where on Aphrodite Hills Resort?

The Resort:

The Resort village centre:

The villages:

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Family Fun at Aphrodite Hills

There's plenty of fun to be had!

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