Agros, Kakopetria, Fikardou among mountain villages selected for annual “Christmas Villages” scheme running from late November to Epiphany
Cyprus’s Deputy Ministry of Tourism has announced that nine villages across the island will host “Christmas Villages” this winter, as part of an initiative now in its fifth year aimed at boosting rural tourism during the festive season.
The selected locations are Agros, Deryneia, Kakopetria, Kalopanayiotis, Kyperounta, Lefkara, Lofou, Stato-Agios Fotios and Fikardou, spanning all six districts of the island. The festivities will run from 21 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.
The villages were chosen following an evaluation of applications submitted by community and municipal councils along the “Heartland of Legends” tourist route, under a grant scheme that forms part of the ministry’s broader push to develop Christmas events in towns and villages — an initiative officials said had proved popular and well-received over the past five years.
Each of the chosen destinations will be decorated for the season and will feature wooden chalets selling local produce and handicrafts, hands-on workshops in crafts and food and wine, nature-based activities such as hiking and cycling, guided village tours, and other festive surprises. The Deputy Ministry said its long-term goal was for the Christmas Villages, with their distinct local character, to be enriched each year so as to become a growing draw for both local and international visitors.
Further details of the programme and activities on offer at each village will be published on a dedicated website, www.christmasvillages.com.cy.
