Secret Cyprus: Tranquil Tersefanou - A Relaxing Retreat in Larnaca

Tersefanou is a growing village located on the southern coast of Cyprus only around 15 minutes drive from Larnaca International Airport and 10 minutes drive from the nearest beaches.  The beauty of Tersefanou is that it’s quiet enough to afford you a relaxing and tranquil getaway for your holiday whilst being close enough to other amenities and places of interest to make the most of your time in Cyprus.

The centre of the village is home to traditional coffee shops, small grocery stores, restaurants and tavernas. You’ll also find the town hall with the village churches nestled alongside it.  The village provides visitors the opportunity to see more traditional Cypriot architectural styles of residencies, with traditional wood shutters and ageing painted doors on flat roofed single story homes. An abundance of flowers tumbling from hanging baskets and borders and trees planted in front gardens provide an added splash of colour to the local buildings and walkways.

There are several tavernas in the village so that you can choose a different watering hole as you please. Each one is owned by a different Andreas! No matter which Andreas you choose, you’ll find the food beautifully cooked with fresh ingredients and hospitality so welcoming you're magnetically drawn back there time and again!

For a first evening of your holiday, we recommend Andreas's Taverna in Tersefanou Square (just past the supermarket). Andreas is a highly accomplished chef from a previous life, now taking things a little easier in Tersefanou. For much of the year he serves and cooks at the same time and somehow manages to produce a feast of tasty piping hot food without a moments fuss. Brilliant! Mention Richard and Jill and he will probably take time to talk with you if not too busy and we recommend his Amathus wine at €10/bottle.

Turn right at the Square and just down the side street on the left side is the Cyprus Tavern, open Tuesday to Saturday. The speciality of the house is a daily seasonal Cyprus Meze, 25 courses for €15/head. Make sure you arrive absolutely ravenous! Also, when you order tell the waitress to bring the courses slowly, which is not in the Cypriot tradition, and just pick at the early salad courses saving yourself for the hot stuff later! It will be a most memorable experience that will last more than the evening! They also do traditional single course dishes if you're still trying to recover from the previous nights Meze! Don't miss the bouzouki cabaret and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights with dancing and entertainment into the early hours to suit everyone, young and old! You'll all have so much fun.

Tersefanou makes a great starting point to explore other parts of Cyprus. Hiring a car is the best way to get around, and the proximity of Tersefanou to the local motorway network means it’s relatively easy to travel to other towns and cities from there. Don’t forget that hiring a car means the world is your oyster, as you can pick and choose where to go – a way to see a more authentic side of Cyprus is to stop off at small villages and towns you find along the way (If you’re renting one of our apartments, we can advise you of good value car rentals in the area – just get in touch if you’d like us to help).

Nearby larger villages of Kiti or Pervolia have a wider selection of bars, shops and restaurants if you fancy something a little different without venturing too far or, head into Larnaca Sea Front or Mackenzie Beach areas for a fabulous choice of eating experiences at prices to suit every budget.

If you like fish, we also recommend a trip down the coast road to Zygi for a host of fish restaurants (turn right at T-junction in Kiti and 20 minutes by car). Our favourite is the Restaurant Santa Elena in the centre of Zygi, set in an old Turkish Warehouse and recognised by the Cyprus Tourist Office as one of the top five fish restaurants in Cyprus. Everything is made on the premises by the capable hands of Mrs Kaparis except the fish of course, which landed in the village harbour! The menu is CTO approved so despite its popularity, maintains a policy of fair pricing and excellent value.

Future developments for Tersefanou include the proposed new PGA championship golf course and country club at Tersefanou village.

With the World Cup coming up we recommend either Andreas's Taverna in Tersefanou Square or George's Tamala Sports Bar in Kiti as excellent locations to satisfy both thirst and football at same time! George has several screens for the game of your choice. You won't miss a thing and you'll never forget where you were when Rooney scored that winning goal!

Tersefanou Top Tips:

• Grab a kebab in a local café – don’t be surprised if it’s the size of your face, though! 
• Pop into the local tavernas for cold beer on a warm evening and a fun, social atmosphere
• Visit the pretty local churches
• Take a stroll through the village and see the local architecture
• Pamper yourself at the spa located near our studio and penthouse apartments
• Hire a car so you can explore other parts of the island - for example, Troodos, Paphos and Nicosia
• Saunter over to nearby Kiti or drive into Larnaca for a spot of shopping
• Jump in the car and head a short distance east to Lefkara where you can see local women producing fine lacework and embroidery as well as the skilled work of the local silversmiths. There’s also a folklore museum in the town showing visitors what life in Cyprus was like a hundred years ago

Comments

[Dave Lewis]

Hi, you've visited my blog Cyprus Flower Blog - thank you for the comment, thought I'd take a look at yours. I liked it a lot. I know Cyprus very well and still found your posts fresh and interesting. Best of luck for the future

[My Cyprus Holiday]

Thanks Dave, really pleased you enjoyed it! Will be keeping tabs on your blog :)