Tala is the most prestigious village on the west coast of Cyprus
The western coast of Cyprus (= the Paphos district and the suburbs of Polis), are rightfully considered one of the most comfortable places to live in Cyprus, where you can relax, raise children and just enjoy life.
Paphos is generally considered a “family” city with very large British and Russian diasporas. There are many villages and towns around the city.
In the Paphos district there is a place called “Cyprus Beverly Hills”.
This is the village of Tala (on the map), located 11 km from the city on a small hill. It can be found just 10 km from Coral Bay and 5 km from The International School of Paphos. It is noteworthy that only 20 years ago, Tala was a fairly ordinary village, as looked like hundreds others, but the favorable geographical position and very small distance from the city did their job, the place evolved from year to year, new plots were used for construction and new and new houses arose on this mountain. What is typical for Tala is that there are few complexes here. The vast majority of houses are private.
The village is divided into old and new. The old one includes the municipal center, the square and the church. It is located on a mountain slope. This place is full of old streets dating back to the first half of the twentieth century.
In the center, you will find cafes and a handicraft shop, which is located near the local post and the police offices.
Here you can have a good rest, make your plans for the day and drink amazing Cypriot coffee.
There you can also look into several atmospheric establishments that are loved by the locals. For example, a restaurant. Prices here are no higher than the city ones, and the view from the balcony compares favorably with ordinary tourist taverns.
There is a lovely bar at your service, where you can find drinks for all tastes.
Excellent wine list and small wine cellar.
Decent table setting, cozy room and the opportunity to relax in a pleasant place, usually free from budget tourists.
And also cute decorations, designed in the Cypriot style, combined with novelty. Tala is a very old village, many hundreds of years old. It used to be a village of artisans, but over time, the ancient art was forgotten.
Not far from the restaurant is the main square of Tala. The fountain, which springs directly from the stone, is devoid of any obstacles, and this is regularly used by local kids and overheated travelers.
There is a huge vase next to the fountain, which serves as a welcome for the guests of the village. It is almost impossible not to notice this vase, as it is placed at the entrance to the square.
The main attraction of Tala is the Church of the Nativity of Christ It stands on a small hill in the center of the village. The temple is especially beautiful in the rays of the setting sun. This church can accommodate a large number of believers.
This is perhaps the largest church in the area, even when compared with the one in the monastery of St. Neophytos.
Actually, the monastery is located just a couple of kilometers from Tala. It was founded in honor of the hermit Neophytos, who cut down a cave in these parts and spent his days here in prayer in the 12th century. Neophytos was recognized as a Cypriot saint and in the 16th century a monastery was erected in the middle of a coniferous forest, not far from the cave.
At any time of the year, there are many pilgrims or ordinary believers who want to visit this holy place. Men, women, children and elderly people come here to collect water from the holy spring.
Now the cave of St. Neophytos is equipped with doors and comfortable staircases, so there is no need to climb the rocks to get in touch with the ancient relics of Cyprus!
The cave is one continuous painting. These are icons, frescoes and ancient inscriptions. Walls, ceiling, wall recesses are painted.
Many of the frescoes have survived surprisingly well, despite the past centuries. They all depict scenes from scripture.
Including the saints of Byzantium.
The entrance to the monastery is located near the cave. On holidays, a line of people wishing to get inside is sometimes lined up at the gate.
The monastery is truly luxurious, even according to today’s standards. Not far from the church there is a passage to the monks’ cells, the courtyard and the museum of antiquities.
Medieval clerics knew where to build a monastery. These places are very conducive to spiritual research.
The monastery church is very richly decorated, and it is full of locals on the days of church holidays. Especially on Easter, when people from all over the district come to the monastery.
Not far from the monastery of the human, there is a cat monastery – Agios Neofytos CatPark. This is a privately run park, completely inhabited by cats that greet you at the entrance. Currently, there are about 800 cats under the wing of volunteers.
All tailed beasts have their own small dwelling – a cat’s house. There is a whole cottage village in the park, where there are enough places for both adults and little kittens. And there is even a separate infirmary for those who need medical help.
Not all residents of the cat monastery walk around the territory. Some people prefer to relax in the shade or bask in the sun.
Some cats were models in their past lives..? They are absolutely not ashamed of anything, they allow to photograph them! Perhaps they are counting on you to feed them?
And it’s worth feeding! The park is supported by volunteers, and the number of cats is constantly growing. If you have the opportunity to donate some feed, please do so. The fluffy ones will be very grateful to you!
Cat shelter on the map.
And we will continue our journey further along Tala.
Houses in Tala are built in a variety of ways: from standard villas to real mansions and palaces, depending on the owner’s ability to pay and a sense of architectural taste.
These can be houses made in the style of castles with towers – two-story, with a garden, with a swimming pool, with surveillance cameras and a basement.
Other residents of Tala prefer “simpler” houses and settle next to each other.
Still others are building luxurious Spanish-style mansions. Such houses are not particularly pretentious, but they indicate the status of their owners by their appearance.
The plots are surrounded by hedges and flowering bushes. It looks very nice.
Why does their home look like that? Do they have an observatory there?
Not far from them, there is a nice mansion built. This is far from the most luxurious house in the village, but its owner definitely has a good taste.
Two white-stone lions are on duty at the entrance. Lions are not the only inhabitants of Tala. There are other animals here as well.
For example, this dog is sitting on the outer wall of one of the houses. Funny, isn’t it?
And here is the courtyard with a fountain. Everything is quite modest and tasteful!
However, compared to this gigantic residence, all the others are just small huts. There it is! Tala’s real futuristic mutant!
In addition to the main garage, there is also a multi-colored one! What cars are in them?
It is not known exactly how many floors in the residence, but… judging by this elegant gazebo, the roof of the first floor has been converted into a landing.
The courtyard of this castle shoots in the eyes with its luxury. Something reminded us of the Russian’s 90s. By the way, they say in Tala that the owner of the house holds a high position in the Russian government.
In addition to outdoor surveillance cameras, the estate is guarded by this frozen guard.
Gradually, the road rises up, closer to the radio tower and the top of the hill. Some local blocks look like real mountain villages.
There is an amphitheater that regularly hosts concerts and performances. This place is at the intersection of streets when climbing the mountain, driving to the road to Mesoi and the road to the monastery.
There is a cafe here, a great place to relax with free wi-fi.
At the entrance to Talu, there is a small restaurant called Casa Luna known to all the inhabitants of the village. It has been here for over 20 years.
Tala can be found:
- 23 km from Paphos airport
- 136 km from Larnaca airport
- 71 km from Limassol
- 10 km from Minthis Golf Club
- 28 km from Aphrodite Hills Golf Club
Despite the rather dense population, new houses and villas are constantly being built in Tala, some are rented out. Construction has never stopped here, even in the most difficult times for the real estate market.
We can say that Tala is perhaps the village of dreams on the west coast of Cyprus for living and investment in construction, since real estate in Tala and land are always increasing in value, and very fast. Wealthy people live here, so there are usually no conflicts with neighbors. The only distraction from your day-to-day life is building a house here!
Source: DOM LiVE
Photos: DOM LiVE
Best road from Larnaca Airport (LCA) to Tala
The most comfy way to get to your destination from Larnaca Airport (LCA) is to book a vehicle online. In this case, you do not have to waste your time looking for a available car and arguing about the cost of the trip, because our driver knows the time of your arrival, will meet you at the airport and help with your luggage. Our company has fixed prices for all destinations, which will allow you to get away of distasteful surprises at the end of the trip.
The driver organize the route in such a way that you can relax on the way and take pleasure of the view of the sights of the old churches from the window. For your comfort, we suggest only new cars with a comfy interior, properly working air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
Ways to get around the island and their main pros and cons
Book a taxi in advance
The car will arrive on time, equipped for the right number and age of passengers and luggage. The prices are locate on the website so you don’t need to worry about additional payment. All our drivers are officially licensed. A licensed driver is the key to your safety on the road.
Local taxi
Not all drivers are licensed. Travel expenses are often inflated. If you are traveling in a large company, with children, or if you have large luggage with you, then finding a appropriate car can take a long time, sometimes an hour or more.
Cyprus Buses
Public transport in Cyprus is not the most convenient way to get around, as daytime routes end trips around 19: 00. On Saturday and Sunday the time distance between routes increases, and in the suburbs it stops altogether.
The bus from Paphos airport to the city runs approximately once an hour from 10: 35 to 21: 05.
But from Larnaca airport to get to Paphos by bus is much more difficult. You will first have to get to the bus station in the port of Limassol and then transfer to the bus towards Paphos.
A few times a year bus drivers stage protests during which they completely stop their work for several hours or days.
Car rent
There is left-hand traffic in Cyprus, so the first time you drive, you should be specifically careful. The driver is forbidden to hold a mobile phone, drink, eat food. Gas stations are located mainly near cities. If you are planning a trip to the nature, it is worth filling up a full tank first.
