The Omodos brand name stands up to be counted. Private initiative performed its miracle in this leading wine producing village, which is transformed into a hot spot in the wider area of Troodos. Especially on weekends and holidays the village is full of life and the square is flooded with thousands of visitors.
Speaking to ‘’Entrepreneurial Limassol’’, Community Council head leader Eugenios Michael expressed his satisfaction at this turn of events. A magnet for visitors is of course the monastery of the Holy Cross monastery and the museums (Struggle, Folklore, Byzantine and Lace), as well as the famous medieval wine press, Linos. However, without private investment, the community would not be experiencing the unprecedented growth it is going through today. In Omodos at the moment, said Eugenios Michael, there are 58 small family businesses that continue the tradition, keeping young people in the community and forming backbone of the local economy.
With a tradition in wine production, Omodos has seven excellent wineries that cultivate their own vineyards: Oinou Gi - Ktima Vassiliadis, Ktima Gerolemo, Zenon, Olympus, Marion. The Linos winery produces the blue wine of Cyprus. It is one of only six wineries in the world that produce blue wine. At the same time, The upgrade of the ten taverns and cafes that operate in the square and the surrounding alleys is continuous, serving the numerous visitors.
Agrotourism flourishes in Omodos and is the driving force for the development of the community. Ten agritourism accommodation facilities operate in the village, catering to the needs of those who want to experience authentic Cypriot hospitality. Traditional buildings are being restored with passion and new investments through private funds, and European funds, will add another 20 units to the community potential by next summer, bringing the number of available beds to 100.
In the cobbled square and the surrounding streets spring small souvenir shops, traditional products, such as high quality handmade jewelry, traditional embroidery and lace as well as hagiography and glass workshops. A trademark of Omodos are the famous Arkatena (bread made with leaven using the foam produced from chickpea fermentation called Arkatis) buns which are made in the three bakeries of the community, which now extend their activities to other bakery products and variations of Arkatena.
To better serve the visitors, we are upgrading the infrastructure, the Community head pointed out, such as the parking lot and the public toilets. Just a few days ago, he said, the community applied for the project to upgrade the square cobblestones and renovate the core to make part of a European funding program. This, noted Eugenios Michael, is a project worth €1 million, which is expected to begin in 2022. At the same time, a travel guide in three languages is being prepared, which will be distributed free of charge at the entrance of the monastery.
