Kritou Tera: Environmental Education and Village History

Kritou Tera combines environmental education with local history that can be explored through its spring, churches, museum and historic buildings. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between two interests: are you more interested in a programme about environmental issues, or in traces of past uses and village life?

Environmental Education and Course Formats

According to the Cyprus Environmental Studies Centre in Kritou Tera, it welcomes around 3,500 school pupils and university students each year from schools and universities in Cyprus, Western Europe and the Middle East. This figure comes from the centre and may change. Programmes range from day visits to residential courses lasting up to two weeks; the specific programme duration is arranged with the centre.

Topics covered include forest and freshwater ecology, landscape processes, and the environmental impacts of tourism development. Combining forest and freshwater ecology brings together two distinct habitats; landscape processes and tourism development also draw attention to change and its consequences. The range of topics therefore extends from ecosystems to the impacts of tourism development. There is also a considerable difference in duration: a day visit and a course lasting up to two weeks are distinct formats.

Kefalovryso and the History of Water

The stone spring of Kefalovryso stands at the entrance to Kritou Tera. It was once the third-largest spring in Cyprus by water volume. In the past, it supplied the area with clean water to irrigate large orchards, powered four of the fifteen watermills, and fed the troughs of the communal washhouse, where women washed their clothes and bathed. The historical ranking compares Kefalovryso with other springs; the uses described illustrate the spring’s role in water supply and community life.

Churches and an Annual Occasion

The medieval Church of Agia Aikaterini Fytefkia in Kritou Tera dates from the 15th century. A particular date is relevant for the Church of Agia Aikaterini, about 3 km from Kritou Tera: it is open once a year, on the feast day of Saint Agia Aikaterini. If you are considering visiting on that occasion, check local information in advance. This distinguishes the historical context of one church from the other church’s limited annual opening.

Museum and Historic Buildings

The small museum in Kritou Tera displays exhibits about village life, past customs, and deeply rooted traditions and practices. It also houses the historic carved wooden gate of Archbishop Damaskinos. The museum thus combines a broad overview of everyday life and traditions with a specifically identified historic object.

The two-storey casino served for many years as an entertainment and events centre, as well as a gambling venue. A large mansion in Kritou Tera, now divided into smaller houses, served as the summer residence of the family of Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios. The residence of Archbishop Damaskinos is also located in the village. The mansion’s former use and its present-day division stand side by side; for the casino, its historical functions over many years are the key point.

Discover more destinations: Mesana, Kissonerga, Kallepia, Salamiou, Timi, Chlorakas, Chrysochou, Peyia

For the broader travel overview: Paphos.