Evretou Dam – Between Paphos & Polis
To the North of Paphos, just off the road to Polis, you can find Evretou; the valley, the village and the dam. It is a place where you can easily while away several hours exploring and discovering an array of delights…
There are two ways of reaching the dam; take a right turn signposted ‘Simou, Lasa & Fyti’ or just below the village of Simou there is a left turn signposted ‘Skarfos Bridge’ – follow the part concrete / part gravel road that winds down the valley and discover the remains of this lovely Venetian bridge. Built in 1618, it is 2.75m wide and 8.5m long and was built with pebbles and limestone blocks hewn from the river bed. The river has long been diverted but the road over the bridge was the main thoroughfare between Paphos and Polis in medieval times and was used for transporting copper after which Cyprus is named.
If you traverse the modern bridge downstream, bear left and approx 200m further on you will come to the ancient watermill situated above a citrus grove – another beautiful photo opportunity! Backtrack a little and look for the sign to the dam and follow the track until you see water. It is best to park and wander to really discover things. The abandoned Turkish Cypriot village of Evretou is now home to numerous goats but it still makes fascinating strolling. To circumnavigate the dam would take several hours and you would need to ensure plentiful supplies of drinking water and sun protection.
Many species of flowers & flora can be found around here including some of the more rare orchids. It is also a bird watchers paradise and recent sightings have included Storks and Bonelli’s Eagles to name a couple. If fishing is your thing, then grab a rod and a licence (obtainable from the Harbourmasters Office in Paphos or Latchi) and try your luck catching bass, zander, carp, roach, bream and catfish!
The other approach to the dam and one that gives a totally different perspective of the valley is a little further along the Polis road in the village of Skoulli. Here, there is a right hand turn signposted ‘Peristerona and Lysos’. A kilometre or so up this road and you will see the Evretou Dam signpost. Follow the road through to it’s end and you will find yourself at the dam wall. Although you can’t wander very far unless you have rugged shoes on, it is very picturesque and worth the trip, especially if you are exploring the area. Have fun and explore Evretou, valley, village and dam.
