In Cyprus, even though it is often struck by droughts, there is a chain of mountains that “makes sure” its residents never run out of water, and this is the chain of Troodos. The chain of mountains, does not only have rich mineral wealth in its ophiolitic stones, but also huge amounts of water, which is absorbed during the rain period, and gives it back to nature creating sources of potable, mineral water through the cracks.
Troodos covers the majority of the island’s ground with its mountains, resulting to the forests which are found on them, gush out thousands of natural sources of water.
In just one area of the village of Arsos, that is found on the mountain area of Limassol, we can find six sources of this kind. The settlers “transformed” them into faucets and gave them names. All of them are found in one of the most beautiful forest journeys, west of the village, in a trail of observation of nature, the trail “exi vryses” (six faucets).
If you are going to Arsos, from the village Agios Nikolaos, just 200 metres before you find the first houses of Arsos, on a sudden turn you will see a faucet on your left gushing from the bowels of the mountain. It is found at the beginning of the trail “exi vryses” (six faucets), and at the beginning of a beautiful ravine that is covered by hundreds of species of trees and bushes.
It is called “Vrysi Athkies”. It was called this way because of the big amount of willows that were and still are in the area. Athkia = Willow.
It is built out of carved stone and there is a spout from which clean, cold water flows and is potable. This faucet is very useful for every traveller passing from Arsos. We hope that it will still give its water to the passers in the future, as it used to do for hundreds of years now.
