Gourri village is found built on both sides of the road clinging on the high mountains, leading you to the Machairas Monastery. The steep mountain slopes that shelter the village, make you feel some kind of fear and you question yourself why they chose this place to live.
To answer to this question, we have to go back many years. Back to the years where pirates and invaders from different neighbouring countries were harming the Cypriot beaches. Some small groups of Cypriots, fled to the centre of the island to avoid the invasions, thus creating small communities.
A small group fled to the area that we today call Gourri. They chose this area because there was plenty of running water and the ground’s morphology was such that it offered protection from attackers.
The first that settled from the group was someone called “Vourrios”, a name that with time was renamed to Gourris. There are also other versions about where the village got its name from.
Today there are about 300 residents in the Gourri village. They manage to survive with a lot of hard work under the difficult conditions of a mountainous community. The love they have for their place is so great that it keeps them “rooted” in the area.
At Gourri you can find a hostel all year round. If you are in the area and you are looking for a place to spend the night, just ask for it and you will have it.
A lot of effort is done for Gourri to be integrated in the agrotourism plans. The environment makes you want to stay and explore the steep mountain slopes that end up in cliffs. The nature’s path is a sample of effort of the community council for tourist development. The comfortable parking area, found before the ancient Agios Georgios church, exempts you from the preoccupation for your car.
Small, picturesque cafes, offer many traditional dishes and drinks at “crisis” (very low) prices and treat you with sweets for dessert.
You can also find handmade Cypriot jewellery, as well as local painters’ paintings. We met one of these painters, Ms Argyro at her own coffee shop, where she works.
We came to the conclusion that if the commonwealth does not boost the residents of our mountainous villages, they will slowly be deserted.
Whoever likes the landscape wildness, Gourri is a unique destination all year round.
