Minthis Hills

Minthis Hills is a resort close to Tsada village in the south west district of Paphos, Cyprus.

Concept

Minthis Hills is a development on Cyprus. The resort of Minthis Hills is situated within the wine producing region of Paphos.

Climate

Located at 560 metres above sea level, the resort benefits from cool breezes and low humidity. Due to the altitude, the resort climate is strictly Mediterranean as opposed to the town of Paphos which is Subtropical Mediterranean.^[1]

Stavros Tis Minthis Monastery

“Stavros tis Minthis”, a twelfth century monastery, from which the resort derived its name, is located within the grounds and is soon to undergo extensive restoration. Inhabited by a single monk, the stone built monastery is an excellent example of architecture of the byzantine era. The chapel got its name when invaders forcibly took the monastery and set it alight but one of the monks had the foresight to take the sacred cross and hide it under some mint bushes in the immediate vicinity thereby ensuring its safety. In the aftermath of the fight, the cross was found and the renaming of the remainder of the monastery and chapel was therefore under the name "Stavros Tis Minthis" which means "Cross of Mint". Stavros Tis Minthis monastery falls under the Metropolis Of Pafos which belongs to the Admin and Holy Synod which forms part of the Church of Cyprus.^[2]

Environmental Issues

A man made reservoir^[3] to collect the naturally higher rainfall of the district has been operational within the resort since 2007. The reservoir can contain 130,000 cubic metres of water and a grey water collection system recently installed and feeding back into the reservoir means that no water goes to waste. Plans to enlarge the reservoir are already in the final stages. A programme to reinforce the local flora has been underway for 2 years by seed scattering and replanting of mature trees and shrubs.^[4]

Golf

The 18 hole championship golf course was originally designed by Donald Steel in 1994 and recently renovated by Mackenzie & Ebert. The new 15th hole has been transformed into a moat style island green. The signature hole is without bunkers or fairway, just 150 metres from the elevated tee to the green. The course features a lake and 35 bunkers. At an altitude of 560 metres above sea level the golf course takes full advantage of the cooler climate during the hot summer months and is considered an all year course. Suitable for golfers of all abilities, the course has been carefully integrated into the landscape but is still walkable at 5,843 metres. The course has also been slope rated to EGA standards. The golf course also includes a new, state-of-the-art 2,492 square metre clubhouse which is due to open to the public in September 2011, an elevated 16 bay driving range, putting, chipping and pitching greens. Work has already begun on an extension to the golf course and a junior academy is planned.

European Walking Route E4

The European long-distance paths are found throughout Europe and the European Route E4 traverses through Europe encompassing Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece. The new section of the E4 which is located in Cyprus was inaugurated in 2005. It starts at Larnaca and passes through the Troodos mountain range, Paphos and the Akamas peninsula and is 539 km long. Nature trails have already been defined in Minthis Hills and will enhance the already popular European walking route E4 which runs through the heart of the resort.^[5]

Interest Groups

The resort is designed to embrace outdoor activity and encourages local interest groups such as birdwatchers, hiking, and stargazing groups. Tennis facilities will be moved from their current position and be increased to offer a floodlit multi-court complex for both competitive and casual players. Mountain bike paths and jogging routes are also a popular feature due to the hilly terrain and fresh mountain air. For children the resort offers adventure playgrounds in each of the residential phases.

References

1. ^ http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/MS/MS.nsf/DMLclimet_reports_en/DMLclimet_reports_en?opendocument
2. ^ http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=212
3. ^ http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal.nsf/All/E5C2BBDC2F265D9FC2257153002111DC?OpenDocument
4. ^ http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/fd/fd.nsf/DMLflora_en/485EE01E2C170171C2256F1C00385AF8?OpenDocument#5
5. ^ http://www.visitcyprus.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hXN0fHYE8TIwMDQwsLA6NQb6_gYA8_Q4NAM6B8JJK8u4GxgYGRq5Gzh4lHkIF3sCEB3eEg-8ziDXAARwOIPD7zUeQtDL2ANrh6m3p5GZkYGVoY6ft55Oem6hfkRhhkBqQrAgBGP5A6/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfRUZBQVNJNDIwMDJROTAyMTAySlZOMzJJSDM!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/English__en/CTO+B2C/Tourist+Information/Experience/Sports+and+Leisure/Hiking/The_Cyprus_section_of_European_walking_route_E4

External links

• Official site

Hiking trails