Gem of Paphos forest still powered by generators a year after fire

Driving up to the forestry service headquarters in late May it is easy to see why the former department director likened the Paphos forest to a church, with Stavros tis Psokas as its altar.

On the route up through the villages of Peristerona, Meladia and Lysos, dry cultivations give way to vistas, peaks and a sea of trees. It feels like passing through a portal where beings such as Ents, do not seem so farfetched.

High from the drive, marked by a liturgy of birdsong and phytoncide incense...