Right at the heart of Cyprus, 190 meters above sea level and surrounded by hills, lies the picturesque village of Skarinou. Located near three of the main towns of the island, Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaka, right off the main motorway interconnecting these three towns, Skarinou combines the qualities of country life with the luxuries of life in town. 

Built on the side of the hill with the unique Cypriot terrain as its background, Skarinou preserves its traditional architecture. The houses resemble the old traditional stone buildings reminiscent of days passed and gone. And as with most small villages in Cyprus, Skarinous dominant land mark is the church of The Guiding Virgin Mary (Panayia i Odigidria) which stands proud and tall at the entrance of the village, welcoming both locals and visitors.

Furthermore, the old style identity of the village remains intact with its narrow streets leading to squares and natural openings. Houses with central courtyards and heavy, big entrance doors (outer-doors known in Greek as ksoportia) are still found all over the village which is built in different levels due to the morphology of the ground.

In this small village, where architectural structure blends in with nature and modernization co-exists with tradition, culture and customs have survived through time. A walk through the village may lead you to see women embroidering or knitting in their courtyards or even making the traditional halloumi (Cypriot cheese). Do not be surprised if you are called in by these hospitable people to be treated to a homemade sweet or a cup of coffee as this is considered natural and is very common..

In the recent years, the village has attracted the attention of both Cypriots and foreigners who have shown interest in buying land or houses in the area either for permanent residency or just for owning a house in the country, yet not far away from the town.

"And if anyone is interested, the village of Skarinou dates back to the Medieval times. As for its name, there are two existing versions of its origins. One is that of the village having been named after Saint Chariton. The second version is that of Nearchos Clerides who says that the villages name originates in the characteristics of its first settler who was named Skarinos meaning shepherd who has taken his flock to pasture during the night." (Encyclopedia of Cyprus, Andros Pavlides).