Shepherds from the surrounding villages of Panayia, Ayios Nicolaos, and Ayia Marina were the original occupants.
The inhabitants of these communities were forced to abandon the coast in order to escape the Arabs and seek refuge in the highlands with their livestock.
The settlement received its name from the Arabs, who sought refuge with their livestock in the highlands.
The hamlet was named after a single black currant that still stands along the river and produces large black currants.
Strolling through the village’s narrow, paved lanes, one cannot help but be impressed by its architecture, the stony houses, the picturesque long residences with a ground and first floor, the paved yards filled with flowers and urns, the wooden doors and the front doors, which give the village its distinctive beauty and charm.
Climb to an altitude of 850 metres to reach Vavatsinia, one of the two highest mountain villages in the Larnaca region. Just 15 kilometres from Machairas’s eventual destination are tourist buses that make daily visits there. A modest charming village with historic architecture that blends with the wild, lush natural surrounds. Discover the town square, the indigenous mulberry tree (Vavatsinia), and the historic distillery used to produce the traditional alcoholic drink Zivania by strolling around the hamlet.
Explore the churches and chapels scattered around the hamlet, including the 1912-built Holy Church of Saint George and the 1850 church of the All Holy Mother of God, which is under the care of the Antiques Department.
In the local taverns, you may fill your stomach with copious amounts of traditional Cypriot cuisine and experience genuine Cypriot hospitality after a hard day of hiking. Find ‘Marias Restaurant’ at the entrance to the neighbourhood and dine on traditional regional cuisine surrounded by verdant and flowering vegetation. In addition, it provides traditional seasonal sweets (spoon sweets) and handcrafted marmalades. The Vavatsinia Tavern (Takis Tavern) is situated in the centre of the hamlet and is surrounded by stone-built structures that immerse the visitor in history.