Who we are - What We Do
It's more than just a place, it's an experience...
The perfect summer location,Val's Place is a dream land where you can experience good music, food, nature and love.
EAT! EAT! That is the motto when you come to our place. We cater to the needs of all types of people with satisfying portions, for a very affordable price. The quality of our food is undeniable as we work to provide as much as we can from our very own organic farm. What we can't manage to grow from our land we look to mutually support our neighboring farmers. The kitchen is based on our mother's delicious recipes . A true wizard in the kitchen, she combines her knowledge of food and creativity, producing dishes that truly water your mouth.
We are the home of renowned, music festivals and retreats. A few to mention are the Ecstatic Dance Festival (October), Jazz Festival (August), and the El Circo Festival (May) Omandbass Festival (May). In addition to that, we host live performances from local and international artists. Valentinos and Evri are also magical musicians that are sure to pull on your heart strings or get you dancing. Every Friday Val's friends and family gather to perform. If you play or sing you are always welcome to join the band!
Camping at our place is a lovely option! You have a sea view sunset while you are cradled by a forested mountain range. Campers create a community, often bringing their instruments manifesting in spontaneous jam sessions.
When the summer season comes to an end, the restaurant closes and we retire to the garden. Our priority becomes the maintenance and development of our land. From catering to our certified organic garden, to creating a new corner, we strive to evolve and become the best versions of ourselves. To learn more about what we offer in our garden click here (link).
Our Story
On the 9th of October 1983 our parents met for the first time at a friends wedding. It was love at first sight and from that moment they begun their journey together. In June 1985 they got married in Ayia Marina Church and by 1986 they had their first child, Maria . While carrying their second child, Evristheni, in 1987 they moved to Gialia - a village seconds away from Ayia Marina - in order to raise their children in nature and away from the hustle of the city. In 1988 they had their third child , Dimitris.
In the early 90’s, our father was given by the Cypriot government land as a reimburse for his lost properties during the Turkish invasion. We built greenhouses and began planting our own vegetables, fruits, trees and herbs. Not long after the family was also given the house that was situated right above their lands. Years before the war, the house was owned by a couple who were not able to have their own children, so they opened their hearts and turned their home into a knitting workshop for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot women, creating a community space. For years the house changed owners and functionalities, but this time it was introduced to the village by our parents as ‘O kafenes tou Andrea’. In 1993 the family welcomed to the world our youngest, Valentinos. With this breath of fresh air we gave our small paradise a new name ‘Valentino’s café/snack bar’. We would only open a few hours during the day, serving kebabs and refreshments.
With our mothers vision as our driving force, piece by piece, we breathed life to the place, creating and pouring love. All four of us were always a part of our parents new projects and their new adventures. we were raised amongst the trees, learning how to sing to the flowers , how to sing to the sun and how to love every living thing around us. It had now become our new home and our mother wanted all the people to experience the beauty, warmth and sense of community. By 2010, Evristheni and Dimitris had both began their journey in music. Valentinos started following their footsteps and begun to explore the guitar. Together they began performing every Friday during summer, filling ‘Valentino’s café/snack bar’ with music, joy and laughter. They kept their Friday night lives an ongoing tradition, until today. The eldest child Maria, an artist at heart too, started her own business 'Tiny little things by Marilou' creating handmade custom products for her customers. Since 2015, it has been managed by Valentinos and Evristheni. Our paradise was now reborn into Val’s Place.
What is Val’s Place
The restaurant kitchen is based on our mother's delicious recipes . A true wizard in the kitchen, she combines her knowledge of food (that was passed down from her mother) and creativity, producing dishes that truly water your mouth.
Our camping site it is one that constantly progresses and grows in capacity. With new showers and toilets
in place, our facilities can host more than 50 happy campers who can enjoy our affordable camping
packages and the beautiful sunset.
Eleni Loizou
Our mother was born on the 14th of April 1962 in Ayia Marina, Polis Chrysochous. Living right at the seafront and surrounded by the forest, her connection to nature is profound. Growing up with her 3 siblings and parents- both of whom worked very hard to provide for their children - she lived a humble life. Despite hard conditions their family radiated love, joy and were truly rich in life, for they felt blessed to live together united with nature. This special bond is reflected through her love for life, her love for everyone around her. At the age of 18 she moved to Nicosia to work.
Her dream was to create a space where people can gather together and discover the benefits of nature, discover their selves and connect with each other.
Andreas Loizou
Our father was born on 16th of May 1958 in Pano Zodia , north of Cyprus, but was forced to move to Astromeritis after the Turkish invasion in 1974. He grew up with his 6 siblings and his parents who fought hard to build their new life. Since the age of 13, he worked as a builder, supporting his family and at the age of 18 he served two years in the military. In his early 20's he begun working in Nicosia.
He is the one that follows and supports our mother and her dream.
Evristheni
An established musician in Cyprus,Evristheni graduated from the University Of Nicosia in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music specialized in Vocals Jazz performance. She has been a member of the Amalgamation choir since 2015 participating at various places such as Fengaros,Windcraft festival and the Commonwealth day in England.Evristheni has performed at various venues and concerts around Cyprus and internationally.
In addition to that she has also been teaching music the last 12 years.
Valentinos
Val is a renowned guitarist, singer, and song-writer. He begun his journey in music at 16-years-old, falling in love with the guitar. Day-in-and out he began playing until he had mastered the instrument. Finding his passion, he knew he had to dive deeper into the world of music and obtained a bachelor in Music at the European University, graduating in 2017. He is well-known for his unique songwriting, making use of our rich Cypriot dialect, Val has fused the traditional with the modern. His music inspires emotion and movement, touching on social and spiritual subjects.
Tylene Wood, a well-seasoned yoga therapist originally from the Southern United States, Arizona. She grew up right next to the border of Mexico and has deep roots in its tradition.
She met her husband, Valentinos Dimitriou, while volunteering on the island. Her husband and his family are the owners of Val's Place.
She was first introduced to yoga when she was 12-years-old. After this meeting she craved to dig deeper into what yoga truly is.
When she turned 18 fate led her to a two-year teacher training program in Arizona. She continued her yoga education by completing the yoga therapeutics program. She has studied prenatal yoga with dedicated teachers while being pregnant herself. Trained by Iyengar teachers, she has learned a method of Hatha yoga with refined precision which allows her to teach people from all walks of life. Her intention as a professional Yoga Therapist is to help clients listen to their inner selves and find the courage to step out of their comfort zone in order to promote healing and growth. She has a broad knowledge of the human body accompanied by a degree in Integrative Health from the school of Nursing at Arizona State University.
Ilios is the real boss of Val’s Place. He is Val and Tylene’s son and the protege of the magical land. This little prince works all day in the field (xorafi), is always doing work, and never stops running outside. He loves the ocean, tractors, motorcycles, and his cat, Peesperini. You don’t want to let him catch you sitting on the job, he will not be shy to tell you “do work!”. He is the reason it is always sunny at Val’s Place!
Who we are
You are welcome to meet us in person!
Our full story here...