Midnight in Kato Akourdhalia, in the rural heart of northwest Cyprus, and even though I’m a little weary, I just can’t persuade myself to go to bed. Warm air is scented with rosemary and orange blossom, and a deep, sweet silence has settled across the olive groves and vineyards that surround Amarakos, the inn where I am staying.

Silence has not always been sweet in rural Cyprus. Inland villages have seen serious depopulation, starting with mass emigration in the 1950s followed by the civil war in the Seventies. Then came the tourism boom when sons and daughters left their parents’ farms and headed to the coast. The silence then was hard and empty; villages lay abandoned, houses crumbled and fields were left untended.

But slowly, thanks to a different type of tourism from that which defines Cyprus’s coastline, life is starting to return. “Agrotourism” has been a buzzword on the island for some time, with increasing numbers of village houses being converted into holiday villas and cottages. But those involved with rural tourism are keen to offer more, and a new breed of village inns is springing up that offers different ways for visitors to experience and become involved in rural life.

“Agrotourism has been successful, but it can be limited,” says Philippos Droushiotis, chairman of the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI). “All a place has to do to qualify is to be old. But we should offer much more than that — village life in Cyprus is rich with tradition and we need to share that with people.”

The road between Paphos and Limassol is a stretch of natural decimation: barren landscapes, disused mines, hills of sand and dust. And yet just half an hour north of Limassol lie the lush landscapes of the Troodos mountains, with picturesque villages scattered among the pine forests.

Kakopetria is just such a place, built at the convergence of two rivers with a preserved old village dating back hundreds of years. In the heart of the cobbled streets lies the Linos Inn, a rambling, low-ceilinged building with rooms chockful of character; high four-poster beds, old telephones and radios on bedside tables, and a restaurant serving up the best Cypriot meze I have ever eaten on the island.

As the demand has increased, so the inn has spread in size and in what it offers: guided walks, the chance to try a little local cookery, introductions to local villagers. And the Amarakos in Kato Akourdhalia is similarly keen to introduce visitors to local people and traditions.

“Tourism is the future for us, but it cannot all be in the big resorts,” says the loquacious owner, Mantis, who also runs the Cyprus Wildflower Festival each year. “I have started a herb garden in the village, written a book on our wildflowers — this is an incredibly fertile island, but few people discover that side.”

The Amarakos is testament to Mantis’s passion for gardening. The courtyard is dotted with pots filled with scarlet geraniums, bejewelled citrus trees and herbs that end up in Mrs Angela’s cooking. The night I stay, the courtyard is full of healthy types in walking boots, fresh from a day out among the citrus orchards.

Fortunately, their days exploring the island have sent them to bed early, leaving Amarakos, Kato Akourdhalia and seemingly the whole of this evolving island just for me.

Need to know Annabelle Thorpe travelled with Sunvil (020-8758 4758, www.sunvil.co.uk/cyprus), which offers small village hotels and inns in rural Cyprus. A week’s B&B, including flights and car hire, costs from £616pp at Amarakos or the Linos Inn.

Further information: Cyprus Tourist Office (020-7569 8800, www.visitcyprus.com).

Reading: Cyprus (Rough Guides, £11.99).

Five great Cypriot inns

Amarakos, Akourdhalia

Amarakos has seven rooms around a flower-filled courtyard where Mrs Angela serves up leisurely breakfasts and fantastic evening meals. Rooms are cosy and comfortable. Guided walks, cooking and pottery lessons and visits to archaeological sites can all be arranged. Details: 00 357 22 313374, www.amarakos.com. B&B doubles from £66.

Linos Inn, Kakopetria

Hidden away in the cobbled streets of Old Kakopetria, the Linos is a delight. Rooms are in several different buildings, some with rickety balconies. The courtyard restaurant serves fabulous meze and grilled meats and fish. Details: 22 923161, www.linos-inn.com.cy , B&B doubles from £53.

Vasilias Nikoklis, Nikoklia

Only 20 minutes’ drive from Paphos, the inn is converted from a traditional khan, where travellers would break their journey. There are eight simply furnished rooms and a taverna renowned for sumptuous grilled meats. Details: 26 432211, www. vasilias-nikoklis-inn.com, B&B doubles from £33.

Tokhni Tavern, Tokhni

Bigger than other village inns, the Tokhni offers studios and one-bedroom stone-built cottages around a pool with gorgeous views. Olive picking, grape harvesting and Halloumi-making are all on offer, according to the season. Details: 24 332998, www.cyprusvillages.com.cy, studio apartments from £40, room only.

Anthony’s Garden House, Episkopi

A short drive from Limassol, this charming house was built in the mid-19th-century and has been sympathetically converted. The pool, surrounded by lemon groves, is a five-minute stroll up the road. Details: 25 932748, www.katerinatravel.com. cy/anthonys_hotels.htm. Doubles from £30. All the above inns can be booked through Sunvil (020-8758 4758, www.sunvil.co.uk/cyprus).

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