About a 10 minutes drive from Polis, and you’ll come to the picturesque village of Peristerona. Bordered on one side by the Pafos Forest, the countryside around Peristerona hasn’t been cultivated for many years now and the hills are scattered with olive trees, fruit trees, vines, wild flowers, herbs, and if you’re lucky enough, you may even come across some exclusive wild mushrooms.

 The views from this lovely village are superb with the Evretou Dam glistening in front of you and the Akamas peninsula stretching out behind it. At 499 metres above sea level the summers are a few degrees cooler than the fierce summer temperatures in the coastal towns.

 Peristerona derives its name from the word "peristeri" –meaning pigeon. Years ago there were thousands of pigeons living in the nearby spectacular gorge of the eagles which can be visited today for excellent photography.

 As you approach the village you can’t fail to notice the magnificent building which houses the Byzantine Museum of  Arsinoe, and the church of St Mamas built in 1911 next to it. Like most village churches located in the centre of the village.

 Up until the 13th century the ecclesiastical area of Paphos consisted of two separate dioceses - the diocese of Arsinoe which was situated at what is now Polis and the diocese of Paphos. During the Frankish occupation the diocese of Arsinoe was abolished and joined the diocese of Paphos. The diocese was re-established recently in 1996. The museum was a joint effort by the bishops of these two dioceses to present the history and the work of the Church of Arsinoe.

Byzantine Museum of Arsinoe - The Museum has one of the biggest collections of icons metal artwork, more than 60 icons dating from the 13th to the 19th century. Also on display are woodcarvings, sacerdotal vestments and embroideries and several manuscripts sating back to 1551. The grounds of the museum feature an olive press and several stone features representing various saints.
 The museum is open daily.