Acheleia forms a municipal district of the Municipality of Ierokipia, together with Geroskipou, Agia Marinouda, Konia and Timi.
Its name is believed to come from the French word “L’eschelle”, meaning “port” or “dock”, possibly due to the existence of an anchorage in the area during the Frankish period.
During the British colonial period, Acheleia was a large estate (tsiflik). In 1945, after its confiscation by the British administration, the land was distributed among Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot residents. Until 1960, it was a mixed community. After the intercommunal disturbances of the 1960s, its Turkish Cypriot residents gradually left the village.
The area is known for its agricultural activity, especially for the cultivation of peanuts, which is a traditional product of the lowland area of Paphos.
Acheleia also has important religious monuments, including the churches of Agios Georgios, Agios Leontios and Agios Theodosios, as well as the old bridge on the border between Acheleia and Geroskipou.