Kakopetria: the old village, a painted church and the walks down

The village

Kakopetria sits among pine forests that stretch across the Karkotis valley. Its old quarter, with narrow stone-paved lanes and traditional houses with wooden balconies, has been restored and declared a protected cultural heritage site. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (Metamorfosis tou Sotiros) stands in the centre of the old village. The watermill Mylos tis Gonias ground barley and grain from 1754, closed after the Second World War, and was restored in 1980.

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St Nicholas of the Roof) is a domed, cross-in-square church that once belonged to a monastery. It takes its name from the pitched timber roof built over it to protect it from the weather. The church dates from the 11th century, and its walls are covered in paintings from the 11th to the 17th centuries. It is one of the ten Painted Churches in the Troodos Region, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985; UNESCO highlights its 11th-century paintings and its wall paintings from the Comnenian era.

The ten churches are still places of worship. visitcyprus.com lists the church as open all year except on public holidays, with free entry; the opening times differ between its pages and are subject to change, so check them on the visitcyprus.com page before you go. Sources give the distance from the village as 5 km and as about 3 km along the road. Another of the ten, Panagia Podithou, is in nearby Galata.

The walks side by side

Grades are the official ones, on the Department of Forests' scale from 1 (easiest) to 3 (hardest). The two long trails are in the Troodos National Forest Park. Where visitcyprus.com and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's 2026 trail map differ, we give both.

Kannoures – Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis: down the Karkotis valley

Start

On the Karvounas – Troodos Square road, 1 km before Troodos Square and 9.5 km from Karvounas

Finish

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis church, or Kakopetria: from the church, about 3 km along the asphalt Pedoulas – Kakopetria road

Path

Graded 3, "quite a difficult downhill route"

The trail starts at the source of the Karkotis river and follows its valley down, passing near a closed chrome mine, to the church. Golden oak, a tree found only in Cyprus, grows along the way. visitcyprus.com gives 9 km and 3 hours to the church (12 km and 4 hours to the village); the 2026 map gives 9.5 km and 4 hours (12.5 km and 5 hours). Plan for the longer times. The last stretch to the village is on the road: walk facing the traffic.

Mnimata Piskopon: along the cliff edge

Start

On the road to the Kampos tou Livadiou picnic site, off the Troodos – Karvounas road; the picnic site has drinking water

Finish

The Platania – Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis forest road, from where three routes lead to the church, to Kakopetria or to the Platania forest station

Path

Graded 3: level at the start, then downhill for the rest

The first kilometre is shared with the Kampos tou Livadiou trail. The path then follows the edge of a cliff through black pine, with views towards the Solea valley, Morfou Bay and the top of Chionistra. Below about 1,400 m the black pine and foetid juniper give way to Calabrian pine. The whole trail is in the Troodos National Forest Park, a Natura 2000 area.

Shorter walks

Kampos tou Livadiou is a 3 km loop from the picnic site of the same name, graded 1–2. It runs near a cliff edge with views over the Solea valley and Morfou Bay, through black pine and past many century-old black pines and junipers, with rocks of geological interest along the way.

Archangelos – Mylos tis Rodous, in Galata, is a 1 km walk of 15–20 minutes, graded 1, from Archangelos church beside the Klarios river to the old buildings of the Rodous mill. Panagia Podithou, one of the UNESCO-listed churches, is 200 m from Archangelos church. This trail is outside the state forest: the Department of Forests maintains only trails inside state forests and refers walkers to the local authorities for the others.

Before you go

• Plan the way back before you start. Both long trails are one way and downhill: leave a second car at the bottom, or arrange a lift.
• Long descents are tiring. Wear non-slip shoes and give yourself the longer of the times above.
• Carry water. We found no drinking water listed on the long trails, except at the Kampos tou Livadiou picnic site near the Mnimata Piskopon start.
• Check the weather. The Department of Forests warns that Troodos can have high winds, storms and lightning; don't walk in them.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to finish, and stay on the trail.
• Never light a fire, and avoid smoking: the fire risk in the forest is extremely high. If you see smoke or fire, call 1407.
• Leave plants, rocks and wildlife alone. The Cyprus viper is among the reptiles listed for these trails: watch where you put your hands and feet, and leave snakes alone.

We found no official best season for the two long trails. Both start high in the forest near Troodos, at about 1,650–1,720 m. For its Artemis, Atalanti and Kalidonia trails around Troodos Square, the Department of Forests gives March to November as the best period, and in winter the summit area above becomes a ski centre. In winter, check conditions with the Troodos Forest Division (22 608512) before you set out.

For the church, dress and behave as you would in any working church: it is a place of worship as well as a World Heritage site.

Sources

All read on 14 October 2026. Where sources disagree, we give both figures or say "about".

1. Kakopetria village, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
2. Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis Church, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
3. Painted Churches in the Troodos Region, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
4. Kannoures – Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (Linear), Troodos Forest Nature Trail, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
5. Mnimata Piskopon (Linear), Troodos Forest Nature Trail, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
6. Kampos tou Livadiou (Circular), Troodos Forest Nature Trail, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
7. Cyprus Nature Trails map (PDF, 2026), Deputy Ministry of Tourism
8. Nature trails (difficulty scale; Archangelos – Mylos tis Rodous trail), Department of Forests
9. Nature trails in the Troodos Forest Division (leaflets, 2025: best period, weather and forest rules), Department of Forests