Pano Panagia to Kykkos trail: A daring challenge for strong hikers

Description

A trail rarely done by hikers due to its remote location and long distance. The Pano Panagia to Kykkos trail traverses the uniquely beautiful Paphos forest from one end to another. The route is magnificent as it goes through untouched and unspoiled areas providing unparalleled views.

This trail variation starts from the Monashilaka picnic area and goes up to Kykkos Monastery. The trail starts with a gravel road of almost 6km, then alternates to a beautiful trail with a decent and mild elevation. A linear trail of 22 km in one way with almost 1050 meters of elevation gain. The trail is of course categorized as difficult and the estimated hike duration is between 7 to 8 hours.

The actual trailhead is at Chrysorogiatissa Monastery and the total distance is 28 km done in one way, which increases the difficulty even more.

Viewpoints

I will break down the trail in 5 sections, describing the route of each part and the views they offer:

Section 1: The trail begins with a gravel road for almost 6 km, reaching the locality of Exarchis (the locality is sign posted). The trail path is found around 50 meters after the locality sign following the E.4 gravel road. The entrance of the trail is found on your ride side.

The gravel road is of neutral interest but it offers continuous panoramic views of the nearby mountains and the forest.

Section 2: This section is absolutely beautiful. We are now into an actual trail and it alternates from shade to exposure to the sun a few times. It has a mild difficulty with a total length of 2.5 km

Section 3: At around 8.3km in total we enter again to the gravel road, which is actually part of E.4. At some point it passes from a bridge with lush greenery and a running stream. This distance is estimated to be ~900 meters.

Section 3a: After ~900 meters you will notice a sign of not allowing bicycles and bikes on your left side. The turning sign has disappeared for some reason. So be on alert as the trail is a bit hidden. Following the trail will take you to the next cross point, which reaches the road again of E4.

Section 3b: Now if you missed the turn of the trail path, just keep going and there are signs for the gravel road towards Kykkos. The gravel road is part of the official E.4 trail and goes on for about 5 km until the next trail path sign appears on your right side.

Section 4: From this point forward, a continuous uphill begins for the next ~7km. If you choose the trail on section 3a you will have to return back for a few meters(10-20) as the trail continuation of section 4 is before the exit point of section 3a. If you choose the gravel road you will see the trail on your right side.

The trail offers magnificent views and alternates terrain from lush greenery scenes to rocky uphills.

Section 5: The final downhill of about 1 km and the end of this trek. At this point the trail widens and enters a gravel road, with a specific section having a rocky terrain that needs additional effort and attention. The view again through this part and at the end is simply magical.

Starting points

There are two options for starting this trail depending on the difficulty you would like to choose.

The variation, which starts from the Monashilaka picnic area, follows a gravel road for about 6 km and then enters the actual trail.
The actual trail, with the trailhead being opposite the Chrysorogiatissa Monastery.

In this article, I am going to describe the variation. However, both GPS locations will be available on the trail information table.

Personal comments

The trail is absolutely worth the hike. It is secluded and gorgeous!! It requires 7-8 hours in one way hence you will need to do your calculations to avoid staying on the trail after it gets dark.

Even though the gravel road is part of the E.4, the trail is much prettier. The trail path is an ancient trail, where part of it was restored in 2019-2020.

In order to do it one way you will need at least two cars. One at Kykkos Monastery and another one at Monashilaka picnic area. The drive between Kykkos – Gkremos tis Pellis – Panayia is around 50 minutes.

Pano Panagia to Kykkos trail information table

Description
Starting points	Variation – Monashilaka picnic area: 34.92627, 32.64781 (link) Actual trail – Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery: 34.9099, 32.61863 (link)
Ending point	Kykkos Monastery: 34.97766, 32.74302 (link)
Distance	Variation: 22.10 km \| Actual trail: 28 km (one way)
Difficulty (1 – easy, 2 – moderate, 3 – difficult)	3
Trail type	Linear
ETA finish time	7-8 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss	1060 metres (one way)
Maximum Altitude	1198 metres