Starts: The main road of Karvounas – Troodos Square, 1km before Troodos, 9.5km from Karvounas. The trail can either end at the Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis Church or continue until Kakopetria village.
Length: 9km (12km until Kakopetria)
Estimated duration: 3 hours (4 hours until Kakopetria)
Difficulty rate: 3
Quite a difficult downhill route.
Points of interest: Forest scenery. The trail begins at the source of the Karkotis river and crosses through the river’s beautiful valley, passing near the closed chrome mine and ending in Kakopetria. On the way, you can visit the Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis church (12th century) that boasts exquisite frescoes; it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the church, if you follow the Pedoulas – Kakopetria road for about 3km you will end up in Kakopetria. The trail is located within the Troodos National Forest Park.
Endemic plants: Shrubby knapweed (Ptilostemon chamaepeuce var. cyprius), Golden oak (Quercus alnifolia), Tears of the Virgin Mary (Arabis purpurea), ‘Manouthkia’ (Pterocephalus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus), Thyme (Thymus integer).
Fauna: The main species of fauna found in the area are:
Mammals: Fox, hare, hedgehog
Birds: Bonelli’s eagle, Eurasian jay, Wood pigeon, partridge, Cyprus warbler (endemic), Cyprus wheatear (endemic)
Reptiles: Cyprus viper, Cyprus lizard, Black whip snake, Montpellier snake
COORDINATES OF STARTING POINTÂ 489684 / 3865479
COORDINATES OF END POINTÂ 489542 / 3870586
ALTITUTE OF Â STARTING POINTÂ 1654m
ALTITUTE OF HIGHEST PEAKÂ 1654m
ALTITUTE OF END PEAKÂ 872m
