Monastery Trails
Fourteen trails lead to a monastery or set out from one — Kykkos, Machairas and Stavrovouni among them. Some are short climbs to a gate; two are day-long forest crossings from one monastery to another.
Where to start
- Stavrovouni — a 4.8 km loop with 326 m of climbing around the rocky peak that carries the 4th-century monastery. Agia Varvara – Stavrovouni is the direct way up: 2.2 km and 300 m.
- Kamilostrata (left) — 4.4 km, mostly downhill, on an old camel road that starts a couple of hundred metres from Kykkos Monastery.
- Machairas – Lazanias — 2.3 km from near Machairas Monastery to the village of Lazanias, short but rough underfoot.
- Stavros tou Agiasmati – Panagia tou Araka — 7.6 km between two painted churches on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Stavros tis Minthis — a 4.5 km valley loop near Paphos with a historic monastery on the way.
For strong hikers, Kykkos – Panagia – Chrysorrogiatissa crosses the Paphos Forest from Kykkos to Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery: 24 km, with more than 1,000 m of climbing.
Good to know
These are working monasteries. Cover shoulders and knees, expect a midday closure, and note that Stavrovouni admits men only — everyone can walk the trails and enjoy the view from the top.
The forest ones are cool: eight of the fourteen are in our Shady collection. Stavrovouni is the opposite, with more than eleven hours of direct sun in midsummer on both of its trails. For village churches and chapels, see the church trails.