
11.5 km - The Beauty and the Monolith
Ezousa valley is found on the south west part of Troodos mountain range and extends for nearly fifty km. It is dotted by a number of picturesque villages and boasts medieval chapels, breathtaking views, local wineries, a high-altitude, large manmade lake, rich avian biodiversity, abandoned villages, watermills and more.
The walking route that we present here starts at the traditional stone-built Episkopi village, whose landmark is described as 'the biggest Μonolith on the island'. There's also a very good Environmental Information Center in the village as well as ruins of a medieval church (St. Hilarion). The walking route is rather easy as the elevation range is just 200 m. The length of the walk is 11 -13 km (depending on the starting and finishing points at the villages). The walk is in the open valley and passes (briefly) through the small Ammati alder forest. Walkers may cross the Ezousa river and get a bit wet/muddy.
The route passes by watermills in the valley and relatively near the abandoned Moronero Turkish Cypriot village (walkers may spot the partly restored Agios Gennadios chapel on the way). Near Choulou walkers pass by the medieval Agios Georgios chapel (it still has some frescoes). Choulou was a feudal estate during Frankish rule and home to Arodafnousa, a medieval beauty in a love/hate drama of the time. The cultural heritage of the village besides Byzantine also includes Latin and Muslim elements (there was a Turkish Cypriot minority living here until 1963).The walk is around 12 km long and we suggest that upon finishing walkers go for a meal at a traditional village restaurant. Logistics need some attention as going back to the start by public or private transportation is not straight forward.