Μουτουλλάς - Προφήτης Ηλίας - Πεδουλάς (Κυκλική) / Moutoullas - Profitis Ilias - Pedoulas (Circular)

This super-trail is the final one in a series for super trails presented in this account which cover almost the entire area of the delightful Marathasa Valley (from Kalopanagiotis to Tzelefos Bridge).

This particular one covers the area which lies on the east side of the Setrachos river between the famous medieval villages of Pedoulas and Moutoullas. Its design is predominantly based on the use of forest / dirt roads, but it does include the local internal trails of both villages (although the Pedoulas trail is in dire straits and requires ATTENTION, please read later).

The trail starts from, and finishes at one of the famous UNESCO Heritage Churches of Cyprus, the typically Troodos-style wooden-roofed Panagia Moutoulla, at Moutoullas. The church was built in 1280. Ioannis Moutoullas was the donor, and probably the one from whom the village got its name. The church is not open, but you can call (on specific times) and they will it open it up for you so that you can enjoy its famous frescos.

The initial descend towards the village of Moutoullas will progressively take you through all the churches in the village (Agia Paraskevi, Αgios Mamas, and Metamorphosi tou Sotiros), the two latter ones being very old and wooden-roofed as well. You can have your first rest and enjoy a break at the very nice area of Metamorphosi, which is quite coll even in the summer.

The second 'stage' of the trail starts at this point. It's a progressive ascend using the forest road towards the small chapel of Profitis Ilias, at the top of the mountain which dominates the east side of the Marathasa valley scenery over Moutoullas and Kalopanagiotis. The ascend is not steep but it is considerable. Large sections of it are not shaded. However, and it is VERY enjoyable during spring time, as there are so many wildflowers for your viewing pleasure! Numerous Calicotome villosa plants provide a constant marvelous scent to accompany your ascend. Also, the road hangs above the valley of the Marathos river providing a grandiose views towards the north.

The last 1.5 km before you reach the chapel can be demanding, but you will be compensated by the SUPERB views around the are once you reach the edge of the mountain ridge where Profitis Ilias is situated. It is a relatively new chapel, which has been built on the remains of an ancient church.

Once you enjoy the views and take enough photos, you can return back from the same road. Obviously, if you are not interested in a lengthy trail, you can go directly back to Moutoullas. It will still be a very enjoyable adventure. If you are up for it, you can continue going up the Marathos valley and head towards the once important medieval village of Marathos, of which no trail currently exists. The whole area is now dominated by numerous plantation of fruit trees (mostly cherries), which provide a unique spectacle during their blooming period.

After you cross the Marathos stream, you start your ascend towards the forest road which connects the Marathos pick-nick area with the village of Pedoulas. I have discussed this specific trail here:

You turn left at the junction and you head towards Pedoulas using the forest road which becomes progressively wider. At point you cross a number of small streams and you enter the village. Once you reach the area of 'Vrysin', you have two options. The easiest (and SAFER) is to use the internal paved roads of the village to visit all the churches that I will mention in a minute. The other option is to follow the local Pedoulas trail. In the previous link I have made the discussion that this trail was very neglected and potentially dangerous at some point (November 2021). In April 2022 the situation was much worse. Very narrow at some points, with overgrown vegetation, and a specific part that was borderline dangerous (due to slippery rocks) at km, just before you reach the road which leads to the church of Panagia Vorini. It is certainly exciting, but I do not recommend it for regular hikers. I don't know if it's worth it.

In any case, if you take the latter path that I followed, and you negotiate these small parts, you will reach Panagia Vorini and enjoy its fantastic shade and the overall scenery. Pedoulas is the village of water. It flows from everywhere, even in the late autumn, after the long dry summer period. You will enjoy some particularly beautiful views and sounds once you resume the trail and head towards the main village.

The suggested trail visits successively the 100-years old Poumi fountain of and the cemetery church of Agios Georgios, before visiting the 2nd UNESCO Heritage Church of its path, the famous wooden-roofed Arhaggelos Mihail of Pedoulas. A fantastic church, built in 1474 with frescos created by the local artist Minas. It is almost always open during daytime, so it's really worth the visit. The trail then takes you towards the centre of the village and you progressively visit the other ancient wooden-roofed churches of Agia Marina and Agia Paraskevi (both open when I visited).

After Agia Paraskevi you can start your descend towards Moutoullas.

More description to follow.