Episkopi Pafos

The "Atsoupopetra" or "Atsoupas stone" and the giant rock!

Episkopi is a traditional village in the province of Pafos,11 kilometres northeast of the city of Pafos. The village is built on the west bank of the river Ezousa, at an altitude of 190 meters.

The village was known by the same name from the Frankish era because during the days of King James II (1460-1473) the Orthodox Episcope of Pafos had his base in the village after its transfer from Polis Chrysochous.

In Episkopi the first thing you will notice as you enter the village is the giant rock, towering above it, giving it the feel of a majestic and imposing landscape. It has a maximum height of 70 m and a length of 250 m making it the largest monolithic of Cyprus.

On the bank of the river in Episkopi, opposite the village, are the remains of a small monastery dedicated to the Holy Cross, built during the stay of the famous Ilarion in Episkopi. Underneath the village and in the riverbed is the massive "atsoupopetra" or "stone of Atsoupas", that according to local tradition Saint Ilarion threw this rock at a demon.

The Episkopi community connects with the Kallepia community by with the Kallepia-Episkopi Nature Trail. The trail is approximately 8 km long. The path also passes through the abandoned Turkish Cypriot village of "Moronero" (there is no road to connect the village with the outside world), there you will find the ruins of the church (monument) of Agiou Gennadiou.

In the village you can also visit the Episkopis Environmental Information Centre of Pafos. The Centre is housed in the old elementary school of the village which has been properly designed under the European Rural Development Program 2007-2013. The Centre aims to highlight and promote the ecological value of the Ezousa Valley, to protect the ecological and cultural features of the area and to promote the region's sustainable development.