Mount Papoutsa
The exam asked which mountain range it belongs to
The story
Papoutsa is a Troodos summit 1,554 meters high in the Pitsilia mountain area, between the villages of Agros and Palaichori, near the border of Nicosia and Limassol districts. Together with neighboring Madari, at 1,613 meters, it gave its name to a Natura 2000 zone, part of the Europe-wide network of protected nature. The zone was set aside for nesting birds, among them Bonelli’s eagle, the Cyprus wheatear and the Cyprus warbler. The mountain is made of rocks of the Troodos ophiolite, a piece of ancient ocean crust lifted onto land. According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Serrachis river rises at Papoutsa. The Palaichori village website says that hideouts of EOKA fighters from the 1955 to 1959 struggle have been restored in this area.
Papoutsa is a summit of Troodos, not of the northern Pentadaktylos range. On the July 2026 exam, candidates were asked which summit is not part of Pentadaktylos: Papoutsa, Kantara, Kyparissovouno or Agios Ilarionas; the correct answer is Papoutsa.
Visiting
Drive along the E903 between Agros and Palaichori to the pass by the mountain. From there, walk steeply uphill on a trail: in a straight line, the summit is just under a kilometer away. The summit is part of a protected Natura 2000 zone.
Sources
- Υπηρεσία Θήρας και Πανίδας — Διαχειριστικό Σχέδιο ΖΕΠ «Βουνοκορφές Μαδαρής–Παπούτσας» (CY2000015), 2016
- Cyprus Mail — exam question on the Pentadaktylos summits (article of July 19, 2026)
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism — Palaichori village (Serrachis springs from Papoutsa)
- Palaichori Morphou — Nature trails (Papoutsa, EOKA hideouts)
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