Akamas nature trails: Aphrodite, Adonis and Smigies

Where you are

The trails are in the Akamas National Forest Park, on the peninsula at the western tip of Cyprus, in the Paphos (Pafos) district. It was declared a national forest park on 17 June 2016, covers 7,662 hectares, and is part of the EU's Natura 2000 network. The Akamas forests are state forests under the Department of Forests' Paphos division.

The Department lists six nature trails in the park: Adonis, Aphrodite, Pissouromoutti and Smigies in the Akamas forest, Avakas Gorge in the Pegeia forest, and Agiasma near Kathikas. This guide covers the four in the Akamas forest. All four are loops.

The trails side by side

Grades are the official ones, on the Department of Forests' scale from 1 (easiest) to 3 (hardest). Lengths, times and heights are from visitcyprus.com and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's 2026 trail map; where they differ, we give both.

Aphrodite: up to Sotira Top and back

Start and finish

The Baths of Aphrodite (Loutra tis Afroditis), about 11 km west of Polis on a paved road; car park and café at the Baths

Path

The first 2.5 km, shared with Adonis, climb on rocky ground to the ruins of Pyrgos tis Rigainas, about an hour's walk

Grade

3 on visitcyprus.com and the 2026 map; an older Deputy Ministry text gives 2. Plan for 3

From the Baths the path climbs to Pyrgos tis Rigainas (the Queen's Tower), ruins believed to belong to a medieval monastery, with an oak about 500 years old beside them. From there Aphrodite turns north-west, climbs to Sotira Top, then comes down to a forest road that leads back to the start. The views reach Cape Arnaoutis, Polis and the Paphos forest, and near the end you look down on the Baths and the island of Agios Georgios. There are two fountains, one near the ruins and one between the Baths and Kakoskali, but both are marked non-potable: carry all the water you need.

Adonis: the loop by Kefalovrysia

Start and finish

At the Baths of Aphrodite; the last 400 m or so of the loop follow the main road between the Baths and Polis

Path

The same 2.5 km climb to Pyrgos tis Rigainas, then south-east through Kefalovrysia and back down to the Baths

Grade

3

Adonis shares its first climb with Aphrodite, then turns south-east. At Kefalovrysia it meets the Smigies trail, and there is a fountain marked non-potable. The views are over Polis, the Paphos forest and the peninsula. On the stretch of main road at the end, walk facing the traffic. The Botanical Garden of Akamas is at the start of both trails.

Smigies and Pissouromoutti: from the picnic site

Start and finish

The Smigies picnic site, reached from the village of Neo Chorio (visitcyprus.com gives 2.5 km from the village, an older Forestry leaflet 5 km)

Routes

Smigies short 2.5 km or long 6 km; Pissouromoutti 3 km. The Department of Forests' 2007 leaflet gives the long Smigies route as 7.5 km and 3 hours: plan for the longer figure

Grade

2

Both Smigies routes pass the Department of Forests' fire lookout station on the Piana ridge. At first the views are west over the Akamas coast, including Lara Bay; later they turn east over Chrysochou Bay towards Latsi, Polis and the Paphos forest. The long route passes old mines, a magnesium works and abandoned kilns, goes through a dense part of the forest, and meets the Adonis trail at Kefalovrysia. Pissouromoutti is a 3 km loop from the same picnic site, up and down around a hill, partly shaded by pine forest, with hilltop views over both coasts.

The Baths of Aphrodite

All the Baths trails start at a spring on the eastern slope of Akamas where, in local legend, Aphrodite bathed and first met Adonis. A paved path of about 200 m leads from the car park through a small garden of labelled local plants to a limestone grotto. Water drips from the rock into a pond about 5 m across and 1 m deep at its deepest, in permanent shade. You are not allowed to swim in it, and the Forestry leaflet says the water is not for drinking.

The Blue Lagoon: boat or dirt road

The Blue Lagoon, on the Akamas coast, is a sheltered spot many people visit to swim and snorkel. There are two ways in, and they are very different:

• By boat. Trips leave from Latchi harbour in the warmer months.
• By road. The tracks that lead towards the Blue Lagoon and Fontana Amorosa are rough and unpaved. One of them is the forest road from the Baths of Aphrodite to Fontana Amorosa, above the sea. In April 2026 the Audit Office described it as riddled with potholes and stones beside steep cliffs, called it particularly dangerous, and said vehicles of every kind, including small cars not fit for the terrain, use it without any control. The Department of Forests closed it for repairs in October 2024 because of frequent accidents.

The agriculture ministry says it plans controlled access, a visitor transport system and a reorganised road network for the park. On 14 October 2026 we found no official rule in force limiting which vehicles may use the road. What this means for you: if you are not sure of your vehicle or your driving on a narrow cliff track, take the boat. Check your hire agreement too: Cyprus Mail's visitor guide notes that many rental companies prohibit driving standard cars on unsealed roads. The same guide calls the walk there a demanding hike.

Turtle beaches: Lara and Toxeftra

On the south-west coast of the peninsula, the beaches of Lara and Toxeftra are where green and loggerhead turtles lay their eggs. The area is a protected reserve. From the start of June to the end of September, umbrellas, sunbeds and tents are prohibited and you may not stay on the beach at night; all year, driving onto the beach, lighting fires, causing pollution and collecting sand crabs are prohibited. Keep well clear of marked nests.

Before you go

• Carry all the water you need. The fountains on these trails are marked non-potable, and facilities inside the park are limited.
• From May to October, start early or late in the day and keep out of the midday heat; take a hat and sun cream.
• Wear proper walking shoes: the first stretch from the Baths climbs on rocky ground.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back; mobile reception can be patchy in remote parts of the peninsula.
• Stay on the trail. No bicycles or motorbikes on the trails.
• Never light a fire in or near the forest, and avoid smoking or eating while you walk. If you see smoke or fire, call 1407.
• Don't cut plants or disturb wildlife. The Cyprus viper is among the reptiles listed for these trails: watch where you put your hands and feet, and leave snakes alone.
• Take your litter home.

We found no official best season for these four trails. Cyprus Mail's visitor guide suggests spring and autumn, when walking is cooler; in spring the hillsides are in flower. For questions, call the Akamas forest station on 26 332322.

Sources

All read on 14 October 2026. Where sources disagree, we give both figures or say "about".

1. Aphrodite (Circular), Akamas Forest Nature Trail, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
2. Adonis (Circular), Akamas, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
3. Smigies (Circular), Akamas Forest Nature Trail, Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
4. Cyprus Nature Trails map (PDF, 2026), Deputy Ministry of Tourism
5. Avakas Gorge (Linear), Akamas Forest (Temporarily closed), Deputy Ministry of Tourism, visitcyprus.com
6. Εθνικά Δασικά Πάρκα (National Forest Parks, in Greek), Department of Forests
7. Nature trails in the Paphos forest district (leaflets: Adonis and Aphrodite, 2007; Smigies, 2007), Department of Forests
8. National forest parks and forests (leaflet: Akamas Peninsula, a unique region of Cyprus, 2008), Department of Forests
9. Nature trails (difficulty scale; Agiasma trail), Department of Forests
10. Baths of Aphrodite (PDF), Deputy Ministry of Tourism
11. Baths of Aphrodite, Lonely Planet (distance from Polis, path, no swimming)
12. Avakas Gorge Trail Remains Closed, Forestry Department Announces, Politis, 30 March 2026
13. Avakas Gorge Remains Closed as Visitors Continue to Ignore Warnings, Politis, 6 May 2026
14. Audit Office flags unsafe roads, uncontrolled access in Akamas, Cyprus Mail, 21 April 2026
15. Safe Akamas roads essential for life and environment, Cyprus Mail, 22 April 2026
16. Akamas road from Baths of Aphrodite to close, Cyprus Mail, 11 October 2024
17. Akamas National Park: a visitor's guide, Cyprus Mail, 18 July 2026
18. Bathers flout Lara beach turtle nesting rules, Cyprus Mail, 19 August 2026