Aphrodite Greek Goddess of Love & Beauty played in the Akamas Peninsula on the west coast of Cyprus long before tourists knew of this magical island in the sun.
The mythical goddess Aphrodite chose this area as her birthplace. You can swim, cycle, walk and explore this very beautiful area of the island just as she once did.
The Akamas is one of the last remaining natural areas on the island protected by UNESCO. A favorite of those who love walking holidays as they can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery.
The area has been included in the European Council’s Mediterranean protection program. At the moment many are campaigning for this lovely area to be declared a National Park. During spring the area is ablaze with flowers.
The scent of anemones and famous orchids and jasmine are heavy in the air. There are forty-five orchid species on the island including the rare Ophrys Kotschi. Lovely butterflies including the Glaucopsyche Pafos which as the name suggests, is the symbol of the region.
This beautiful area is known as Aphrodite territory. In ancient times it was the playground of the beautiful mythical goddess.
You can almost feel her presence amid the scent of flora, the rustle of leaves and lush valleys with ancient tracks which she and her lovers once took.
These tracks are very popular and will help you discover the natural beauty of the Akamas Peninsula.
The most popular trails are the Aphrodite Trail and Adonis Trail. Both start at the Baths of Aphrodite and take approximately 3 hours.
Other trails to take are Smigies Trail which starts at Smigies Picnic Site, Pissouromouttis Trail also from the picnic site and Kathikas Trail from Kathika onto Pegeia.
To reach the area by bus you can take a bus from Paphos to Polis or via the little village of Agios Georgios.
The Baths of Aphrodite and Lara Bay are the most westerly point of the island and contains many hundreds of plant species, bird species, mamals and reptiles.
To visit the Baths of Aphrodite you drive along the north coast, passing Polis and Latchi harbor.
For plant lovers there’s also a booklet entitled Nature Trails of the Akamas which describes all the plants along the trails. The booklet is available from the Tourist Organisation (CTO).
You don’t have to explore the Akamas on foot as you can always take a boat tour along the lovely Akamas coast from Latsi (Latchi).
Lara Bay is situated on a stretch of coastline in the Akamas Peninsula (also known as turtle beach).
A turtle sanctuary and important turtle breeding site home to two endangered turtle species which are the green turtle and hawks-bill turtle.
