Akamas Peninsula Hiking whilst on Holiday in Cyprus.

Cyprus's Aphrodite Trail, Smigies Trail and Adonis Trail Walking Guides.

Walks Guides with lots of descriptive photos to go with the details/instructions about walking and hiking out on several of Cyprus's justifiably famous Trails - The Aphrodite Trail, The Smigies Trail and The Adonis Trail which are all located around the Akamas Peninsula area of Cyprus. The walks are taken from our holiday in Cyprus in Autumn 2005. The area covered is Cyprus's Akamas Peninsula and includes circular walks near Lara Beach, Avakas gorge and from the Baths of Aphrodite.

All the Cyprus Walks described on this page are circulars - generally speaking we think you do need a hire-car to get to the start points in order to have enough time to enjoy the fairly long and in some cases quite difficult/strenuous walks and then still be able to get some time in one one of Cyprus's nice beaches when the walk is finished..

Cyprus Walks on this Page.

 

Akamas Peninsula. This fairly strenuous walk is mostly on tracks and starts at the Baths of Aphrodite car park. We consider it to be strenuous because of the length to be walked as well as the long steep climb and descent - underfoot the surface is often very rocky and also can be slippery due to the scree. In our view should really be walked in decent boots rather than flip-flops or light footwear - and do remember to take plenty of water since there are no facilities on the entire walk.

From the car park pass the kiosk on the left - the tarmac surface soon becomes a very dusty dirt road - this climbs slightly to start with then twists left by a sign "To Fontana Amorosa". Continue along now with a camp site on the right - stay on the track soon passing a sign which says "Do not enter - dangerous for cars" - the track hugs the coast and there are some really good views to the sea below. Simply stay on the track as it undulates along next to the coastline - around 1.5 km from the start you pass a spring - there are also view points and some seats provided along here. The track drops down closer to the shoreline and levels out - you can see various coves and beaches which are well worth a visit by just diverting off the main track.

Around 6.5km from the start you come to a big track junction - go right to shortly reach the Fontana Amorosa (the fountain of love) - this is singularly unimpressive - there is just a sign and in the ground a covered shaft about the size of a manhole cover. However there is an excellent view of the Bay itself which makes up for the love bit. Continue following the track staying close to the sea - there is a military danger sign telling you not to pick up guided missiles etc. - keep going along as near to the sea as possible. You again pass several sandy/stony bays and also a heap of brown rust which is apparently a ship-wreck. The area really opens out and it is worthwhile diverting to look at the shoreline - the dark brooding rocks of Cape Akamas (Arnaoutis) are ahead of you - just keep going to finally arrive at the cliff edge (about 9km from the start).

Continue the walk by rejoining the original inbound track but soon at a track fork take the right hand track - this shrub lined track heads slightly more inland but eventually rejoins the outgoing track just before reaching Fontana Amorosa. Continue past the "love fountain" to soon reach the large track junction. Here take the track heading directly inland - this is signposted "To Neo Chorio" and immediately starts climbing up into the hills - passing a large goat station on the right as it does so. The surface is quite poor underfoot - extremely dusty and is very loose.
Just as you think you have maybe finished climbing you have to descend a little and then start climbing up again. Keep climbing to finally reach the top - this is a dusty climb of around 2km in all with a height gain of around 200 metres - and quite exhausting especially in hot weather.

At the track junction turn left along a now red coloured surface - the track continues to climb (another 100 metres of climbing yet...) along the ridge - there are great views of the coast on the left and you can see Moutti tis Sotiras looming ahead. Stay on the track until it reaches the top of the ridge - about 1.7kms - and at the junction turn left onto a track marked "Pyrgos tis Rigainas"

Now descending at last - keep right at the next track junction and then bear right again at another junction - now following the yellow arrows of the Aphrodite's Trail. You soon come to a clearing dominated by a huge oak tree - the Pyrgos tis Rigainas abbey ruins are on the right. There are seats around the tree and also a spring nearbye.
From here leave the clearing on the left taking the marked Aphrodite's Trail. The path bends slightly to the left and then hooks sharply to the right and then starts to descend. The path is quite difficult to walk on in places since it is quite rock strewn and also slippery with scree in places.
Eventually the path widens and becomes more level and you can see the way ahead for quite some distance.Continue along now with lots of trees either side - around 2 KMs from the oak tree take a marked path on the left - this path winds round the hill and soon you get a view of the camp site (by a seat) - the path is quite rubbly underfoot and narrow - it dives back on a hook and you need to take a lot of care just here because the surface is really slippery and the path is virtually non-existant for a few metres - and also there is a quite nice drop below you.
After the hook the path ascends slightly - just at the top look out for a path down on the left - the path on the right is possible to use but not easy at all because of rocks and thorns. Continue down the zig zag to soon meet the original outbound track. Turn right and walk back to the car park.




Aphrodite-Smigies-Adonis Trails. Yet another walk starting from the car park at Cyprus's Baths of Aphrodite - this really is a good walking area with so many options available for making up circular walks. Actually we found the area around here to have much more hard climbing than we found in for instance the Troodos Mountains and again we believe that you need walking boots to be safe and confident on the often loose surfaced paths and tracks - particularly when descending.

There are a couple of springs on the walk which can be used at a push but do take plenty of water with you.

Leave the car park passing the kiosk on the left - the tarmac surface soon becomes a very dusty dirt road - this climbs slightly to start with then twists left by a sign indicating "To Fontana Amorosa". Continue along the track as it undulates mostly high above the coastline and initially a camp site on the right - stay on the track soon passing a sign which - truthfully- says "Do not enter - dangerous for cars" - the track hugs the coast and there are some really good views to the sea below. You reach a spring about 1.5 km from the car park and shortly after this take a marked path leaving on the left. This goes up to meet another path - turn right and now follow this initially quite wide path as it slowly wanders up the side of the hill. The path narrows and becomes quite rocky and needless to say now starts to climb considerably. Eventually the path has to go into zig zag mode as it climbs quite steeply up and under the imposing limestone cliffs of Moutti tis Sotiras. The path finally goes over some really large rocks and emerges by a view point and seat - continue on, now only gently climbing to an open area. Follow the signed path which takes you up to the top of Moutti tis Sotiras. Excellent views from up here but do watch the very brittle edges - the climb so far has been about 350 metres.

Return back to the signpost but now turn right and walk down the wide dirt track - near the bottom turn left on a marked trail (yellow arrow) and follow this to meet another track. Go left and then go right (i.e. stay on the main track) at the next junction to walk on down to a clearing by a ruined abbey (Pyrgos tis Rigainas) and a large old oak tree.

From the oak tree continue half right to pass to the right of the spring and take the marked Adonis Trail - this narrow and rocky surfaced path heads up hill - over a ridge and then drops down going through trees to then become a much wider forest track. The track bears to the left and reaches an open area with seats and another spring - this is around 1.4 KMs from the oak tree. Take the small path marked "Smigies Nature Trail" - this is a narrow path going through trees and takes you after about half a kilometre to a cross track - go straight on and you are now on Smigies trail. The path soon becomes a wide dirt track - just a little way along go and have a look at the old magnesium mine and then a little further on also on the left are several mine entrances to look into. Continue on the dirt track climbing steadily to finally reach a track junction.

Turn left and continue on this really wide dirt road for about 1.75kms (ignoring a track on the left and also a road which goes up to the fire lookout's post) to reach a dirt road junction - the limestone heights of Pissouromoutti ahead of you. Turn left and walk down the short distance to a really large picnic area - there are even toilets here plus several springs and loads of tables.

Go to the left of the picnic area and find a notice board indicating Smigies Nature Trail plus other information - do not go up this path - instead go right along a track heading towards the coast and with the toilet blocks on your right. The track is lined with fir trees for a while but then at a track junction where the main track goes off to the right keep straight on now heading towards more fir trees - the path soon narrows and then starts to climb. As the path gets steeper it becomes more stoney underfoot and continues on up to the top of a ridge. Just stay on this path as it then starts to slowly descend and eventually comes back out by the old magnesium mine - this is around 2.75 KMs from the picnic site. Turn right and follow the path back to the clearing and the Smigies Nature Trail signpost.

Turn right onto the dry river bed passing the spring on the left and stay heading down on this now very rock strewn and difficult to walk path/stream bed - this is now the Adonis Trail. Simply follow this as it heads down towards the coast - eventually reaching a viewpoint with great views of Chrysohou Bay. From here the path levels out and becomes a little wider and easier to walk on. Eventually the path becomes a wide dusty track and starts to descend very steeply towards the coast road in really vicious zig-zags - you need to take care since the surface is really slippery. Once at the coast road turn left and walk back along past the restaurant and into the car park and the original start point.

 

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