on the left. Iron arrows occasionally indicate the clearly visible path. Zigzag steeply downhill between wild thyme and thorny bushes for about 40min, and when you reach the dirt road turn right, towards ‘Aphrodite Bath’. This road also has E4 signs.
Walk for about 20min on the dirt road with views to the rugged coastline and the hillside. Soon after you spot the caravans in the campsite, turn right where the sign shows ‘Aphrodite Bath’ and walk back to the pool and then to the car park.
WALK 2
Adonis Trail, Akamas Peninsula
| Start/Finish | Bath of Aphrodite (N35.05610, E32.34589) |
| Distance | 7.5km (4½ miles) |
| Ascent/Descent | 400m/400m |
| Grade | 1 |
| Time | 2hr 30min |
| Refreshments | Restaurant and bar at start point |
| Access | Road signs are easy to follow from Paphos and Polis. Regular buses from Polis. Parking available. |
The second best-known nature trail on the Akamas Peninsula runs along with the Aphrodite Trail for the first 2.5km – until the Pyrgos tis Rigainas.
A short section of the trail follows a forest track and then it runs on juniper and pine-covered hillsides, dotted with white limestones with remarkable views to the surrounding hills and the sea around the peninsula. During the second part of the walk you pass striking rock walls in a dry streambed, and the descent at the end gives grand views to Chrysochou Bay. Spring is probably the best time to enjoy this trail, when the hillside is carpeted with colourful wildflowers.
From the car park, go through the gate and follow the paved path to the Bath of Aphrodite, where a sign confirms that ‘the Goddess of love and beauty used to bathe in the small pool of this natural grotto’.
A path marked ‘Nature Trail’ continues from the pool. Shortly the paved path ends; exit through a gate and a few metres later keep left as the ‘Aphrodite and Adonis Trail’ sign indicates. (For the first 2.5km the two trails runs together.) Follow the stony path uphill with occasional glimpses of the sea. Ignore a narrow path on the right and keep to the well-trodden path. Soon this bends away from the sea and the view is dominated by white limestones and pine-dotted hillsides.
The path levels out around the 1km mark, but a few hundreds metres later it crawls uphill again and you walk on giant limestones before reaching a steeper section with steps. There are some views to the sea and the path first levels out and then climbs uphill for a while after the 2km mark. Ahead in the distance is the peak of Moutti tis Sotiras, but the path bends away from it and about 50mins after starting the walk you arrive at a junction with a giant oak tree, a fountain and the ruins of Pyrgos tis Rigainas (Tower of the Queen). The trail splits here; the Adonis Trail continues to the left and Aphrodite Trail to the right.
ADONIS
Adonis – the god of beauty and desire – was born to Myrrha and King Cinyras of Cyprus. Aphrodite and Persephone both wanted to have him, and when Zeus announced that he could spend one third of the year with Aphrodite, the second third with Persephone and he could choose who to spend the rest of the year with, he chose Aphrodite. Adonis died after being attacked by a wild boar, believed to have been sent by one of the jealous gods. He died in Aphrodite’s arms and anemones grow where his blood is said to have fallen.
Take the path on the left, marked ‘Adonis Nature Trail’ and ‘E4’. The well-trodden path gently crawls uphill between bushes and juniper trees. About 20min later it crosses an overgrown track and shortly joins a forest track with a green arrow. A few metres later an E4 sign can be spotted, marking the direction of the Adonis trail. Follow the forest track downhill and leave it to the left where the green arrow and a battered E4 sign indicate. Approximately 1hr 20min into the walk you’ll arrive at the forest junction of Kefalovrisia.
The forest track leading to Kefalovrisia
Turn left on the path marked ‘Adonis Trail’. Walk alongside a dry streambed with rocks towering above on the left; in front, like a well-designed postcard, a green meadow stretches out with the blue sea in the background. The rough path, with a water pipe in the middle, runs steeply downhill and when it becomes smoother you can enjoy the views without the worry of tripping over stones. Occasional green arrows and E4 signs mark the way.
The path widens and levels out, and soon the Adonis Trail leaves the wide track to the right. (There is no arrow to mark this fork, but a little green nature trail label keeps you on the right path.) You soon reach a viewpoint, from where you go steeply downhill. Ignore two consecutive dirt roads joining from the left. Shortly after the second of these, leave the track slightly to the left on the bend as the green arrow indicates. Before long there is another steep descent and you can spot the car park and restaurant near the Bath of Aphrodite, where the walk began. The path runs alongside a fence before it reaches the road; turn left on the tarmac road and walk back to the car park, which is 5–10min away.
WALK 3A
Smigies Nature Trail
| Start/Finish | Smigies picnic site (N35.02352, E32.33367) |
| Distance | 6.5km (4 miles) |
| Ascent/Descent | 180m/180m |
| Grade | 1 |
| Time | 2hr |
| Refreshments | None |
| Access | Follow the Elia Tavrou road into and through Neo Chorio village. The tarmac road turns into dirt track and leads to Smigies picnic site, where there is space to park. |
Two nature trails – which could easily be tackled one after another – start from the popular Smigies picnic site. As on many nature trails, plants and flowers are labelled along the way, but the waymarks are not always consistent.
This route follows a footpath which occasionally meets and runs along a dirt road for a while. In the spring, rock roses and wildflowers colour the hillside of Pissouromoutti. It might not be a challenging walk but remarkable views welcome you on Pissouromoutti. Most of the walk is exposed without much shade.
Start at the Smigies picnic site by the information board showing a map of the circular walk and take the stony path that winds uphill behind the board. The landscape is dominated by Pissouromoutti’s rocky top on the left. There is no shade on the hillside and it can get very hot on a sunny day.
About 15min after leaving the picnic site you arrive at a viewpoint, from where there is a clear view towards the sea. (If you observe the rugged coastline carefully, you may spot some sea coves.) On the right at the top of the rocky hill is the Piana fire lookout station building. Continue on the path and soon reach a dirt road; keep left, as the green arrow indicates, and follow this slightly downhill (the right fork goes up to the
