The combination of the Aphrodite, Smigies and Adonis trails with the Moutti tis Sotiras viewing mountain is an absolute highlight hike in Cyprus. Here is all information and GPS data
A hiking trail to fall in love with
A hiking trail with such a sonorous name must be beautiful. And indeed, the trail on the north-western tip of Cyprus is a real highlight. From the Bath of Aphrodite to the Moutti tis Sotiras viewing mountain , the view over the Blue Lagoon and the entire Akamas Peninsula to numerous endemic plants such as the Cyprus laburnum or the Cyprus sage. The Aphrodite and Adonis trail on Cyprus is a tour of superlatives!
Key Facts about the circular hike on the Aphrodite and Adonis Trail in Cyprus
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Walking time : 4:30 h
Altitude : 450 m up and down
Length : 13.1 km
Accessible by public transport?
From Pafos, the Pafos bus goes to Polis. There, change and take bus 622 to Aphrodite Baths.
Refreshments along the way? Only at the start and end point in Troodos
GPS data: I have uploaded the GPS data for the hike to the Outdoor Active website
Start and end point: Bath of Aphrodite, 24 m.
Directions: From Pafos on the B7 north to Polis, continue first on the E711 and then on the E713 until the road ends shortly before the Baths of Aphrodite.
Parking: During peak season, parking spaces can be scarce. It's best to come early.
Hiking guide: Rolf Goetz: Cyprus – South & North, The most beautiful coastal and mountain hikes , Rother Bergverlag, 2023.
The path begins at the Bath of Aphrodite , a beautiful grotto by the sea with a fig tree.
Better than any soap: The Legend of Aphrodite & Adonis
This is where Aphrodite and her lover Adonis are said to have met, but - typical of Greek mythology - they were surprised by Aphrodite's husband Ares. After much back and forth, Ares (in the form of a boar) killed Adonis while hunting and his blood drops turned into these anemones. Not only the beautiful flowers remain, but also two beautiful hiking trails: the Adonis and Aphrodite Trail.
We combine the two paths into a longer hike. On the north coast of the Akamas Peninsula we walk in the footsteps of Aphrodite along the sea, with cyclamen, orchids and anemones blooming all around us.
Adonis must have lost a lot of blood; we hardly dare to put our feet on the ground for fear of stepping on the delicate pink flowers.
We really feel like we are on the island of the gods.
And contrary to the legends, the landscape radiates an incredible charm. A short climb takes us to the top of Moutti tis Sotiras, from where we have a gigantic view over the entire peninsula all the way to the Blue Lagoon. The contrast between the red earth, the white rocks, the green fields and the turquoise sea is simply divine.
Directions
The hiking trail begins at the car park of the Baths of Aphrodite. It leads west along the coast towards the western tip of the Akamas peninsula. After about 2 km, the path climbs up the mountain on the left. The goal is the Moutti tis Sotiras lookout mountain, which is definitely worth climbing. The descent is in a southerly direction, shortly afterwards the Aphrodite Trail branches off to the left, but we continue straight on. After about 1 km, the path forks, we take the left branch and follow the wide gravel road for the next 4 km until the Smigies Trail leads down the mountain on the left. After a while we come to the Adonis Trail, which we take to the right down to the starting point. The last part of the path leads along the gravel road to the car park of the Baths of Aphrodite.
Further information and links
The Visit Cyprus website provides useful information on accommodation, events and activities.
Here you can find all my blog posts about Cyprus
WEATHER
Cyprus has an intense Mediterranean climate with long, dry summers (from mid-May to mid-October) and mild winters (from December to February). Cyprus is blessed with sunshine. Even in December and January there are six to eight hours of sunshine per day. In the summer months, however, the average is 11.5 hours!
February to May and September to October are the best months for hiking
ARRIVAL
Lufthansa flies nonstop from Munich to Paphos once a week. Ryanair flies twice a week from Memmingen.
If you want, you can offset the CO2 emissions of your flight, for example through Atmosfair.
CARDS
The publisher Kartographos has three hiking maps at a scale of 1:25,000: Tróodos, Tóchni, Akámas.
EQUIPMENT
For most hikes, light hiking shoes or trail running shoes are sufficient. For the Avakas Gorge, hiking sandals and hiking poles are helpful. Take enough refillable water bottles with you.
EAT
We found the Periyiali Restaurant in Latsi on the Akamas Peninsula to be great. Here you can eat right by the sea. 8840 Latsi, Latchi, Polis 8852 Cyprus
website
SLEEP
The Latchi Escape Hotel and Suites is located directly on the way to the Akamas Peninsula. There are apartments and rooms here. The breakfast is great and there is even a spa area, which smells a bit bad but was still very relaxing.
The Aphrodite Family Eco Camping is beautifully located right on the Aphrodite Trail and looks great. Unfortunately, when we were there in February, it was closed. You can also rent cabins here.