Avakas Gorge Nature Trail — Attraction in Peyia

Absolutely beautiful trek to get to Gorge. Make sure you are wearing really comfortable trainers that are not slippery, be prepared to get wet and dirty and go early morning or later afternoon as heat unbearable.

The ideal and best period of the year to visit Avakas Gorge is in spring or autumn. During the summer months it can get too hot, unless visitors planned their journey very early in the day. During the winter months is not recommended as the small stream becomes a torrent and the water levels also become too deep so for safety reasons avoid visiting the gorge during winter.

Avakas gorge is an amazing masterpiece of nature and it is located at the start of the Akamas peninsula, 16 km west of Paphos (Pafos). It is one of the natural wonders of Paphos region and one of the best places to visit in Cyprus, especially for people who love walking as it offers magnificent nature views, including rich local flora and fauna. One key element that can also be found in the gorge is the endangered centauria akamantis which is an endemic plant.

The Avakas gorge was created by a raging stream which was flowing over the limestone for thousands of years, creating walls up to 30 meters in height and magnificent rock formations and is 3 km long. Due to the formations of the rocks and by being too narrow at one point, the gorge is considered as a difficult hike. In addition there are slippery places and a certain amount of clambering over stones and rocks is required by visitors. It is recommended that casual – sport clothes and footwear should be worn and travellers are advised to carry with them drinks all time and should inform of someone before entering the gorge.In regards to the flora that exist in the Avakas Gorge, visitors can find junipers, pine trees, cypresses, oaks, wild fig trees as well as various other tree types as well as a number of wild flowers.

One of the wild plants that exist is the extremely rare endemic centauria akamandis which belongs to the endangered plant species and across the entire world is actually found only in Avakas gorge. In regards to the fauna, the animal life there is rich and at the gorge, foxes, hares, falcons, crows, night owls, butterflies as well as various types of reptiles live. In addition, fruit bats live there which are difficult to be seen but if you are lucky you can spot them.It is advisable to use a 4x4 car but saloon cars can also get there. It also worth mentioning that during the journey most of the time you will be under sun so it would be good to use hats for protection...

We started the hike at 07:30 as we wanted to avoid the midday heat. This turned out to be a good decision as it felt very warm by the end.

We read about the bumpy road leading to the trail, so parked at the Agia Matrona Church. However, the road was not too bad, and we wished that we had driven it and avoided the extra 1.5km walk either way. There was plenty of parking available at the gorge, so would recommend going straight there if you start early enough.

The walk to the gorge itself is easy and only slightly uphill. It is only about 1km from the start point and is an incredible sight.

After this, the hike gets trickier and forces you to scramble at times. The route winds over and across the river several times, which wasn't an issue for us as there was very little water in the gorge. This may vary depending on the time of year you visit. Due to recent rockfall, it can be difficult in places to establish where the trail is, which led us off in the wrong direction a couple of times.

Legend has it, the mountain goats will often kick loose rocks at unsuspecting travellers, so keep your eyes and ears peeled! Although you are far more likely to catch them nibbling on a dry branch on a hard-to-reach tree.

Although the views from the viewpoint were nice, we did not feel that the extra effort to get there was worth it. The end point is a small hill which overlooks some of the gorge, and offers very little shade.

Ultimately, we really enjoyed the hike and would recommend it, but the best sights are to be seen towards the start. If you just want some nice photographs, save yourself some time and turn around once you've been...

We did this walk with 3 children under 10, youngest was 4. We had a rental car and it was fine to take this past the small cafe along the rocky dirt road parallel to the sea to reach the first car park by the sea. There is an information board there. Car park is free. I wouldn't recommend going further than this without a 4x4 or buggy. We parked up and walked up the hill past the next car park where there is room for a row of cars at the top of the hill. You will have the jeep tours going past you, but there is room to stand to the side. From there you bear right down another rocky dirt road towards the car park for the gorge itself. There are toilets here but nothing else. When we were there a couple were waiting for their rental car to be rescued as they realised they would not get back up the last bit of steep track. The walk to this point with the kids was about 15/20 minutes. We then started the trail which was lovely with information about the plants and the geology in parts. We also spotted mountain goats in the hillside and stream. We all loved the gorge and the kids enjoyed scrambling over the rocks. Don't forget to look up to take it all in. Of course the walk back wasn't without its moaning, but it is definitely manageable even for the youngest, especially if you compare this with the hours or walking and number of steps they manage at the waterpark. Just be aware if you do park in the first car park by the sea the walk up to the trail is exposed. We went early morning when the sun was cooler. You will need plenty of water and snacks for kids. In total we walked about 5km with lots of rest stops so it took just...