The Baths of Aphrodite, the grotto of legend at the gate to Akamas

The Baths of Aphrodite are one of those places that matter more for the story they tell than for what you actually see, and I say that fondly. It’s a small grotto with water and a fig tree, but it sits at the gateway to Akamas and the two best trails on the north of the peninsula start here. Here’s the myth, how to get there and which trail I’d pick. The setting is covered in Akamas peninsula.

The grotto and the myth

The Pafos tourism board describes a peaceful grotto ringed by springs and greenery, shaded by an old fig tree. Tradition has it that Aphrodite bathed here to restore her beauty and met her lover, Adonis. The Adonis myth tells how a jealous Ares turned himself into a wild boar, how the young man died in the hunt and how anemones sprang from his blood.

Akamas Municipality adds that the Baths draw a great many visitors every day and that there’s an app on the myth of Aphrodite which uses augmented reality to recreate her meeting with Adonis in the grotto.

Which trail should you do?

For me, the Aphrodite trail. It starts at the Baths themselves and loops back. It passes the ruins of Pyrgos tis Rigainas, the Queen’s Tower, thought to have been part of a medieval monastery, and an oak of about 500 years, with views of Cape Arnaoutis, Polis and the Paphos forest. There are two fountains along the way, near Pyrgos tis Rigainas and between the Baths and Kakoskali, but the council warns the water isn’t drinkable.

The Adonis trail starts 400 m before the Baths, by the Akamas botanical garden, and is also circular. It joins the Aphrodite trail at the tower and returns along the road between the Baths and Polis. On the way you’ll see endemic plants such as Cyprus sage and Bosea cypria, one of only three Bosea species in the world.

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Getting there

Pafos Buses route 622 leaves Polis Chrysochous bus station and reaches the Baths via Prodromi and Latchi almost every hour from 6:00 to 18:00, coming back on the half hour. According to OpenStreetMap, the grotto lies about 5 km as the crow flies from Latchi and about 8 km from Polis, within Neo Chorio. Next to the Baths, inside the Natura 2000 area, is the Aphrodite Family Eco Camping site.

Before you go

I’d go first thing, for the heat and the crowds. Bring water from home, since the fountains aren’t drinkable, and remember that in Akamas fires are only allowed in the barbecues provided; if you spot a wildfire, the number is 1407. For a swim afterwards, the Latchi coast is a stone’s throw away, and to carry on to the Blue Lagoon, the boat from the harbour is the easy option. The island’s other walks are in hiking in Cyprus. The tradition placing the goddess’s meetings with Adonis here is covered in Aphrodite in Cyprus.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Baths of Aphrodite on GetYourGuide.

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If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Latchi for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.