Avakas Gorge

Avakas is a short gorge cut by a seasonal stream through the limestone of the Akamas peninsula, and the walk into it is one of the best short hikes in Cyprus. The path follows the stream bed inland through juniper and wild olive, and after twenty minutes or so the walls close in until the gorge is only a couple of metres across with rock rising perhaps thirty metres on either side, tilted and undercut, with one enormous boulder wedged overhead where it fell and stuck. Ferns and endemic plants grow in the damp shade, and the light down the slot is extraordinary in the middle of the day. Beyond the narrows the gorge opens out and a longer route climbs to the plateau, though most people turn back at the boulder.

What you actually see

• The narrows - the slot where the walls close to a couple of metres.
• The wedged boulder - the huge rock stuck overhead in the gorge.
• The gorge flora - ferns and endemic plants in the damp shade.
• The Akamas approach - the wild peninsula and coast on the way in.

When to go

Spring and autumn are best; spring brings water in the stream and wildflowers, while summer is hot and the stream dry. Avoid the gorge entirely after heavy rain, when flash flooding is a real danger. Midday gives the best light in the narrows.

Honest expectations

Rockfall is a genuine hazard here and the gorge has been closed at times after falls, with one fatality in recent years, so check whether it is open and do not linger under overhangs. The walk involves scrambling over boulders and wet rock, and the access track from the coast is rough. There is no shade on the approach and no facilities.

Nearby

Lara Bay and the Akamas coast are north; Coral Bay and Paphos lie south.