Walking the Akamas Peninsula

On previous Headwater holidays the local rep has met us on arrival at the hotel to go through the itinerary but this didn’t happen here. We rang Cyprus Walks on the first evening and we spoke again a day or so later to arrange pick up times when we had more idea of what we wanted to do and how far we wanted to walk. It was good to have a choice of short and long routes each day. In Droushia we ate out each night. There was a choice of tavernas within walking distance but we went to Finikas Tavern every night which had a lovely courtyard at the back with a grape vine for a roof and did a fabulous Greek salad amongst other things. On our first walk we went to Mylari Bistro in Kritou Terra at lunch time for some welcome refreshment. Lovely walk to Lara beach. The Aphrodite Beach Hotel had a nice beach below it and a good fish restaurant not connected to the hotel which was only open in the daytime. Stoney beach so would recommend wet shoes/pumps in the sea. Overall, good holiday.

We thoroughly enjoyed walking the Akamas Peninsula in late October / early November 2022. We really benefitted from being able to stay at the Droushia Heights Hotel for 7 nights followed by 7 nights at the Aphrodite Beach Hotel. The staff at each hotel were most helpful and welcoming. We received room upgrades at both hotels. Two weeks provided us with plenty of scope for walking the routes and exploring and relaxing locally. We walked all five 20 km routes, all of which we loved. We cherished people’s friendliness; experiencing the detail of the Akamas landscape of foot; the quiet and peaceful villages and environments; the wonderful scenery; pristine beaches for swimming and sunbathing; the delicious food and the warm sunshine. Thank you to Joanne Chaplin and the staff of Headwater, Cyprus Walks, Droushia Heights Hotel and the Aphrodite Beach Hotel for a wonderful holiday.

Great walking holiday, efficiently organised and accurately described accommodation. Walks were through some beautiful remote countryside and the app was brilliant at ensuring we never got lost. Would definitely book through Headwater again, as soon as possible!

Beautiful location, excellent walking.
Travelling in late January meant that it was very peaceful and we passed very few people on our walks, however there were also very limited options to eat and drink. Fortunately, the hotel breakfasts were excellent and set us up well for the day, but we would recommend that you come prepared with cereal bars and snacks.

We were very impressed by the customer service provided in setting up the holiday arrangements: Headwater also helped us to arrange an extension of our stay in Cyprus with a rented car, all of which worked very well. Both hotels were excellent, with a special commendation for the home cooking at Aphrodite Beach. The walks were very well explained and the app-based route guidance was easily accessible and reliable. It is a very good idea to offer long and short versions of the walks each day, together with plenty of advance information about ascents and descents. The routes were generally well-chosen, with very little use of roads and we enjoyed some marvellous scenery.

Well organised. App was excellent. Walks were harder than anticipated from grading. Island is beautiful and feb weather is good for walking. Hotels were okay but we would have liked the option to upgrade to a sea view. Second hotel restaurant was overrun with cats. Not very hygienic.

The Akamas Peninsula is a good destination and we were fortunate with the weather for late February. We liked the choice of short or longer walks which suited us. But the walking notes were not always accurate and were clearly designed for those using GPS. Facilities in the locality were limited, e.g bars and restaurants not yet open for the season. This was despite having checked with the agent that they would, mostly, be available. Food in the second hotel was very poor, although the staff were friendly and tried their best to please. Rooms were adequate but a few additions such as slippers (the tiled floor was very cold at this time of the year) and decent towels would have made the stay more comfortable.

The itinerary worked smoothly & efficiently. Both hotels were welcoming, comfortable, and responsive to our special dietary requirements. The walks were most enjoyable, especially the (rather earlier than usual) Spring flowers, panoramic views, and beaches. We found a secluded little bay with a rocky, wave-fed, & rocky “spa” pool that was ideal for a bracing quick dip at the end of our day’s walk. The navigation app was quick to master and worked well. (No smartphone battery problems occurred with an iPhone 11 switched to low power mode.j

The Headwater name was clearly useful at both hotels – I felt we were looked after better because of it. The local transport provision with Savvas was brilliant, he is a key part of teh holiday, and definitely earnt his tip! The agent was irrelevant to our booking, but maybe with bigger parties there would be some benefit. We had a wonderful experience during (to us) a very hot week. (Savvas and the locals thought it was mild). the walks were progressively more amazing; the inland walks to start with are a great introduction and aclimatiser, with the peninsula walks being stunning with the forests and coastal views. A head for heights is useful on the way down from Moutti tis Sortiras! Amazing views!

This is our 12th holiday with Headwater mostly cycling holidays. For a second year, we loved walking the routes of the Akamas Peninsula, Cyprus customizing our time over two weeks – one week at Droushia Heights Hotel followed by one week at Aphrodites Beach Hotel – so enjoying a balance of walking the longer routes every second day. We enjoy both hotels very much indeed. We are keen to return to Cyprus to experience both previous walks and new walks.

With experience we have learnt to tailor-make our holidays by researching what additionally paid-for room upgrades are available, and depending on locations, deciding whether it is more advantageous and relaxing to pay for half-board.

On previous Headwater holidays the local rep has met us on arrival at the hotel to go through the itinerary but this didn’t happen here. We rang Cyprus Walks on the first evening and we spoke again a day or so later to arrange pick up times when we had more idea of what we wanted to do and how far we wanted to walk. It was good to have a choice of short and long routes each day. In Droushia we ate out each night. There was a choice of tavernas within walking distance but we went to Finikas Tavern every night which had a lovely courtyard at the back with a grape vine for a roof and did a fabulous Greek salad amongst other things. On our first walk we went to Mylari Bistro in Kritou Terra at lunch time for some welcome refreshment. Lovely walk to Lara beach. The Aphrodite Beach Hotel had a nice beach below it and a good fish restaurant not connected to the hotel which was only open in the daytime. Stoney beach so would recommend wet shoes/pumps in the sea. Overall, good holiday.