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Wildlife Safaris in Akamas
A wild, undeveloped peninsula on the northwest tip of Cyprus, a rugged reserve of gorges, juniper scrub and empty coves reached only on foot or by four-wheel drive. Its Lara Bay is one of the Mediterranean's most important nesting beaches for loggerhead and green sea turtles.
Why here
The Akamas is the last stretch of Cypriot coast the developers never reached, a roadless peninsula of limestone gorges, wild herbs and turquoise coves that survives as a nature reserve precisely because it is so hard to get to. Its greatest asset is Lara Bay, one of the most important sea-turtle nesting beaches in the whole Mediterranean, where both the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, and the rarer green turtle, Chelonia mydas, haul out through the summer to lay their eggs. A government hatchery has protected the nests here since 1978, caging clutches against predators and releasing the hatchlings, and it is treated as one of the Mediterranean's conservation success stories. Nesting is a wild, protected event rather than a show, so a guided four-wheel-drive safari is the honest way to experience the peninsula: the trip crosses terrain no ordinary car can manage to reach Lara and its turtle beach, the deep Avakas Gorge and the Blue Lagoon, reading the landscape and the wildlife along the way.
Best months
Loggerhead and green turtles nest at Lara through the warm months, roughly June to August, with hatchlings emerging into the autumn, so late spring through early autumn is the window to connect a visit with the nesting season. Turtles are wild and the beach is protected, so sightings are never guaranteed and the hatchery restricts access to safeguard the nests. The peninsula is exposed and hot in high summer with no shade or facilities, and the tracks are rough, dusty four-wheel-drive terrain best covered with a guide who knows the routes.
Getting there & around
The Akamas is reached from Paphos or from the Latchi and Polis area on its northern edge, roughly a 40 to 60 minute drive from Paphos. There are no paved roads across the peninsula and no fuel, shops or facilities inside it, so guided four-wheel-drive safaris are the standard way in, usually a full day taking in Lara Bay, the Avakas Gorge and the Blue Lagoon with lunch included. Bring water, sun cover and sturdy shoes. Respect the turtle-beach rules at Lara, where the hatchery and signage set out where you may and may not go.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
Evis Jeep Safari
OutfitterEvis Jeep Safari is a Paphos operator that has run daily four-wheel-drive tours to the Akamas peninsula since 2010, using PSV-licensed driver-guides. Its Akamas route reaches Lara Bay, the turtle nesting beach, the Avakas Gorge with a guided walk between its high limestone walls, and the Blue Lagoon for a swim stop. Tours run in English and Russian and cover the wild northwest coast that ordinary vehicles cannot reach, combining the peninsula's wildlife, geology and coastline in a single day.
Land Rover Treasure Jeep Safari
OutfitterLand Rover Treasure Jeep Safari, formerly Hilde Jeep Safari, is a Paphos-based operator that describes itself as the original jeep safari on the island. It runs guided four-wheel-drive trips into the roadless Akamas peninsula in licensed Land Rover Defender 110s carrying up to ten passengers, taking in Lara Bay, which it flags as a major Mediterranean breeding site for green and loggerhead turtles, the limestone Avakas Gorge and the Blue Lagoon. Trips finish with a Cypriot barbecue.