Avakas Gorge
An easy hike near Paphos
The Avakas Gorge is a canyon formed by the small Avgas River, which is, in fact, a stream that flows through the chalk, marl, bentonitic clays, and limestone that make up the area. Foxes, hares, partridges, falcons, crows, wild doves, night owls, and a multitude of native and migratory small birds can be found in and around the gorge. The vegetation is lush and varied with pine trees, Mediterranean cypresses, plane trees, junipers, lentisk trees, oleanders, tamarisks, thorny brooms, wild fig trees, oak trees, styrax trees, virgin's bowers, brambles, wild carob and olive trees, terebinths, fern trees and many others together with many wild flowers at this time of year.
The hike is described by many bloggers as easy, medium, or difficult, which I suppose is due to the fact that much of the hike is along a river bed, which can be difficult to negotiate after a heavy rainfall. The stream has water running through it year round and when hiking along the stream one has to cross over it multiple times. In our case, it had not rained for a few weeks, and we found it to be easy going.
Some people describe the gorge as touristy, simply because it is close to Paphos and easily accessible to vacationers and their families. When we visited yesterday, we saw quite a lot of young families with children skipping over the stones and boulders. There were even a few parents with babies in their arms.
It’s a 2 km (1.5 mile) drive along a rutted dirt road to get to the parking lot. Some tourists choose to park their cars at the beginning of the dirt road and walk the 2 km road to the start of the trail. The trail starts as a path through a wide valley before the walls close in and the narrow gorge starts. There are multiple signs to beware of falling rocks, though we did not see or hear any rockfalls. There are several routes one can choose, but the shortest, which we chose, is a there-and-back hike through the gorge which took us about an hour. It does offer some stunning views of high, sheer canyon walls as one is alks along the river bed.
We drove back past Viklari Restaurant also known as the Last Castle. The restaurant is perched on a hilltop overlooking the Avakas Gorge. It’s well known for its delicious souvla limited o a choice of chicken or pork roasted on skewers over large barbecues. In summer a reservation is a must if you want a table for lunch.
