You arrive with a little doubt. The road gives way to dirt, the signs are modest, and you wonder whether you have taken a wrong turn. Then a hand-painted board appears, camping and refreshments, the trees part, and the sea is simply there.
In short
- Where: Aphrodite Family Eco Camping, edge of the Akamas peninsula, near the Baths of Aphrodite, Cyprus.
- Stay: simple wooden A-frame bungalows, shared bathrooms.
- Beaches: two coves of their own, five to ten minutes on foot.
- Food: restaurant and café on site, taverna next door.
- Best time: April to June, September to October.
- Good to know: if you rent a car, ask the rental company about the dirt track first.
We work in hotels, so we tend to notice what a place gets wrong. This one left us quiet instead. We stayed at Aphrodite Family Eco Camping, on the edge of the Akamas peninsula in western Cyprus, close to the Baths of Aphrodite. When we left, we wanted to stay longer, and to live a little closer to nature. If you are wondering where to stay near the Baths of Aphrodite, this is our honest answer.
It is not a luxury resort. It is something rarer for the right traveller: a place where you need very little, and discover how well you manage with less.
Getting there (before you rent a car)
The final stretch is an unpaved track, and reception is not obvious at first. A sign for the café and refreshments points the way. If you only wish to stop for a coffee, or to sit for a while, you do not need to go to reception at all.
If you are renting a car, ask the rental company before you book. Some roads in the Akamas fall within restricted zones under rental agreements, and this dirt track is one of them. A short phone call can spare you a great deal of trouble.
The bungalows: simple, wooden, unfussy
We slept in a wooden A-frame bungalow with a small deck and a view through the trees.
- Bathrooms are shared. There is a communal toilet and shower room.
- There is a fan, not air conditioning. Summer nights can be warm. In September and October the temperature was comfortable.
- We had no mosquitoes, though a repellent is a sensible thing to pack.
If we could make one change, it would be solar panels. They could power proper air conditioning in each bungalow without raising the camp’s overall electricity consumption.
Two coves, five to ten minutes away
Each of the two beaches is five to ten minutes on foot from the bungalows. One is reached by a dirt path that descends gently; the other has steps.
One morning we had the cove directly below us entirely to ourselves. We swam out towards the rock with the cross on it, on the far side of the bay. If coves like these are what you are after, our Kythnos guide to Skylou beach is a good companion read.
The stars
At night, the stars were so vivid that we kept looking up. No music, no streetlights, no noise. If you work in hospitality, you know how rare true silence is. Here, it comes with the place.
Where to eat: two tables that kept it local
At the camp. There is a restaurant and a café on site. If you have only one night, our advice is to check in and stay. Eat at the camp, make use of the café, and let the day unfold. It is easy to fall into conversation with other guests, most of whom were couples and families, many from abroad.
Next door: Restaurant Baths of Aphrodite. The taverna beside the camp. We had fish meze, and the owner treated us to a drink. We noticed it straight away: it is the kind of hospitality that cannot be taught.
In Latchi: Yialos Beach Grill House. We drove over and ate right in front of the sea, ordering the Cypriot meat meze. The mood is different: more people, more movement. A good place to visit before returning to the quiet.
The Baths of Aphrodite and the nature trail
The Baths of Aphrodite are a small cave where water falls from stalactites into a pond. According to tradition, the goddess Aphrodite bathed here. It is not a place to swim, so go for the legend and the setting.
From the Baths begins the Aphrodite Nature Trail, a 7.5 km circular walk. It passes the ruins of Pyrgos tis Rigainas, believed to be a medieval monastery, and an oak roughly 500 years old. Bring your own water: the two fountains along the trail are not drinkable.
Check before you go. The road to the Baths is occasionally closed for maintenance. In winter the road has been closed for a couple of days, according to the Cyprus Mail.
Notes before you go
- It is not for everyone. If you want international restaurants or nightlife, this is the wrong address.
- Be realistic about the “eco” label. A Cyprus Mail review praised the beaches and the calm, but noted that the eco credentials were not yet fully visible (mixed waste bins, single-use cups). Bring a reusable cup and biodegradable soap. Things may have changed since.
- Pack: insect repellent, water shoes for the rocks, a torch, and drinking water for the trail.
If you have only one night
Check in and stay. Spend the day at the camp, lunch at the restaurant, coffee at the café, a swim in the cove below. In the evening, walk next door for fish meze. Look up when it gets dark.
As a hand-painted sign we saw there says: The less I needed, the better I felt.
Good to know
- Best time to go: April to June and September to October. We stayed in the early autumn and found the temperature comfortable. We would avoid July and August: the bungalows have only a fan, and the nights can be warm.
- Who it suits: couples, families, and anyone who wants simple days and a way to reconnect with nature.
- Who it does not suit: anyone seeking nightlife or international dining.
- Prices: check current rates on the camp’s booking pages.
What comes next
A guide to Latchi is coming next, followed by a closer look at the Aphrodite Nature Trail and the Baths. Meanwhile, browse our other Cyprus guides.
Photos: Greecyz.
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