If you are looking for ways to recapture your youth, then a hike through the Avakas Gorge in Paphos should definitely be in your list if you are in the area! Pretend to be Indiana Jones or Lara Croft and explore this beautiful terrain, with boulders perched precariously between the canyon, huge birds circling overhead and no path but a few straggly bits of material tied to branches that guide you through the gorge.

We drove to Agios Georgious and parked the car just past the White River Tavern and then started walking west towards the Last Castle (Viklari) tavern which took us straight up to the start of the Avakas Gorge. We were passed by 4 or 5 jeep safari tours, packed with perspiring people peering out the back of a hot 4×4, not knowing what to expect and missing out on some of the stunning views that the Akamas has to offer from the confines of their vehicle.

Before you get to the gorge itself, you wander past plants and flowers, a plethora of Cyprus flora that has little name tags that tell you what each flower is and also, in quite a few places, signs that specifically say not to touch or pick anything, although there were a few people in front of us not taking any heed of this message as they nibbled on juniper berries, and all I could think about was gin… juniper berries = gin right?

Then things started to get exciting, there’s a little stream running alongside the track and you start climbing over slippery stones and big boulders, traversing the gorge. I had initially thought there would be a walkway of sorts, but there isn’t, and we saw a lot of people going calf deep into the stream having slid on one of their flip flops (footwear is key if you want a good hike here). You wander through this narrow canyon, the sun just glinting over the top and casting shadows through the trees overhead. You really do feel like you’re on a film set, it’s just a perfect scene for adventure. There are people up there walking their dogs who just splash through the water having a fabulous time, as the dog owners shout at them not to go near people and shake! You stop and marvel at slimy looking tree roots that reach 20 feet down the rock face and walk through a veil of long tree branches, it’s amazing.

I was giddy with glee, snapping away with my camera and losing my lens cap, not once, not twice, but about 20 times (I’m not even exaggerating, I think it might be loose!). I thought I’d lost it forever on 2 occasions as it fell into deeper water, but I managed to channel my inner “Survivor” and fish it out using branches. We were filthy after about half an hour, my trousers were in a sorry state from crouching to get a good angle for a photo, or trying to scramble down a steeper rock face and I was already prepared for a multitude of bruises from bashing into tree roots and errant jutting rocks. It was awesome!

We’d been walking for about an hour, hour and a half and had left behind the group tours, but there were some amazing hikers out and about, a team of 6 people, all around 60 + went striding along with their walking poles, backpacks and steely air of determination and I can only imagine they were shaking their heads at the 3 of us bumbling around the place.

You come out at a clearing where the valley deepens, the rock face a beautiful sandy colour, surrounded by scree and easily falling rocks (got to be careful!) and the big blue sky above you, it’s quite breath taking and you really do gain a sense of being in nature, it’s an epic hike. You might also be lucky enough to spot some mountain goats nibbling on a branch or two as they meander across the rock face 50 feet above you.

So, would I recommend the Avakas Gorge? Yes, whole heartedly, if you love great views, a precarious path and opportunities to see some amazing sights, this is the hike for you while you are in Paphos!