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What is Akamas to you?

The Akamas Peninsula is a unique area of unparalleled beauty, retaining a naturalness and authenticity that has been lost from most coastal areas of the island.

Steeped in history and legend, Akamas has countless experiences to offer to locals and tourists alike.

Preserving all this requires both vision and political will.

Why is Akamas so important?

A habitat mosaic

Steep, rocky shores, sea caves, sand dunes, unique gorges and ravines, scrub-covered plateaus, endemic pine forests, traditional crops and pastures... Akamas, this small corner in the westernmost part of the island, is like the whole island in miniature.

Rich in fauna

More than 200 species of bird have been recorded in Akamas. Among them, are the imposing Bonelli’s Eagle and the beautiful Roller that breed here, species for which the area is particularly important in Cyprus and for which it is protected. But the rich fauna of Akamas is not limited to birds. Akamas hosts important colonies of the Mediterranean Monk Seal and the Egyptian Fruit Bat, as well as some of the most important nesting beaches for the Green Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle.

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Rich in flora

Akamas is so special that it hosts rare and endemic plants. Some of them can only be found on the Peninsula, like the Akamas tulip Tulipa akamasica and Akamas centauria Centaurea akamantis. These rare plants can only be seen on the Akamas Peninsula.

Rich cultural elements

Akamas has been inhabited since antiquity. According to tradition, there are 101 churches here, some of them still standing today. Cultural and natural heritage are strongly intertwined on Akamas, where traditional farmland also favors the wildlife of the area. With the picturesque communities of the area dominating the plateau, Akamas can be a model of harmonious coexistence of people and nature.

What is the issue with Akamas?

Akamas has been under pressure for development for decades. Today, these pressures threaten to overwhelm the area. The inaction of the State and failure to take substantial action to protect nature and promote sustainable development in the area, while removing illegal structures, has led things to where they are today.

Today, development projects are being proposed on Akamas that will increase pressure on the sensitive species and habitats of the area, will undermine sustainable development and completely change the area’s character. What exactly do we mean?

The area designated as a Natura 2000 site is smaller than the area that should have been protected, on the basis of scientific data.

Even within the existing Natura 2000 area, the emphasis on protecting the state land, namely the Akamas National Forest Park, and managing it separately from the rest of the Natura 2000 area, creates a two-tier situation.

Projects are being promoted within the Park, such as refreshment kiosks in untouched areas, that threaten the protected status and proper management of the area.

At the same time, urban planning regulations are proposed for the whole Peninsula that are completely incompatible with the sustainable management of the area, such as isolated housing, massive resort-type developments and new quarrying zones.

What do we want for Akamas?

Once the evaluation of the State’s plans is completed, final decisions will be taken, and the future of Akamas, for better or worse, will be largely sealed.

Our vision is for Akamas to be protected in a sustainable way, while promoting the real and long-term prosperity of the local communities. Our view and vision has always been that the planning mistakes that were made in so many other areas in Cyprus should not be repeated at Akamas. Development should be limited and promoted within Akamas village community boundaries. This is the only way to achieve sustainable protection of an area with such high ecological value like Akamas, while also preserving its comparative advantage for tourism, which is its natural landscape.

We are calling on the state to:

Conserve the Peninsula’s nature and landscape.
Manage the whole area as a Natura 2000 site.
Remove all illegal structures and restore the damage.
Not carry out projects in untouched areas. Any projects within the National Forest Park be limited to access control, information and hygiene needs, and visitors to be encouraged to use the local communities for supplies, food & drink.
Withdraw proposals concerning overnight stays, food and leisure facilities outside the community boundaries and proposals for new quarries in the area.

What you can do for Akamas

Raise your voice

We have an opportunity to raise our concerns for the future of Akamas before it is too late. Defend Akamas by sending a loud and clear message to the Minister of Environment and the Minister of the Interior.

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