AKAMAS NATIONAL FOREST PARK

This 230 ^km2 park (Εθνικό Δασικό Πάρκο Ακάμα/Ethniko Dasiko Parko Akama, Akamas National Forest Park) stretches across the Akamas peninsula. Managed by the National Forestry Office, it's one of the island's wildest areas, with no villages or tarmac roads, diverse ecosystems, endemic plants, bird colonies and sea turtles. Access is via the tourist area of the Baths of Aphrodite (west of Polis and Neo Chorio), but also via Capes Lara and Drepanon (north of Paphos). The peninsula has been so well preserved because it was long off-limits: until 2000, it was used as a firing range by the British army and navy. It was then included in the Natura 2000 network in 2011, and classified as a national park in 2016. The protected area extends inland over 170 ^km2, of which 70 ^km2 is state-owned forest, with conifers, junipers and arbutus. It's also a "marine park", with islets to the north and a thin strip of coastline stretching southwest to Capes Lara and Drepanon.

Endemic plants. The terrestrial part of the island boasts some 700 plant species (40% of Cyprus' total flora), including 42 endemic species. It includes 22 different ecosystems, in particular wetlands and rare "serpentine meadows". The latter are marked by the presence of ophiolites, volcanic rocks with veins reminiscent of "snakeskin"(ophis in ancient Greek). Rare endemic plant species include the Akamas alyssum (Alyssum akamasicum), the Cyprus knapweed (Centaurea cyprensis) and the Paphos dandelion (Taraxacum aphrogenes), thompson's spurge (Euphorbia thompsonii), marsh callitriche (Callitriche brutia) and three types of orchid(Ohrys alasiatica, Ophrys morio and Ophrys hystera).

Birds of prey, turtles and dolphins. There are an estimated 170 bird species, 99 of them migratory. In autumn, they gather at the northern tip of the peninsula. The entire park is also a nesting area for birds of prey such as Bonelli's eagle and peregrine falcon, as well as the endemic Cypriot scops owl (Otus scops cyprius). Other birds of prey, such as the kobez and the Eleonora's falcon, are just passing through. The red-headed shrike, collared turnstone, various herons and egrets, as well as two endemic passerines, the Cyprus warbler (Sylvia melanothorax) and the Cyprus traquet (Oenanthe cypriaca), are also well represented. The islets are home to colonies of great black-backed gulls, crested cormorants and swifts. The park also boasts 29 species of terrestrial animals, including the Cyprus mouse (Mus cypriacus) and the Troodos lizard (Phoenicolacerta troodica), as well as frogs, bats and snakes. On the coast, the two most protected marine animals are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), two endangered species that come to lay their eggs on Toxeftra beach to the west, between Capes Lara and Drepanon. This is also where the tufted ghost crab (Ocypode cursor) hides in the sand. However, this species is disappearing due to the sheer number of tourists. Finally, the coasts are also frequented by bottlenose dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins.