4VIP Tour

Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sensuality, is perpetually cited as being a Cypriot at heart, and also known as Cypris. Aphrodite is also considered the patron of the island. She also has a prominent role in tourism in Cyprus.

The ‘Baths of Aphrodite’ is an area on the way to Akamas National Park just after pictures village of Latchi which attracts many visitors. This beauty spot is situated close to the tip of the Akamas peninsula. A natural pool grotto surrounded in greenery, the site lies at the end of a small nature trail. As its name suggests, the grotto is said to be where the Goddess of Love used to bath in a pond just before her marriage to Hephaestus, the maker of the weapons for the gods. Another version says she was married to Ares, the God of War. Whichever the version, the Baths of Aphrodite provide a magnificent view of the Bay of Polis. You can enjoy the most beautiful sunset from the restaurant on the cliff. It is said that if you bathe in the water you will be given eternal youth or you will fall for the next person you see; unfortunately, bathing is not permitted. 4VIP Tours can combine two trips together: the baths of Aphrodite and Akamas National Park safari if you desire.

According to mythology, Aphrodite was bathing when she saw the strikingly handsome Adonis who had stopped off for a drink while hunting, to quench his thirst. Adonis fell in love instantly and managed to seduce Aphrodite, who had reciprocated his love. Since she had committed adultery, her lover, a mere mortal was to die. He was killed by a wild boar which he was hunting. Places abounding with a mythical past and you will feel a present of charm, love and happiness when you visit Baths of Aphrodite which remaining on our list as a major tourist attractions in Cyprus.

Actually, the myth of Aphrodite and Adonis is one of the most popular Greek myths, since it is directly associated with love and Eros. Not even Gods and deities could escape the powerful arrows of God Eros and those who fell in love with mortals met with catastrophic results. In that perspective, Aphrodite and Adonis is a classic myth about lust and rejection, enhanced with spicy details about the Goddess of Love and Lust and the beautiful mortal Adonis. They make great destinations for excursions in Cyprus.

Adonis is the personification of masculine beauty to which he owed his fate according to the Greek myths. There are actually many myths about Adonis and Aphrodite. In some versions of the myth of Aphrodite and Adonis, Ares, the God of War and Aphrodite’s husband, heard that Aphrodite loved the youth Adonis, got really jealous and decided to take revenge. Aphrodite was chasing Adonis to mate with him, but Adonis was more interested in hunting. Aphrodite begged Adonis to give up dangerous sports because she could not bear to lose him, knowing that the young man would die a terrible death. Adonis ignored her advice and was killed while hunting by a wild boar that was actually God Ares.

When Adonis died, Aphrodite heard his cries and hastened to his side in her swan-drawn chariot. She cursed the fates and Ares who had ordained his death. With Adonis still in her arms, Aphrodite turned the blood drops that fell from his wounds onto the soil into windflowers (the short-lived anemone) as a memorial to their love. Anemones sprung from the blood of Adonis and his spirit returned to the underworld. Such are the tales that enhance sightseeing in Cyprus.

Another legendary spot is "Pyrgos (castle) tis Rigainas" which is linked to the love of Rigaina and Digenis, (the medieval queen of Cyprus and the Byzantine hero and strongman), as well as with Aphrodite. The ‘castle’ which is actually a monastery, now in ruins, is in the centre of Akamas National Park in a majestic clearing, with a giant oak tree and the bubbling spring. According to the legend, the goddess of Love used the place as a place to dry off after her bath.

Cypriots prefer the simple version that Adonis fell in love with Aphrodite at the grotto, even though she knew that the mortal Adonis would die a tragic death. They rejoice in the fact that while they were together, they enjoyed a passionate love affair. Tourists are happy to visit a magnificent site in Cyprus and trekkers enjoy walking the trails of Aphrodite and Adonis. 4VIP Tours obliges them in such trips around Cyprus.