Pissouromoutti Nature trail

STARTING POINT
The trail is located on the Akamas Peninsula, inside the state forest that is included in Natura 2000, the European network of protected areas. This circular trail begins and ends at Smigies picnic site, where there is also a car park. To get to the starting point, you must cross the village of Neo Chorio and follow the 3 km-long agricultural road that passes by the chapel of Agios Minas and leads to Smigies.

DESCRIPTION
The trail follows an upward incline until the top of the hill, called Pissouromoutti, which is where the trail gets its name from. A downward circular course around the hill then takes you back to the end of the trail. There are many points of exceptional view along the trail, but the most impressive view is from the top of the hill. Here, you can seamlessly enjoy nature all around you (toward the south coast: Tzioni, Geronisos, Lara, Agios Georgios Pegeias, and toward the north coast: Chrysochou Bay). The trail passes through tall and short shrubby vegetation consisting mainly of juniper, lentisk, terebinths, rockroses, wild thymes, prickly burnets, and gorses. Part of the trail passes through a pine forest that offers shade on warm summer days, making the walk particularly unique and enjoyable. Some parts of the trail pass by areas that were burned in a large fire that occurred in the summer of 2012.

SERVICES
Smigies picnic site, with a capacity of 600 visitors,has drinking water flowing directly to the area from a spring, and sanitary facilities. Lighting fires is permitted in designated areas.

According to mythology…
The Akamas Peninsula is characterised by rich archaeology and history, but also by mythology intertwined with tradition and legends, created and developed over the centuries by people’s imagination. According to mythology, this is where the ancient gods Adonis and Aphrodite flirt. Adonis chases after Aphrodite and they end up reaching the top of the mountain at nightfall. Hence the name Pissouromoutti (pissouri = darkness, moutti = tip). The chase is over when Adonis catches up with Aphrodite a bit further down and they ‘unite’ in the area that is now
called Smigies (smigo = to unite).

Flora: Indigenous plants: Phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea), lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus), terebinths (Pistacia terebinthus), rockroses (Cistus creticus, Cistus monspeliensis etc), wild thyme (Thymus capitatus).