Smigies Nature trail

STARTING POINT
The Smigies Trail includes two circular routes that begin and end at Smigies picnic site, where you can leave your vehicle. 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 first common part of the two routes, which is about 1 km long and begins at Smigies picnic site, crosses the slopes of the Peana mountain top, where the Department of
forests has a fire look-out station, and offers an amazing view of the peninsula’s west coast (Lara Bay, Karavopetres, Geronisos). The trail passes by the look-out station and follows the mountain-ridge road, which leads to Cape Arnaoutis. About 200 m after the crossing that leads to the Peana lookout station, the two routes split. The long route
follows a course right of the mountain-ridge road and ends up in the beautiful area of Kefalovrysia where it meets the Adonis Trail. At this point you can choose to change course and trail and end up at Baths of Aphrodite. Otherwise, maintain course heading east and, passing through the old Magnesia metal quarry, the trail will end up in the location of Pampela where the two Smigies routes meet. The short route follows a course
right of the mountain-ridge road, crosses the beautiful area of Skoteini and quickly ends up at the locality of Pampela, thus decreasing the length and duration of the trail to about 1/3. From Pampela, the two routes follow a joint course for about 0.5 kilometres, along an old forest road with panoramic views toward the north-eastern beaches of the peninsula (Chrysochou Bay) and Pafos forest, and end up at Smigies picnic site, which is also the trail’s starting point.
Along the trail you will find numbered interest points with information relating to the area’s main plants, shrubs and trees, such as rockroses, juniper, wild thyme, terebinth, prickly burnet,wild sage, carob tree, strawberry tree, lentisk, and sweet marjoram.

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

Flora: Endemic plants: Thyme (Thymus integer), Cyprus germander (Teucrium micropodiodes), Cyprus Golden – Drop (Onosma fruticosa), Entire – Leaved Horehound (Acanthoprasium integrifolium), Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana var. tenuifolium).

Fauna: The main species of fauna found in the area are:

Mammals: Fox, hare, hedgehog.

Birds: Wood pigeon, partridge, Cyprus warbler (endemic), Cyprus wheatear (endemic).

The Akamas forest serves as a resting point for many migratory birds.

Reptiles: Cyprus viper, Cyprus lizard, black whip snake.