Λουτρά της Αφροδίτης

Loutra tis Afroditis - Baths of Aphrodite

Useful Information

Location:	E713, Neo Chorio 8852. (35.0563599, 32.3438545)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Spring Tufa Deposits
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Loutra tis Afroditis, E713, Rd To Fontana Amoroza, Neo Chorio 8852, Tel: +357-26-332322.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Λουτρά της Αφροδίτης (Loutra tis Afroditis, Baths of Aphrodite) is located on the Akamas Peninsula protruding from the west coast of Zyprus. The highway E713 ends here at a car park, which is the trailhead of the Aphrodite Nature Trail. This trail leads through the Βοτανικός Κήπος "Λουτρά της Αφροδίτης" (Botanical Garden "Baths of Aphrodite"), which was named after the main sight. The Baths of Aphrodite is actually a karst spring, the limestone rich water falls down into a small pool depositing tufa on the way. Such growing rocks have a typical form, with bulbous limestone deposit, enclosed caves and the typical porous tufa. The spring is often called a natural cavern, this is obviously a mix-up. There is a karst cave behind, from which the water rises, but the bath itself is a small pool with tufa deposits, and not a cavern.

This small pool was according to local lore the place where Aphrodite would bathe. And they say it was the place where she first met her great love Adonis. And the waters are said to hold special rejuvenating powers.

Mother Earth swells and suffers with terrible pain because Uranus keeps his children born of Gaea locked in the depths of earth. Gaea suffers too and gets angry with her husband Uranus. She persuades her last-born child, Cronos, to rebel. Cronos cuts off his father's genitals and throws them to the sea. From Uranus's genitals Aphrodite is born. She is the Goddess of love and beauty. She is also related with water due to her unusual birth.
Hesiod: Theogony

The breath of the west wind bore her
Over the sounding sea,
Up from the delicate foam,
To wave-ringed Cyprus, her isle.
And the Hours golden-wreathed
Welcomed her joyously.
They clad her in raiment immortal,
And brought her to the gods.
Wonder seized them all as they saw
Violet-crowned Aphrodite.
Homer

Now for the story about Adonis. Those old Greek legends have a lot of incest, if there is only a group of siblings to choose from, there is no other chance than marrying siblings.

Myrrha, the daughter of the Syrian king, is punished by Aphrodite for not showing enough respect to Aphrodite. She gives the girl an irresistible desire for her father, and they sleep together for 7 days and 7 nights (40 days 40 nights in some sources). After this time her father finally realizes that the person he was with the last nights is his own daughter. He tries to kill her, but the gods finally pity the girl and turn her into a myrtle tree. After 9 months, from the trunk of the tree, Adonis, the most beautiful of the mortals, was born.
Aphrodite found the baby, and took him to the underworld to be fostered by Persephone. She returned for him once he was grown and discovered him to be strikingly handsome. However, Persephone also found Adonis to be exceedingly handsome and wanted to keep him. Zeus settled the dispute by decreeing that Adonis would spend one third of the year with Aphrodite, one third with Persephone, and one third with whomever he chose. Adonis chose Aphrodite, and they stayed together.
Another version states that both goddesses got to keep him for half the year each at the suggestion of the Muse Calliope. When Adonis spend his life with Aphrodite above the surface the world had summer, when he lived with Persephone beneath the earth, the world had winter.