Published · 6 min read · Facts checked 9 October 2026 against the sources below
Adonis Baths is a waterfall and a set of swimming pools on the Mavrokolympos river, in the hills north-west of the village of Kili, inland from Paphos. It is privately owned. The company that owns it charges an entry fee and has built a small theme park around the falls: statues from Greek myth, an old watermill, a museum, a café and changing rooms.
That is worth knowing before you go, because the pictures online show only the water. Expect a commercial site at the end of a rough track, not a wild pool in the forest. Plenty of people love it. The Cyprus Mail called it small next to the island’s other waterfalls, but the most popular of them.
From the villa above Coral Bay, Cyprus, it is a half-day trip into the hills, best done in the morning.
What you will find there
On the site there are:
- an upper and a lower waterfall, both with pools you can swim in;
- a traditional watermill, which the owners date to the 16th century;
- a small museum of old Cypriot objects, and a souvenir shop;
- a café terrace with views over the mountains;
- statues from Greek mythology, including a 10-metre Aphrodite, and an open-air amphitheatre;
- toilets, changing rooms, sunbeds and a car park.
The owners also run jeep safaris (Evis Jeep Safari), host weddings and let rooms. You don’t need to book to arrive by car.
Not the Baths of Aphrodite
The two are easy to confuse. The Baths of Aphrodite (Loutra tis Afroditis) are a different place, a grotto on the Akamas side near Polis, where the 7.5 km Aphrodite nature trail begins. Adonis Baths is inland, near Kili, and you pay to get in. If your sat-nav offers you the Baths of Aphrodite, you are heading the wrong way.
The legend of Adonis
The name is a modern one. The landowner introduced it, and “Adonis Baths” does not appear in any ancient source.
The story the owners tell goes like this. Adonis, the young hunter loved by Aphrodite, hunted in the forests of the Akamas. Artemis and Poseidon both play a part in their version, and in the end a wild boar kills him. The version most visitors hear is that Adonis and Aphrodite met here to bathe. The owners also say the Byzantine hero Digenis drank from these pools. None of it is history, but the statues make more sense once you know it.
If myth is the reason you are going, pair it with Aphrodite’s Rock on another day.
Getting there: the track
This is the part to take seriously.
The operator warns that Google Maps does not show the correct way to Adonis Baths, and asks visitors to follow the road signs from Tala village or from Coral Bay. Cyclists and motorcyclists are told to use the Tala road.
So from Peyia, pick up the signs in Coral Bay or in Tala and stick to them, rather than trusting a sat-nav shortcut through the hills. The roads up are steep and bumpy, and an off-road vehicle is the safer choice.
If you would rather not drive it, a jeep safari is the other way up, and the operator runs one.
Entry fee, opening hours and the season
Entry is €15 for adults and €10 for children at the time of writing, for the whole park including the waterfalls.
The opening hours are less clear. The operator says it is open every day, Monday to Sunday, but its website gives two different sets of hours:
| Where on the operator’s site | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Home page, summer | 09:00–19:00 |
| Home page, autumn (Sept–Oct) | 09:00–18:30 |
| Home page, winter | 09:00–17:00 |
| Contact and about pages | 09:00–20:00 |
Plan to arrive well before the earliest closing time, and ring ahead on +357 96 321335 to check.
Is it open?
We know of no closures at Adonis Baths in 2025 or 2026. It is a private business at the end of a dirt track, though, and a short closure might not make the news. Call before you drive up, especially in winter.
When to go
In July and August the average daily high at Paphos Airport, on the coast, is 30.4 °C and 31.0 °C, and the climb up the track in a hot car is the least pleasant part of the day. Go early, and take plenty of water.
Spring and autumn are kinder. The average high is 24.9 °C in May and 27.0 °C in October, warm enough for a swim in the sun and cool enough to enjoy the drive. In winter the average high drops to 17.3 °C in January and the river water will feel cold; it is a day for looking at the falls and the watermill rather than for a long swim. Rain also falls mostly between November and March, which is when a dirt track is likely to be at its worst, so pick a dry spell. Our Paphos weather guide has every month.
A weekday morning, close to opening time, is your best chance of a quieter pool.
Swimming, and what to bring
Swimming is the point of the visit. You can swim at both the upper and lower falls, and there are changing rooms and sunbeds by the water. The operator’s own packing advice is short and right: a towel, a swimsuit and good shoes.
We don’t know how deep the pools are, and the depth can change with the river. Look before you jump, and don’t dive in.
Bring:
- swimwear, towels and water shoes or sandals with grip;
- sun cream and hats;
- water, even though there is a café;
- cash and a card, in case one doesn’t work up in the hills.
Is Adonis Baths good for children?
The operator markets it to families and couples, and there is a children’s ticket.
The things to weigh up are the bumpy drive, slippery rocks round the pools and water of unknown depth. Don’t count on a lifeguard at the pools: keep younger children within arm’s reach.
Is it worth the drive?
Go if you want a swim in fresh water, a dose of mythology and a café with a view, and you don’t mind paying for it. Skip it if you want unspoilt nature: the Akamas has walks and coves that cost nothing. See our Akamas page and Kathikas and the Akamas villages.
| Go if… | Skip it if… |
|---|---|
| you want a freshwater swim under a waterfall | you want unspoilt, empty nature |
| you like myths, statues and an old watermill | you would rather not pay to reach a river |
| your car, or a jeep safari, can handle a track | your hire car is not insured off tarmac |
| you can go in the morning | you only have the hottest hours of a summer day |
A half-day plan from the villa in Peyia:
- Leave straight after breakfast and follow the signs from Coral Bay or Tala.
- Arrive close to opening time, and start at the lower falls.
- Swim, then walk up to the upper falls, the watermill and the statues.
- Have a coffee on the café terrace before the drive back down.
- Be back by mid-afternoon for the rest of the day by your own pool.
Where to stay
After the dust of the track, a pool of your own is hard to beat. Villa Prasino is a private villa in Peyia, above Coral Bay, for up to 6 guests, with a 6 × 12 m diving pool and a hot tub that only your group uses, and 1,000 m² of fenced gardens. The Akamas National Park is about 5 km away. See our villa with a private pool, and check availability and rates. When you have dates, send us a booking request and we’ll confirm availability and your price within 24 hours.
