MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN

Annexe 2
Etudes de cas
Case studies
2.15 Akamas Peninsula * - CYPRUS
Geographical framework
The Akamas Peninsula is today a remote wilderness area largely uninhabited by
humans. The peninsula lies in the far northwestern tip of Cyprus. The Akamas is
an area of 250 sq km, of which 71 are state forest.
The climate is of a semi-arid Mediterranean character.
The area is under the administrative jurisdiction of the District of Paphos.
A Conservation management plan was completed. Part of the Plan will be the
declaration of the first National Park in Cyprus.
Attractivity factors
The Akamas offers a diverse wildlife notable for its international ecological value.
The Akamas is considered one of the few European forests with a high biodiversity.
Coastal caves are of unique scenic value and the Monk seal use some as breeding
sites. The beaches are also breeding areas for turtles.
Very important species of mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and others can be
found in the region.
Very rich cultural heritage.
Main parties
− The Government
− The land owners (local people) and their associations
− The land owners (foreigners-business people having some large plots of land)
known as the developers, and their association
− NGOs
− Cyprus Tourism Organisation
− Political Parties of the Country.
Market structure
Population: about 1 000 inhabitants, with 25% being over the age of 65 (only 11%
at the Pan-Cypriot level). With the above demographic characteristics, it is
extremely difficult to run business and economic activities. This is the main reason
that the developers do their maximum efforts and lobbying to manage the tourism
development.
Thousand of tourists visit the area, although non the basic infrastructure exists.
There are only some small and family scale tourism establishments.
* Author: Dr. Kostas Papastavrou, Environment Officer, Environment Service, Ministry of
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Lefkosia, Cyprus.
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Plan Bleu