Akamas works to restart in 2026 with scaled-back roads and hunting ban on 12.7% of forest

Local AkamasenvironmentTop News Akamas works to restart in 2026 with scaled-back roads and hunting ban on 12.7% of forest Akamas Works To Restart In 2026 With Scaled Back Roads And Hunting Ban On 12.7% Of Forest Relevant News Akamas works to restart in 2026 with scaled-back roads and hunting ban on 12.7% of forest 20 June 2026 Things to do on Saturday, June 20 20 June 2026 Oroklini beach deaths expose unstaffed towers and missing warning signs 20 June 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 20 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus has relaunched the long-delayed Akamas development project with a significantly revised plan that reduces road widths, cuts the number of visitor hubs and proposes a protected natural reserve for the first time, following Cabinet decisions and an Environmental Authority Compliance Report issued in August 2025. The revised approach is built around minimising human intervention and reducing the environmental footprint of works across the peninsula. Sixteen park rangers have been on duty since May 11, 2026 and are currently undergoing training. Construction on the first phase of the road network is set to begin in the final quarter of 2026, with completion targeted for the end of 2027. Road network: three phases across 51km The road improvement programme is divided into three phases covering approximately 51km in total. Phase A covers approximately 9.9km of existing roads in the Aspros Potamos–Toxeftra–Lara and Toxeftra–Avakas areas, including the Lara circular road. Construction is expected to begin in Q4 2026 with completion targeted by the end of 2027. Phase B covers approximately 25.9km of existing forest roads, including the Lara–Koudounas–Koutsangas–Smigies–Ayios Minas, Koutsangas–Tzifin, and Aspros Potamos–Moundiko routes. The focus is on safe access, fire protection and forest management while preserving the area’s natural character. Studies will begin in Q4 2026, with works to follow after the necessary approvals and a completion target of end of 2028. Phase C covers approximately 25.7km of roads within the core state forest, to be implemented in parallel with Phase B. It includes the Loutra Afroditis–Fontana Amoroza section, for which the Environmental Authority granted approval in April 2026. Works on that section will involve widening at 13 points over a total length of 430 metres. On-road parking will be prohibited across Phases B and C except at a minimum number of points for firefighting needs. A new study is also under way covering hydraulic works and retaining walls in the Avakas area, with the tender expected to conclude in late August or early September 2026. From 14 hubs to eight The 2021 plan provided for 14 information and recreation hubs with extensive infrastructure affecting large areas of land. The revised plan reduces these to eight. A tender for their redesign will be issued in Q4 2026. The 2021 plan also provided for the construction of a hub and technical facilities at the sensitive Lara South site. The revised plan replaces this with a significantly smaller-footprint design. What else changes from 2021 The 2021 road design was based on Department of Public Works standards, with widths and alignments resembling an urban road network and provision for unified implementation. The revised plan adopts a phased approach with significantly smaller cross-sections. The Avakas–Lipati road section, which under the 2021 plan was subject to general road-building standards causing visible intervention in the natural landscape, is now subject to a full reassessment aimed at minimising impact on the existing alignment and geometric characteristics. Forest road specialists, not provided for in the 2021 plan, have now been formally engaged. Operating rules for the Akamas National Forest Park, drafted and legally reviewed in September 2021, will be updated to align with the revised framework, with the process expected to conclude around 2027 following completion of Phase A. A tender is also planned for a visitor transport service using park vehicles during peak periods from May to October. The service will come into operation after 2027. Protected natural reserve proposed for first time For the first time, the revised plan proposes designating part of the Akamas state forest as a Natural Reserve. The protected zone would cover 741.13 hectares, equivalent to 12.7% of the forest, within which all human activity including hunting would be prohibited. Micro-reserves are also planned. The proposal is to be submitted to Cabinet in Q4 2026 following an opinion from the Forestry Advisory Body. The 2021 plan made no provision for any such designation. 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