Safe access to the road linking the Baths of Aphrodite with Fontana Amorosa is an “essential prerequisite for the protection of human life, the natural environment and the state’s operational readiness” in the sensitive Akamas peninsula, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

But, it added, managing visitor access while necessary, is a secondary issue.

The ministry said issues raised in recommendations by the Audit Office a day earlier regarding access to the Akamas National Forest Park reflect “real challenges”, which have already been identified and are being managed.

The auditor-general’s office carried out an on-site visit between April 15 and 17, and expressed “grave concern over the situation in relation to the current road network from the Baths of Aphrodite up to Fontana Amorosa”, going on to recommend a series of corrective steps.

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Although regulating private vehicle access is necessary, it is not sufficient on its own to address the technical and practical difficulties of the area, the ministry said.

The road in question, it added, is not merely for visitors but “primarily a critical route for the operational movement of firefighting forces and other state services” in cases of wildfire or other emergencies.

Within this context, even under a controlled access regime, a minimum level of technical safety and functionality is required.

The ministry also said the forestry department has submitted a request to the environment service for “the minimum necessary improvement of the road” through the relevant procedures.

The forestry department clarified that this does not involve a full upgrade or the final solution foreseen under the park’s long-term planning, but rather a “limited and temporary intervention” aimed at improving safety and ensuring access for emergency vehicles.

At the same time, the department stressed that any works would take into account the environmental sensitivity and specific characteristics of the area.

According to the ministry, the final regulation of the road is linked to the overall organised operation of the park, including controlled access measures, a visitor transport system and a broader restructuring of the road network, in line with the integrated planning for the Akamas National Forest Park.

The ministry said it takes the Audit Office’s comments seriously and is continuing efforts to complete the necessary infrastructure and operational framework, with the aim of transitioning from the current interim situation to “a regulated and sustainable management framework with a reduced environmental footprint”.

A special report with detailed findings is expected to be published by the Audit Office.