Details of the National parks of Greece

1. national parks of Greece
Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
Ainos National Park
http://www.kefaloniaheaven.com/en/sightseeing/item/ainos.html
The abundant and rare wild flora and fauna, as well as the characteristic
geomorphic formations, habitats and landscapes give special value to the National
Park.
2.862
Alonnisos Marine Park
http://alonissos.gr/en/marine-park/overview.html
The National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades (Greek: Εθνικό
Θαλάσσιο Πάρκο Αλοννήσου Βορείων Σποράδων, ΕΘΠΑΒΣ) was founded by
Presidential Decree on May 16, 1992. It was the first of its kind in Greece, and is
currently the largest marine protected area in Europe.
The islands are covered in Mediterranean coniferous forest and macchia
vegetation such as the strawberry tree, phillyrea, the heather, rhamnus, the
kermew oak, often in the form of treelike shrubs, and evergreen trees such as the
maple, the wild olive, the Phoenician juniper and the rare tree Amelanchier
chelmea. Phrygana is also common and consists of many species. Of particular
interest are the chasmophytes with several endemic species such as Campanula
208.71
3

2. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
reiseri, Linum gyaricum, Arenaria phitosiana and others.
Oeta National Park
http://wikimapia.org/6409183/National-Park-Oeta
A beautiful mountainous range, offering some great hikes, including
the ascent to Mount Oeta, the legendary place were Hercules
supposedly died.
7.210
Olympus National Park
http://www.olympusfd.gr/us/Default.asp
Over 1,700 species of plants have been recorded on Mount Olympus which
represent 25% of all Greek flora. Most of those plants exist in low altitudes. They
are the usual Mediterranean and centre-European kinds. In the treeless alpine
zone there are 150 kinds of plants. Half of those can be found only in the Balkan
Peninsula and 23 are native and are as follows:
Achillea ambrosiaca, Alyssum handelii, Asperula muscosa, Aubrieta thessala,
Campanula oreadum, Carum adamovicii, Centaurea incomplete, Centaurea
litochorea, Centaurea transies, Cerastium theophrasti, Coincla nivalis, Erysimum
olympicum
3.988

3. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
Parnassos National Park
http://en.parnassosnp.gr/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B
7.aspx
Parnassos National Park was initially established in 1938 in order to protect its
scenic beauty, by institutionalizing its core zone as protected area.
3.513
Parnitha National Park
http://www.parnitha-np.gr/welcome.htm
Mt Parnitha is located in Sterea Ellas (Central Greece) and is the highest mountain
in the vicinity of Athens. It extends in a large area, presenting variable topography
with several summits, gorges, streams and plateaus.
On the riverbanks a riverine vegetation occurs and on the mountain's steep, rocky
slopes, numerous chasmophytes are found. In some areas, deciduous oaks grow.
Also, the presence of several plateaus and meadows on the mountain is very
important for the wildlife's survival and especially the population of the red deer.
3.812

4. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
Pindus National Park
http://pindosnationalpark.gr/?lang=en
Pindus National Park, also known as Valia-Kalda, is a national park in mainland
Greece, situated in an isolated mountainous area at the periphery of West
Macedonia and Epirus, in the northeastern part of the Pindus mountain range
In total, 415 types of plants and 86 species of mushroom are recorded in the area.
A number of local flower types are considered endemic to the Balkans, such as
Dianthus deltoides and Allium breviradum. On the other hand, many endemic
plants of central and northern Greece growalso in the park, like the Centaurea
vlachorum.
6.927
Prespes National Park
http://hotelsline.com/en/article/prespes-national-park-prepsa-greece-sights-hotels
The National Park of Prespa encompasses the lakes of Mikri and Megali Prespa-
in part-, which are separated by a sandy islet of alluvial sediment and are
encompassed by tall mountains. Extensive reed beds of Phragmites australis,
Typha angustifolia, and Scrirpus lacustris, Carex spp. occupy the shores of the
lake. There are also characteristic formations of aquatic plants which are rooted in
the depths, with large floating leaves, often with a layer of underwater species.
19.470

5. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
Samaria National Park
www.samaria.gr/language/en/
The Samariá Gorge is a National Park of Greece since 1962 on the island of Crete
– a major tourist attraction of the island – and a World's Biosphere Reserve. The
gorge is in southwest Crete in the regional unit of Chania.
Along with the surrounding slopes and a number of smaller gorges branching off
from it, Samaria Gorge forms the whole of the area designated as a national park,
a status that offers protection to over 450 species of plant and animal, 70 of which
are endemic to Crete. In the prefecture of Chania (also written “Hania”), the
Samaria gorge is the longest in Europe (total length 16km), and one of the most
impressive gorges in Greece. It starts from Xylóskalo, at an altitude of 1,230m.
4.850
Sounio National Park
https://explorehellas.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/national-parks-of-greece-sounio/
The National Park of Sounio was founded in 1971. It lies on the southeastern edge
of Attica, in the area which is commonly called Laureotiki and ends up at the cape
of Sounio. It is comprised of about 4,000 hectares, of which the 500 are the
nucleus of the park where the established order of conservation is absolute.
The area of the national park is interspersed with caves and other karstic
formations.
types are closely endemic of Laureotiki, that is belong only to this area, which are
Centaurea laureotica and Centaurea attica ssp. asperula. The flora of the national
park includes many other Greeks endemics. Also, more that 260 minerals have
been collected in the area, some of which are completely unknown to science. This
3.500

6. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
exact variety of minerals favored the development of a unique mining “industry”
during ancient times.
Vikos–Aoös National Park
http://www.greentours.gr/destinations/5
The Vikos–Aoös National Park (Greek: Εθνικός Δρυμός Βίκου–Αώου Ethnikós
Drymós Víkou–Aóou) is a national park in the region of Epirus in northwestern
Greece.
The park is part of the Natura 2000 ecological network and one of UNESCO
Geoparks and spans an elevation range from 550 to 2,497 meters.
The park's varied geology and topography have resulted in a unique variety of flora
and fauna. There are three main habitat zones:] Sub-mediterranean woodland
which mainly consists of deciduous broadleaf forests and woodlands and extends
up to an elevation of about 1,500 m
12.600
Zakynthos National Marine Park
http://www.zanteisland.com/en/marine-park-zakynthos.php
The National Marine Park of Zakynthos (Greek: Εθνικό Θαλάσσιο Πάρκο
Ζακύνθου) founded in 1999, is a national park located in Laganas bay, in
Zakynthos island, Greece. The park, part of the Natura 2000 ecological network,[1]
covers an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) and is the habitat of the
loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). It is the first national park established for
the protection of sea turtles in the Mediterranean.
13.500

7. Name
Area
(ha)
Map Photo
The area is home to the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), which
is considered one of the oldest forms of life on planet.
Furthermore, the area is characterised by a variety of habitats of interest including
sand dunes, Posidonia oceanica beds, the critically endangered sea daffodil
(Pancratium maritimum), submerged reefs, as well as hundreds of species of flora
and fauna, some of which are of great importance.