National parks of Greece

The national parks of Greece are natural areas on Greek territory classified as national parks.

As of September 2022, according to the World Database on Protected Areas, the country had 27 national parks (10 national forest parks, 15 national parks and 2 marine national parks). Among these, the National Park Mount Olympus and the Samaria National Park have been recognized as biosphere reserves by Unesco. An additional 443 areas have also been protected under the European Red Natura 2000 plan.

History and legislation

The tradition of protected areas in Greece dates back to Ancient Greek times and to the Altis and the sacred grove of Olympia, among other sanctuaries. In more recent times, the country's climatic and biological diversity, along with the rich flora and fauna associated with it, made the need for the creation of national parks obvious as early as 1937, when the government of Ioannis Metaxas first promulgated a law establishing national parks in Greece, Law 856/1937 on National Parks of Greece. Forests, itself basing itself on the "protected forests" of the 1929 Forest Code. In 1938, the first national park, centered on Mount Olympus, was established, followed later that year by a second, centered on Mount Parnassus. In 1986, the legal framework was reformed by Law 1650/1986, whose article 19 provides for the following types of protected areas:

• absolute natural reserve areas
• natural reserve areas
• National parks
• protected natural formations, protected landscapes and landscape elements
• areas of ecodevelopment

Among national parks, according to article 19 of section 3, when a "national park" (εθνικό πάρκο) has a predominantly marine or forest character, it may become a "marine national park" (θαλάσσιο πάρκο) or a a national forest park (εθνικός δρυμός). Previously declared parks are all considered forest parks.

Design

Each national park consists of a core and a peripheral area that surrounds it. Under Greek law]], the core cannot be smaller than 15,000,000 m², with the exception of marine national parks. The surrounding area must be greater than or at least equal to the size of the core.

In the core of the national park, only scientific research, light recreational activities, and the acquisition of information related to the environment are allowed. The creation of menageries, fish farms, road construction, outposts, camping and trekking infrastructure, along with logging and grazing infrastructure are permitted in the peripheral zone of the national park.

Landscape and climate

Greece is characterized by an extremely fragmented landscape, which is home to a great diversity of ecosystems and exceptional biodiversity. Almost 5% of its extensive coastline consists of ecologically sensitive wetlands. Two thirds of the total population lives within 2 km of the coast and most of the important urban centers are coastal, while almost all the tourist infrastructure is divided between the Greek islands and the coast of the mainland.

The climate of Greece is divided into three classes: a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Temperatures rarely reach extremes, although snowfall occasionally occurs even in Athens, Cyclades, or Crete during winter. An alpine climate is found mainly in Western Greece (Epirus), Central Greece, Thessaly, Eastern Macedonia as well as central parts of the Peloponnese such as Achaia, Arcadia and parts of Lakonia through which the alpine range passes). A temperate climate is found in Central and Eastern Macedonia as well as Thrace, in places like Komotini, Xanti, and northern Hebros; with cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

National Parks of Greece

National parks of Greece (updated, September 2022)

Image	No.	Type	Denomination	Periphery	Peripheral unit	Date	Area (ha) (cleaning)	Area (ha) (periphery)	Coordinates	References
	01	FOR	Monte Olimpo National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός που)			1938	46.1	-	40°04′13′′N 22°25′17′E / 40.07019027, 22.42147055	[1]
	02	FOR	Monte Parnaso National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός παρνασος)	Central Greece	Ftiótide	1938	3706	-	38°34′14′N 22°32′22′′E / 38.57056007, 22.53953099	[2]
	03	FOR	Parnès National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός κερνηθας)	Atica periphery		1961	3950	-	38°10′12′N 23°42′27′E / 38.17002823, 23.70745258	[3]
	04	FOR	Monte Ainos National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός уνου)			1962	2831	-	38°08′58′′N 20°40′21′′E / 38.14957124, 20.67256066	[4]
	05	FOR	National Park of Samaria (Εθνικός Δρυμός σαμαριάς)	Crete periphery		1962	4752	-	35°19′04′N 23°58′19′′E / 35.31789493, 23.97187998	[5]
	06	FOR	Monte Eta National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός κικός)	Central Greece	Ftiótide	1966	3468	3885	38°49′58′N 22°19′12′′E / 38.83287833, 22.32003927	[6] [7]
	07	FOR	Pindo National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός κικός)	Epiro periphery Periphery of Eastern Macedonia and Trace		1966	3154	3515	39°54′56′′N 21°10′13′′E / 39.91557590, 21.17034344	[8] [9]
	08	FOR	Sunio National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός σουνουουνου)	Atica periphery	Eastern	1974	622	3480	37°42′35′N 24°00′29′′E / 37.70959872, 24.00802492	[10] [11]
	09	FOR	Vikos-Aoos National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός –κου – ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̧ου)	Epiro periphery		1973	3238	9595	39°58′18′N 20°43′53′′E / 39.97176589, 20.73126878	[12] [13]
	10	FOR	Prespa National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός πρεσπίν)			1974	5102	21 061	40°47′14′N 21°04′45′E / 40.78727285, 21.07915442	[14] [15]
	11	MAR	National Marine Park of Alonnisos (Εθνικό rogaαλάσιο γρκο уλον σου)είων σποράδων)	Tesalia periphery		1992	230 140	-	39°14′14′N 24°06′22′′E / 39.23711726, 24.10607594	[16]
	12	MAR	Zante Marine National Park (Εθνικό rogaαλάσιο γρκο φακου)	Ionian Islands periphery		1999	10 433	3734	37°47′00′′N 20°54′00′′E / 37.78333, 20.9	[17] [18]
	13	PN	Schiniás-Marathon National Park (Εθνικό πάρκο σχινιά – MINαραθίνα)			2000	1439	-	38°09′04′′N 24°01′42′′E / 38.151111, 24.028333	[19]
	14	PN	Korónia-Vólvi-Témpi National Park (Εθνικό πάρκο Κορειας –)λβικαι κεδονικκεδονικεν Τεμπίν)			2004	15 928	192 157	40°41′03′′N 23°27′52′′E / 40.684167, 23.4644	[20] [21] [22]
	15	PN	Northern Pindo National Park (Εθνικό κόρκο Łόρειας κεικου) (regroups the national parks of Pinde et de Vikos-Aoos)			2005	146 259	48 387	39°56′27′N 20°57′02′′E / 39.940804, 20.950584	[23] [24]
	16	PN	Messolonghi-Aitoliko National Park, the lower sections and estuaries of the Acheloos and Evinos rivers and the Echinades Islands (Εθνικό κο γρκο 한ιμνοθαλασεσσολογγίου – уιτλικος, κάτω ρουυ και εκαι εκοβλουν ποταμν πελελουκουκαινινινινινινιουνινιουνινινιουνιουνιεουνιεουνιουνιουνιουνιονιονινιεουνιουνιονιουνιεουνιονιουνιονιουνιονιουνιονιουνιονιουνιουνιονιονιουνιουν εονιονιουνιουνιου πον			2006	36 073	25 622	38°23′13′′N 21°21′29′′E / 38.387, 21.358	[25] [26]
	17	PN	Dadiá-Lefkími-Souflí National Park (Εθνικό πάρκο Δάσους Δαδικος – Δευκμμικος – σουφουλίουου)		Evros peripheral unit	2006	43 200	-	41°07′48′N 26°13′01′′E / 41.13, 26.216944	[27]
	18	PN	Kerkíni Lake National Park (Εθνικό πάρκο Δμερκίνης)			2006	82 415	-	41°13′N 23°08′E / 41.21, 23.13	[28]
	19	PN	Evros delta national park (Εθνικό сγροτοπικό κό πάρκο Δέλτα βρου)	Periphery of Eastern Macedonia and Trace	Evros peripheral unit	2007	12 896	6191	40°48′57′′N 26°01′40′′E / 40.815833, 26.027778	[29] [30]
	20	PN	Ambracique Golf National Park (Εθνικό κο γρκο γροτόπων αμβρακικος)			2008	28 763	152 270	39°06′N 20°53′E / 39.10, 20.88	[31] [32]
	21	PN	Eastern Macedonian and Tracia National Park (Εθνικό πάρκο Íνατολικος Μακεδονίαος και rogaράκις)	Eastern Macedonia and Trace	Kavala peripheral unit Peripheral unit of Ródope	2008	92 947	188	40°57′50′N 24°58′19′′E / 40.963889, 24.971944	[33] [34]
	22	PN	National Park of Tzoumerka-Acheloos-Agrafa-Météores (Εθνικό κόγρκο Το Τoundουμ Vasρκων περιστερερίου φαράδρας Àράθου)			2009 (explored in 2018)	72 360	9594	39°33′N 21°00′E / 39.55, 21.00	[35] [36] [37] [38] [39]
	23	PN	Kotýchi-Strofyliá National Park (Εθνικό κο γρκο γροτόπων Κoτχίου – στροφιλιάς)			2009	15 975	7201	38°00′N 21°17′E / 38.00, 21.29	[40] [41]
	24	PN	National Park of the Rhodopes (Εθνικό πάρκο κοσειράς)οδόπις)			2009	54 929	120 063	41°22′35′N 23°07′41′′E / 41.376389, 23.128056	[42] [43]
	25	PN	Axios-Loudias-Aliakmonas National Delta Park (Εθνικό πάρκο Δέλτα φιος - 한ουδία - Àλικμονα)			2009	33 780	-	40°38′00′′N 22°51′00′′E / 40.6333, 22.85	[44]
	26	PN	Chelmos-Vouraïkos National Park (Εθνικό κο γρκο φελμος) – Τουουρανκος)		Acaya peripheral unit	2009	54 400	-	37°58′26′′N 22°12′25′′E / 37.973889, 22.206944	[45]
	27	PN	Gran and Small Lake Prespa National Park (Εθνικό γρκο Δρυμος πρεσπον)			2009	32 403	-	40°51′19′N 20°58′′E / 40.855222, 20.98275	[46]