National Parks in Greece

As you no doubt know, walking in Greece is one of the most enjoyable things you can do – I will be doing this on Corfu and hopefully Crete on my next visit and have a couple of wonderful books on the subject to review too so watch this space!

Some of the loveliest parts of Greece are those dedicated to the preservation of the flora and fauna. These areas would provide endless interest during holidays or indeed if you chose to live nearby. Less than 1 in 40 of Greece's islands is occupied, which in many cases means that nature has been left undisturbed and many rare animals and birds have too. Thousands of migratory birds use the islands as a stop-over point annually. They lie between Africa and Northern Europe and a huge variety of birds can be seen – a veritable bird-watchers paradise.

Incidentally – a quick tip here: get yourself a bird identification book in Athens if you are passing through. It may not always be possible to get your hands on one in smaller towns.

Here are just a few of the national parks:

Prespa Lakes:
This is in the northwest mainland and includes the two lakes of Mikri and Megalo. Statistics show that over 260 species of birds have been recorded here, including pelicans, storks and herons. The park also has brown bears, grey wolves, lynx and otto. I must say that it is one of my life’s ambitions to see wolves – perhaps I will include this in my next visit.

Pindos National Park:
This park is near the Pindos Mountains in North West Greece. Eagles, brown bears, wolves, wild cat, boar and red squirrels have been spotted here.

Vikos Gorge:
This is part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park in North West Greece. Here the concentration is mainly on flora, with maple, cherry and elm trees plus a huge variety of flowers and butterflies. The recommended time to visit is between April and November – any later and you risk snow.

Mount Parnassus:
Much of this mountain is part of a national park and has a wonderful variety of both flora and fauna. Birds abound and birdwatchers are in their element here.

Dadia Forest:
A stunning 36 out of 38 of Europe's predatory bird species have been observed here, including vultures, eagles and owls. The park is quite near the Turkish border.

Mount Olympus National Park:
Flowers such as orchids, tulips, violets and lilies and the many accompanying butterflies abound here. Also you may see deer and wild boar plus wild cats and squirrels.

Samaria Gorge:
I have driven alongside this gorge in Crete and can testify to it being a lovely spot. Along the 16 km walk you can see endless bird life, fauna and flora. Walks are arranged and include walks for most ages.

These are just a few of the many natural glories of Greece that you may want to check out next time you visit Greece. Enjoy!

Incidentally, I want to pass on an urgent warning: I recently spoke to a very annoyed and disillusioned GBG reader who has bought land in Greece. His purchase was a disaster as the land is not big enough to build on, although he was assured by his lawyer that it was. His advice: ALWAYS have a GPS survey done and get the borders of your property agreed to - and signed off by all your neighbours – BEFORE you sign anything or put down deposits.

We always recommend that you get yourself an independent lawyer, which this buyer did…but…the lawyer didn’t physically go out and actually measure the land. Pleas bear this in mind if you are going to be buying land won’t you?

All the best in the next week…

Carol

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Greecebuyingguide.com