Greece is blessed with one of the most beautiful and stunning scenery on the planet and Greek nature is unique for its richness of flora and fauna. Greek National Parks constitute a precious natural heritage, not just for Greece but for the whole of Europe. The most important National Parks and Reserves in Greece are:

Oiti National Park (Central Greece):
Part of this Park is covered by forests of fir and black pine. Examples of the Alpine lily Lilium Cholcedonium can be found in the meadows between the forests, while holm-oak, arbutus, cedar and oleander grow on the lower slopes. The fauna of the Park is particularly rich in deer and roedeer, wild goat and wild boar. There is also a tremendous variety of birds, including eagles, vultures, hawks, owls, partridges and hoopoes. Other species of interest are frogs and tortoises, as well as reptiles and numerous kinds of insect.

Vikos National Park (Northern Greece):
The Vikos National Park, encompasses a total of 12,600 hectares and includes Mount Tymfi, the Vikos Canyon and the Aoos Ravine. Its principal forests consist of broad-leaved deciduous trees (hornbeam, maple, willow and oak), but it also contains forests of plane, elm, lime and hazel, as well as fir, cedar and black and white - barked pine. The regions fauna is very rich in large mammals like the bear, the wolf, roe-deer, wild goat and wild boar in addition to smaller animals such as the wild cat, hare, polecat and squirrel. Several species of fish including trout live in the rivers, along with otters and numerous water incects of interest.

Olympus National Park (Northern Greece):
This was the first National Park to be set up in Greece (1937) and is one of the longest- established in the world. It contains approximately 1,700 species of plant, including some rare and even unique examples of wild flowers. The lower slopes are covered by species of the Mediterranean maquis such as holm-oak, arbutus, cedar and pomegranate mingled with other deciduous trees and conifers. Higher up there are forests of oak, beech, black and Balkan pine. Amongst the fauna in the Park are large mammals such as the wolf, jackal, fox, wild boar, roe-deer and wild goat, and smaller mammals such as the badger, polecat, weasel, hare and squirrel. The areas bird-life includes eagles, vultures and other birds of prey, woodpeckers and snow-thrushes.

Prespa National Park ( Northern Greece):
It covers an area of 4,650 hectares and it’s a site of outstanding natural beauty. Two freshwater lakes, occupying an enclosed mountain basin fed by seasonal streams. Vegetation consists of a rich aquatic flora of extensive reedbeds and wet meadows. Numerous fish species are present, including endemic species. A particularly important area for breeding, staging and wintering birds, all globally threatened, such as the Pelicanus crispus. Home of large mammals ( wolves, bears ).

Valia Calda National Park (Northern Greece):
This is the largest Park in the country covering 12,935 hectares. Thick forests of black pine and fir cover most of the Park’s area. This is big mammal country: deer, wolf, bear, lynx, wild boar and wild cat. A perfect place for trekking, similar to the popular parks of North America.

Dadia Forest (Northern Greece):
The Forest of Dadia is a nature reserve, unique in Europe for birds of prey, 36 of the 38 remaining species in Europe can be found here. The visitor sets out with a briefing from the Centre of Ecotourism and continues with a guided trip to the reserve with its extensive pine and oak woods, where the raptors are watched from the special lookout.

Samaria Canyon National Park (Crete Island):
One of the longest canyons in Europe and certainly the most narrow one. Its 18 km long and at a certain point it gets less than 2.5 metres wide.

Evros Delta ( Northern Greece):
Sharing the border with Turkey, the Evros River delta consists of brackish lagoons, freshwater marshes, lakes, and a coastal zone of saltmarshes and mudflats. Salt-resistant vegetation dominates, but patches of riparian forest remain. The delta is the most important wetland in Greece for wintering waterbirds, and supports various species of breeding and passage birds. Several birds, mammals and plants are rare or threatened species. The site is important for conservation education and provides a biological station, observation tower, and birdwatching center.

Nestos Delta ( Northern Greece):
An extensive delta complex, including saltmarshes, freshwater lakes supporting nationally rare plant species, coastal lagoons, a dune system, and the largest remaining area of riparian forest in Greece. The delta is the most important breeding site in Europe for plover and supports various species of nesting and up to 50.000 wintering birds, including the globally threatened sea eagle Haliaetus albicilla.

Kerkini Lake ( Northern Greece):
Near the border between Greece and Bulgaria, a nutrient-rich, freshwater reservoir in an alluvial plain between mountain massifs, supporting extensive beds of floating vegetation and subject to wide variations in water level. The site includes mudflats, seasonally flooded forest, and sand banks, and supports the largest mixed nesting colony of waterbirds in Greece. Numerous species of waterbirds occur in winter and during spring and autumn migration periods, including several globally threatened or endangered species.

Sporades Marine Park (Aegean Sea):
It covers much of the Sporades Islands Archipelago and it is a refuge for seals and dolphins and dozens kinds of seabirds. The Park provides shelter for one of the rarest Mediterraneans mamals: the Mediterranean, or monk seal (monachus-monachus) classified as an endangered species. It’s a unique bio-habitat, not only for the seal but also for many other creatures.