Greece is a small country with remarkably varied nature. Mountains, islands isolated for millions of years, gorges, wetlands and a vast coastline have created one of the richest biodiversities in Europe.
Flora
Greece has over 6,000 species and subspecies of plants, about a fifth of them endemic, found nowhere else on earth. Crete alone has hundreds of endemics, such as dittany (Origanum dictamnus), a medicinal herb famous since antiquity. In spring mountain meadows and islands are covered in wild orchids, anemones, tulips and cyclamen.
| Habitat | Typical plants |
|---|---|
| Coast and islands | Maquis, thyme, sage, juniper, Aleppo pine, tamarisk |
| Hills | Olive, kermes oak, carob, cypress |
| Mountains | Greek fir, black pine, beech, chestnut |
| High mountains | Bosnian pine of Pindus and Olympus, endemic alpine flowers |
Wildlife
- Brown bear: lives in the Pindus and the mountains of western Macedonia and the Rhodopes; numbers are rising thanks to protection.
- Wolf, golden jackal, chamois and the Cretan wild goat, the kri-kri, symbol of the island.
- Mediterranean monk seal: one of Europe's rarest marine mammals; Greece has the largest population in the Mediterranean, especially in the Sporades and Aegean islands.
- Loggerhead turtle: nests on beaches in Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete.
- Dolphins, sperm whales and Cuvier's beaked whales in the Ionian Sea and the Hellenic Trench.
- Birds: pelicans at Prespa, flamingos in the lagoons, griffon and bearded vultures in Crete, Eleonora's falcons on the Aegean islands. Greece is a major flyway between Europe and Africa.
Parks and protected areas
| Protected area | Region | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Olympus | Thessaly and Macedonia | Mountain of the gods, first national park (1938) |
| Samaria Gorge | Crete | One of Europe's longest gorges, 16 km on foot |
| Vikos-Aoos | Epirus | Deep gorges, stone villages of Zagori |
| Prespa | Western Macedonia | Lakes with pelican colonies |
| Parnassus | Central Greece | Fir forests above Delphi |
| Alonissos Marine Park | Sporades | First Greek marine park (1992), refuge of the monk seal |
| Zakynthos Marine Park | Ionian Islands | Loggerhead nesting beaches (1999) |
| Evros Delta | Thrace | One of Europe's key wetlands for birds |
Threats
Ever larger summer fires, drought, coastal building, mass tourism and overfishing put many habitats under pressure. In recent years the state has announced new marine parks in the southern Ionian and southern Cyclades, and many groups work on conservation, such as ARCHELON for turtles and MOm for monk seals.