Ecotourism Sporades

"They then departed from the town on the boat,
at the point where the Pagassos and Magnesia bays meet"
Apollonius of Rhodes, "Argonautica"

If you follow the route of the Argonauts and leave ancient lolkos (modern day Volos) behind, you will encounter the exquisite group of islands known as the Northern Sporades. In his work the Geography, the ancient geographer Strabo refers to them thus: "Before the land of the Magnesians are islands in close proximity to each other, some bearing the names Skiathos, Peparithos and Ikos, others Alonnisos and Skiros, all with cities of the same name." The Northern Sporades stretch along the east of the Pilion coastline.
On a clear day, from the islands you can make out the three peninsulas of Chalkidiki (the locals call them "the three legs"), the easternmost with its magnificent "Roof of God", i.e. Mount Athos, being the most imposing.

The third largest island of the Northern Sporades, Alonnisos, is approximately 20 km long, has a narrow area of 62 km2, and its highest peak is Mount Kouvouli (476 m).

The south and east sides have gentle slopes culminating in superb pebbled and sandy beaches at the sea.
They are protected from the wind by the neighbouring island of Peristera (or Xiro). 

In contrast, the north and west sides of the island have a wild beauty, and smaller, steep bays exposed to the wind.
 

The scenic villages of Old Alonnisos, Patitiri (set in the natural beauty of Patitiri bay) Votsi, Rousoum Gialos, charming Steni Vala, and Kalamakia are amongst the most significant on the island with over 2 800 permanent residents. The Municipality of Alonnisos was formed in 1995, and belongs to the province of Skopelos and the prefecture of Magnesia. Off the north and east coasts of Alonnisos are many small uninhabited islands and islets of indescribable beauty, each one different from the next. The most impressive are Peristera, Two Brothers, Skantzoura, Kyra Panagia, Gioura, Psathoura, and Piperi. Alonnisos and the uninhabited islands of the Northern Sporades form an island cluster of incomparable beauty and exceptional ecological value.

Of the habitat types, the most significant are the marine Posidonia beds (priority habitat type), the chasmophytic vegetation in
calcareous rocks of the Aegean Sea (found in good condition and home to several endemic plants), and the sea caves (refuge of the Mediterranean       monk seal).

Of the plants species, a number of chasmophytes are endemic to the Sporades and the Aegean Sea, and five species are included in The Red Data Book of rare and threatened plants of Greece. Of the islands' animal species, the Mediterranean monk seal is one of the most endangered species in the world. The enormous value of the region's ecosystems was acknowledged towards the end of the 70s, when attempts were made to protect it.

In May 1992, the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades was founded. It includes all the Northern Sporades except for Skiathos and Skopelos islands. The Park is not an enclosed area. It is a conservation area of roughly 2,200 km2, probably the largest marine conservation area in the Mediterranean.
Its purpose is to protect the ecosystems and to promote the development in Alonnisos (the only inhabited island in the park) within renewable parameters and without forced intervention.
Since 1990, MOm collaborates with the Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, the Ministry of Mercantile Marine, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Prefecture of Magnesia and the Municipality of Alonnisos to conduct regular briefings that inform and sensitize residents and visitors.
The official administrative body of the park was founded in 2003, and includes representatives from all the above bodies and is responsible for managing the park.

Map of the Alonnisos National Marine Park

Mediterranean Monk Seal

The Mediterranean monk seal is the rarest seal species in the world and one of the six mammals most in danger of extinction. It is one of the three types of monk seal (Mediterranean monk seal, Hawaian monk seal, Caribbean monk seal), which, among the 18 seal species that exist in the world, prefer warmer seas. Although all seals evolved from a terrestrial mammal that lived over 20 million years ago, today they have adapted to living in the sea. The Mediterranean monk seal is considered a large seal species (up to three meters long and weighting up to 350 kg). It has short, shiny fur, whose colour varies from light gray to black and is much lighter on the belly. Darker animal sometimes have a white patch on the belly. Monk seals feed on fish, mollusks, and decapods. They can travel dozens of kilometres and dive to depths of 70 - 80 meters. Usually the female gives birth to one pup every two years. She usually gives birth on land, usually in a sheltered sea cave that has a beach. Most births take place between August and December, especially during the months of September and October.

The new-born pup is normally about one meter long and weights about 15 kg. It suckles for nearly three months and gradually begins hunting for food.

Many years ago, thousands of Mediterranean monk seals lived on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, from the Black Sea to the north-western coast of Africa and the Atlantic Ocean.

Today only a few hundred seals exist in a small section of their natural habitat.
Hunted by humans, the Mediterranean monk seal seeks refuge on small uninhabited islands, inaccessible rocky shores, and sea caves.
This makes observing and studying them very difficult. A large seal colony existed on the shores of Morocco and Mauritania in northwest Africa.
Unfortunately, a fatal virus and thepollution of their marine environment wiped out 80% of their population

Half of the world's Mediterranean monk seals now live in Greek seas, which have 16,500 km of coastline and many islands (often uninhabited).The exact population is unknown but it is estimated to be roughly 200 -250 animals (1997, IUCN)
It is therefore necessary to make ardent efforts to protect the habitat of these rare animals.
    

One such conservation area in Greece is the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades, home to at least 55 seals.
To protect the seals, boats are prohibited to come within three nautical miles of Piperi Island, where many seals give birth.
Other animal and plant species are also protected in this way.
The research and conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal was undertaken in 1988 by the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal (MOm) in collaboration with the relevant government bodies.
MOm biologists in the Northern Sporades constantly record seal numbers, activities, births, deaths, and how frequently they use caves.
A Rehabilitation Centre for injured, ill or orphan seals has been in operation in Steni Vala of Alonnissos since 1990.
Very seldom do you encounter this shy animal, which prefers to hide in sea caves.
You can, however, learn about it at the Information Centres and see live seals at the Rehabilitation Centre (if seals are being treated). 

The Mediterranean Monk Seal and the Ancient Greeks

The ancient Greeks were familiar with the seals and many ancient authors refer to them. In his epic The Odyssey, Homer refers to a herd of seals under the guardianship of the old man Proteus (sea deity serving Poseidon).

Aristotle describes their anatomy, nutrition and reproduction in Peri Zoon Historiai (History of Animals). The ancient Ionian town of Fokaia minted coins bearing the image of a seal (6th century B.C.), while a significant and accurate depiction of the animal survives on an Ionian urn 520 - 510 B.C.

Flora and fauna

Vegetation:

Plants:

Around 1,000 plant species and subspecies grow on the Northern Sporades. Many small plants grow in the understory of pine forests as the Orchis Magnesia, papilionacea (pink butterfly orchid) and Ophrys apifera. The shrub vegetation includes several species of small evergreen trees (wild olive, maple, Phoenician juniper) and sclerophyllous scrub (strawberry tree, eastern strawberry tree, mastic tree, tree heath, and holly oak). A large number of short thorny shrubs grow amongst the phrygana (Greek spiny spurge, thyme, lavender, rosemary, broom, sea squill, yellow asphodel, genista, and cistus). Featuring in the region's marine flora are expansive Posidonia beds, an important source of oxygen. They provide habitats and nutrition for many fish. Just as forests prevent soil erosion, the Posidonia beds hold together the sandy floor with their roots.

Animals and birds

Birds: Approximately 80 bird species nest on the islands. Most typical are birds of prey (Eleonora's falcon, Bonelli's eagle, short-toed eagle, and peregrine), sea birds (shag, Manx shearwater, Cory's shearwater, and the rare Audouin's gull), small birds that prefer Mediterranean shrub habitats (warblers), and others that prefer rocky habitats (blue rock thrush, wheateater, rock nuthatch). The Northern Sporades region is an important pit-stop for thousands of birds during their annual migration. Even waterfowl (crane, which has an aquatic habitat) stop to rest on the rocky shores.

Wild goat of Gioura Historians believe that the goat first made its appearance on Gioura Island at the end of the Neolithic period. It was a domestic animal that was bought to the island, and was impossible to recapture on the rocky and mountainous terrain. Domestic goats were again brought to the island during the Second World War and cross-breeding took place. This is why it now has such a varied appearance, although there are three distinct types. Most animals belong to the first type. They look similar to the wild goat of Crete and Asia Minor. They have a nut-brown body, light coloured belly, black-and-white patterns on their hindquarters and tail, and black lines on the front of their legs. In addition, males have a black mane, beard and chest, and usually a black ring around their neck.

Their large horns, whose tips are sharp and far apart (a characteristic of the domestic goat), set the wild goat of Gioura apart from other goats.
The second type is a black animal with long fur. The third type to be recorded includes a few white animals.

Habitat types in the Marine Park

Twenty habitat types have been recorded in the marine park area, and are included in Community Directive 92/43/EEC

   1. Posidonia beds. Fikiades (seaweed-like expanses) grow on the sandy sea bed near the shore and are under priority conservation.
   2. Reefs. Rocky projections on the sea bed that attract a rich array of marine life.
   3. Coastal lagoons. Under priority conservation.
   4. Annual vegetation of drift lines.
   5. Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi).
   6. Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coast with endemic Limonium spp. Sea cliffs (with various species of Limonium growing in crevices) are common in the Northern Sporades
   7. Sandbanks which are covered by sea water all the time.
   8. Embryonic shifting dunes. Small sand-hills behind beaches.
   9. Mediterranean temporary ponds. Seasonal ponds that form only in winter and spring and are priority conservation areas.
  10. Arborescent matorral Juniperus spp. Evergreen juniper shrubs grow sparsely on a few slopes of the islands.
  11. Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-steppe brush: formation or plant. Communities with Euphorbia dedroides. Large shrubs growing between bays and vertical rocks - they appear only in the central and northern Aegean region.
  12. Sarcopoterium spinosum phrygana. Phrygana that are common along the coastline of Southern Greece, but do not exist outside the Eastern Mediterranean.
  13. Pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea. This rare habitat is under priority conservation.
  14. Screes of the Balkan peninsula. These screes are scarce in the region and can be found at the base of cliffs.
  15. Calcereous rocky slopes with chasmopliytic vegetation. Rocky slopes are common on several islands and are home to endemic plant species.
  16. Caves not open to the public. A precious habitat for bats and cave-dwelling fauna.
  17. Submerged or partially submerged sea caves. Nothern Sporades' most valuable asset because it provides refuge to the Mediterranean monk seal.
  18. Olea and Ceratonia forests. Fairly common in the area.
  19. Quercus ilex forests. Common in the region and significant for the Mediterranean bird species (especially for wintering).
  20. Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines including the Pinus mugo and Pinus leucodermis. Common in Alonnisos, but not on the rest of the islands.

How the Northern Sporades were formed

The islands of the Northern Sporades are comprised of limestone rock, which was formed by the accumulation of microscopic shell fish on the prehistoric seabed of Tithios. As the lithospheric plates on the earth's outer crust shifted, the seabed was pushed up to form mountain ranges. One of these mountain ranges remained submerged, and its peaks are the islands we see today.

Geology

Most of the islands consist of rock formations that are sedimentary (limestone from the Mesozoic period, dolomite, and flysch) or metamorphic (gneiss, slate, and marble). Psathoura Islands is the exception. It has volcanic origins and consists of andesite and basalt. Water has eroded the limestone on most islands to form gulfs, coves, and caves that often only have underwater entrances.

National Marine Park

The National Marine Park was founded with the following purpose:

•   To protect and manage the environment as a natural heritage site and a valuable national asset
•    To protect one of the most important habitats of the Mediterranean monk seal in the Mediterranean
•    To protect rare and endangered species of fauna and flora
•    To develop the region, within the parameters of renewable natural resources

What is protected: The Park is divided into three zones, each with a different level of protection: The Core: Covering an area of 70 km2, it includes the uninhabited island of Piperi and a zone of three nautical miles surrounding it. Human presence and activity is prohibited here, except for the purposes of scientific research and management of the conservation area Zone A: An area of 1,480 km2 that includes seven uninhabited islands, a few islets, and the sea surrounding them. Rules that apply to human activities differ from island to island. Zone B: An area of 650 km2 that includes Alonnisos Island, four uninhabited islands and the sea surrounding them. Special rules apply to fishing, but otherwise most human activities are allowed here. Be informed Part of the management's role is to correctly inform visitors about the conservation area. Information Centres came into operation in the Northern Sporades in 1990 to serve this purpose.

An Information Centre welcomes visitors to the conservation area, sensitises and informs the public about the natural environment, informs the public about rules in the marine park and guides visitors to partake in sedate tourist activities.

 Patitiri Information Centre.

Found in the harbour, it presents information on the marine park, the Mediterranean monk seal, and the national program for its conservation. It provides information boards with articles and pictures, slide shows, recent videos, an environmental library (around 1,400 volumes, CD-ROMs, videos, and educational material), and a children's area.

 Steni Vala Information Centre

Found in the courtyard of the Seal Rehabilitation Centre, it has mobile presentation boards with pictures and explanatory texts on the marine park, the Mediterranean monk seal, and the national program for its conservation.

Geraka Information Centre

Found in the Research Centre of Geraka, on the north tip of Alonnisos Island. It has brightly coloured information boards with pictures and texts about the marine park and the Mediterranean monk seal, a model of a seal's terrestrial habitat, a young seal's skeleton, and an embalmed new-born pup. Videos of the Mediterranean monk seal are shown in the specially designed conference-presentation facilities.

 

Skopelos Information Centre

A prefabricated wooden kiosk with retractable boards that have informative material. Every summer, it is set up at the harbour of Skopelos in a space provided by the municipality.

Discover the Desert islands (Erimonisa)

Boat trips to Kyra-Panayia

A boat trip is the most attractive and convenient way to explore the Desert Islands and the Alonnisos National Marine Park.
Start with a visit to the little island of Kyra Panayia. The name comes from the post-Byzantine monastery (dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin) on the eastern coast of the island.
The monastery, recently restored, is built on early Christian remains dating from the 1st-6th centuries AD and has a katholikon (main church) built - probably - in the 16th century. The island is a dependency of the Megisti Lavra Monastery on Mt. Athos.

Kyra Panayia has been inhabited since very early times, as demonstrated by the Neolithic finds (6000 - 5000 BC) unearthed on the little island of Agios Petros. In the 4th century BC the Athenians fought with King Philip of Macedonia for control of the island, as we learn from the surviving fragments of the speech 'Peri Alonnisou' by the orator Hegesippus. In 341 BC, the people of Peparythos (the modern Skopelos) occupied the island. Later both the island and Skopelos itself were reoccupied by Philip. From that date forward we have very little information about the history of Kyra Panayia.
Close to the little island of Agios Petros the wrecks of ancient ships have been found (including a vessel from the 5th century BC with 1500 amphorae from Mende in Kassandra, Halkidiki) as well as a Byzantine 11th century vessel with a cargo of thousands of multi-coloured plates.
Although mountainous, the island of Kyra Panayia is fertile; some areas are under cultivation and goats can be seen grazing. There is dense vegetation, dominated by the wild oak and olive trees and the lentisk.
The beautiful bay of Agios Petros is famous for the island of the same name and a little plain with an olive grove.
Access is easy, with visitors arriving at the bays of Agios Petros, Planitis or Monastiri; you should note that no approach is allowed closer than 100m to the western coast of the island.

Footpaths of Alonnisos The most delightful way to explore the landscape of Alonnisos is on foot. There is a well-maintained system of stone-paved trails along which the visitor can explore the extraordinary beauty of the island. Take the path from Patitiri and you will arrive at the old town of Alonnisos, where you can admire the remarkable route you have followed and the magical view of both sides of the island. (The walk takes about 30 minutes, one way). From the old town of Alonnisos take the dirt track up to the ridge and you will find yourself at the highest point of the south-western coast of the island, Kalovoulo, where you can enjoy an amazing view of the neighbouring island of Skopelos. (Walk takes 45 minutes along dirt track and path, one way). Another good walk is along the coast through the pine forest, taking a circular route which links Patitiri with the Megali Ammos bay. Enjoy the view from the picturesque little church of Aghion Anargyron, on its cliff above the sea, and fill your lungs with the smell of pine as you walk through the forest. Discover the 'miracle-working' herbs which grow in the island's soil, and which have made it famous since ancient times. Take a rest in the ruins of the ancient castle at Kastraki or the masonry fountain at Mega Nero. (Walk takes 2 hours and 30 minutes on dirt track and path, one way).