Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The mountain parks
Vikos-Aoos, in Zagori, is the one to visit if you visit one. It contains the Vikos gorge, the Aoos gorge above Konitsa, the Tymfi massif and the Drakolimni alpine lake, and the whole cultural landscape of stone villages and bridges is now a UNESCO listing in its own right.
Pindus (Valia Calda, “the warm valley”) sits north of Metsovo, and is the core of Greek bear and wolf country. It is remote, forested and lightly visited.
Olympus, above Litochoro, was the country’s first national park. Mytikas at 2,917 metres is the highest point in Greece, and the mountain has a genuinely rich flora with species found nowhere else.
Parnassos, above Arachova and Delphi, and Oiti near Lamia, both fir forest with skiing in winter and walking the rest of the year.
Ainos on Kefalonia protects a forest of Kefalonian fir found only on that mountain, with semi-wild horses on it.
The wetlands
Prespa, in the far north-west where Greece, Albania and North Macedonia meet, is two lakes and one of the most important bird sites in Europe: pelicans breed here in large numbers, and the setting, mountains dropping into still water, is remarkable.
Lake Kerkini near Serres is an artificial lake that became a major bird reserve, with buffalo in the shallows.
The Messolonghi lagoons, on the west coast, are the largest lagoon system in Greece, with salt pans, fish traps on stilts and enormous bird numbers.
The Evros delta in the far east, and the Axios delta near Thessaloniki, complete the wetland network.
The marine parks
The National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades is the largest marine protected area in Europe, created for the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. It also contains the classical amphora wreck open to divers. See Alonissos.
The National Marine Park of Zakynthos protects the loggerhead turtle nesting beaches in Laganas bay, with rules on boats, lights and beach access in the nesting season. See Zakynthos.
Samaria
The Samaria gorge in Crete is a national park as well as a walk, created to protect the Cretan wild goat, the kri-kri. See the gorge itself.
Practical notes
- Most parks are not gated or ticketed. Samaria and the marine parks are the exceptions.
- Facilities are thin. Assume no visitor centre, no cafe and patchy signage outside the main entrances.
- Fire risk closes them. Forest access is restricted on high-risk days in summer, and that is not negotiable.
- Wildlife is genuinely wild and genuinely shy. Bears and wolves exist in the Pindus and you will almost certainly not see one.
- Do not approach turtles or seals, in the water or on the sand, and follow the posted rules in the marine parks.
Last checked August 2026. Access rules and seasonal closures change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How many national parks are there in Greece?
About a dozen, alongside a much wider network of Natura 2000 protected areas covering a substantial share of the country.
Are there bears in Greece?
Yes. Brown bears live in the northern mountains, particularly the Pindus around Valia Calda, along with wolves. Sightings by visitors are very rare.
What is the biggest marine park in Europe?
The National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades, created to protect the Mediterranean monk seal.
Where can you see pelicans in Greece?
At Prespa in the far north-west, where both European pelican species breed, and at Lake Kerkini near Serres.
Do you need a permit for Greek national parks?
Generally no. Most are open and unticketed, with Samaria and the marine parks being the main exceptions, and forest access closes on high fire-risk days.
Next
Read Zagori, hiking in Greece, or Alonissos.