What I can see

This national park is one of the most important wetlands in Greece. It covers an area of 388,000 acres, more than twice the size of greater Thessaloniki. Here one can find farms, meadows, swamps and rice-fields. These rice-fields, especially the ones around Axios River, produce almost 70% of the domestic rice production. The park’s official website proposes seven detailed routes to assist visitors (http://www.axiosdelta.gr/el-gr). Visitors be warned, however: starting in the afternoon, especially during the summer months, the area has a lot of mosquitoes. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, must also take heed of frost warnings during the winter months.

What I can't see

A very interesting feature of this wetland is its constantly and rapidly changing landscape over the centuries, because of sediments carried by four rivers that run into the Thermaic Gulf. These materials, the riverside forests and the shallow water, create the ideal conditions for a habitat. Approximately 300 species of birds (swans, ducks, tailed, pelicans, flamingos, cormorants), mammals (wild cats, foxes, badgers, jackals, otters, wolves, water buffalo, wild horses), 29 species of reptiles, 10 amphibian species, a rich fishing place and a significant mussel cultivation, which covers 90% of the domestic production, complement the backdrop of the national park. Unfortunately, in recent decades, animal populations have decreased due to anthropogenic factors and a special organization for the park’s protection has therefore been established.

Info

• Address: Chalastra of Thessaloniki
• Phone: +30 2310794368
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.axiosdelta.gr

Bibliography