History of the Marine Park
The National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades was the first marine park established in Greece by Presidential Decree, in 1992.
Far from being a "closed" protected area, the National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades is currently the largest protected marine area in Europe (approximately 2,200km2). Visitors are allowed to travel within the marine park as long as they comply with a series of regulatory provisions for the protection of the ecosystem.
Quoting Giorgos Katsadorakis:
"We should all hope for our offspring to experience the beauty of this special complex of islands and their particular features that are nowhere else encountered in the Aegean Sea. These are islands of rare beauty, natural resources, long history and interesting culture."
The National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades is one of the most important nature reserves for the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), one of the most endangered mammals in the world.
