Vikos–Aoös National Park
A Greek national park with deep gorges and rich biodiversity, not a UNESCO Geopark.
Vikos–Aoös National Park is a national park in the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, founded in 1973. It is one of several national parks in mainland Greece, located 30 kilometers north of the city of Ioannina in the northern Pindus mountain range, and is named after its two major gorges. The park encompasses 12,600 hectares of mountainous terrain with rivers, lakes, caves, deep canyons, and dense forests, and is part of the Natura 2000 ecological network.
- established
- 1973
- area
- 12,600 hectares (31,135 acres)
- location
- Epirus, northwestern Greece
- elevation_range
- 550 to 2,497 meters (1,804 to 8,192 ft)
- annual_visitors
- over 100,000
- flora_species
- 1,800
- notable_feature
- Vikos Gorge, listed by Guinness Book of Records as deepest canyon in the world in proportion to its width
Quick Facts
- Iucn Category
- II
- Location
- Ioannina, Epirus, Greece
- Area Ha
- 12600
- Established
- August 20, 1973
- Visitation Num
- 100,000 per year
- Governing Body
- National Forest Department / (Greek Ministry of Agriculture)
- Mapframe
- yes
- Mapframe-Zoom
- 11
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The park's core of 3,400 hectares comprises the Vikos Gorge, carved by the Voidomatis river, with a main part 12 kilometers long and up to 1,000 meters deep. The Aoös Gorge, Mount Tymphe (with Gamila peak at 2,497 meters), and several traditionally preserved settlements form the peripheral zone. The park supports a wide diversity of fauna, including the brown bear, for which it is one of the last European strongholds, and 1,800 species of flora due to its varied biotopes and microclimatic conditions.
Reader's Guide
Vikos–Aoös National Park is significant for its geological features, including the Vikos Gorge, which the Guinness Book of Records lists as the deepest canyon in the world relative to its width, though some contest this claim. The park's remoteness and low human population have preserved a rich variety of habitats, making it one of the most valuable parks for nature conservation in Greece. Human presence in the area dates between 17,000 and 10,000 years ago, and from the 17th to 19th centuries local communities flourished economically and became a center of folk medicine. In recent decades, ecotourism has been promoted to counter economic decline while preserving the natural environment and local architecture. The park's geology reveals evidence of three major phases of glaciation, with the final phase likely during the Last Glacial Maximum between 22,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Did You Know?
- The Vikos Gorge is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the deepest canyon in the world in proportion to its width, though some gorge lobbyists contest that claim.
- The park is one of the last European strongholds for the brown bear.
- The cave of 'Provatina' on Mount Tymphe, with a depth of 408 meters, is one of the deepest worldwide.
- The Voidomatis river basin contains evidence for three major phases of glaciation, with the largest during the Middle Pleistocene.
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