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Vikos Gorge

National Park of Vikos-Aoos

The National Park of Vikos – Aoos was established in 1973 (Presidential Decree 213 / 20.8.1973) in order to protect the rich wildlife that extends from the Vikos Gorge to the gorge of the main river Aoos and the intermediate mountainous area of Tymfi mountain.

Within the boundaries of the forest there are some of the main villages of Zagori, known for their rich history and cultural tradition. These are Monodendri, Vikos and Big and Little Papigo. Around the area, there are other six villages of Zagori, Aristi, Agios Minas, Vitsa, Kapesovo, Vradeto and Vrysochori, and beyond Konitsa, Kallithea and Klidonia.

The national park is characterized by the most spectacular geological formations in Greece, with five caves, most of them are vertical, while one of them, the Provatina valley, is the second largest in the world (407 meters deep).

The rich wildlife of the National Park includes ten species of amphibians, twenty-one species of reptiles, one hundred and thirty species of birds and twenty-four species of mammals, most notably Ursus Arctos, Sus Scrofa, Apreolus Capreolus, Canis Lupus, Rupicarpa Balanika and the otter (Lutra Lutra).

The important contribution of the National Park refers not only to the fauna, but to the flora as well. In the beginning of spring, the forests and streams, the alpine meadows and rocks are filled with wildflowers, beautiful scents and beautiful colors. In the National Park, there are over 1,700 species and subspecies of plant species. Among them are five endemic species (that is, there are nowhere else in the world), 19 endemic species of the Eladian, as well as a large number of plants that are rare, protected or of particular scientific significance.

There are also three gorges: the twelve-kilometer-long Vikos, which at some points its vertical height reaches 900 meters, placing it in the deeper of the world, the Vikaki Gorge and the Aoos Gorge, located between the mountains of Trapezitsa and Gamila, ten kilometers long.

Vikos Gorge: One of the most important monuments of nature in Greece

National Park Regulations

A) The entrance to the Forest is allowed only by the existing roads

B) Staying from sunrise to sunset

C) Free play is allowed only in the spaces formed for this purpose

D) Due to the risks from the streams and cliffs that exist in the area, visitors for their own safety should not be removed from the designated recreation areas and from the specially designed paths

E) Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied

F) During the stay in the forest it is not allowed:

  1. Hunting each animal by any means throughout the year in the core of the Forest as well as in and around the recreation areas at a distance of 1000 meters perimeter
  1. Removal or destruction of birds’ eggs, nests or chicks and generally the inconvenience or destruction of species of fauna
  1. Fishing and swimming in the streams of the core of the Forest
  1. Transport of cutting tools, cutting of shrubs, uprooting and harvesting of plants and seeds and generally any deterioration of vegetation
  1. The placement of garbage in places other than waste containers and pollution of the site in general
  1. Fire and ignition of cigarettes and matches
  1. Camping in any form (caravans, tents, etc.) in the core of the Forest
  1. Parking in places other than special car parks and special street widening
  2. Destruction or removal of technical works and materials of the Forest
  1. The collection and transport of vegetation and firewood
  1. The free movement of any animal accompanies a visitor
  1. Demonstration or installation of any signs or marks
  1. The sale of food and other objects as well as the exhibition and distribution in any way whatsoever
  1. Any inconvenience to other visitors
  1. Making damage to geological formations
  1. Photographing for commercial reasons
  1. The grazing of each animal in the core of the Forest
  1. Installation of hives without the permission of the Forest Service
  1. The destruction or removal of the technical works and materials of the Forest