Monuments of nature

UNESCO protection is sought for 28 Greek beauty spots

By Tania Georgiopoulou - Kathimerini

uman interference can destroy in months or even days sites of extraordinary beauty that nature has taken countless centuries to create.

The Greek Hydrogeology Committee (EEY) has recommended 28 natural monuments for inclusion in a UNESCO program designed to protect karstic formations, such as caves and gorges made by the action of water on limestone.

«Forty percent of Greece's natural terrain is made of limestone,» geology professor and EEY President Georgios Stournaras told Kathimerini.

«So there are many formations shaped by the action of water throughout the country.»

Once the sites have been officially declared natural monuments and part of the global cultural heritage, they must be protected by the state.

«That means that any intervention on the sites is governed by specific regulations,» said Stournaras.

EEY has proposed the following sites:

The Mara Cave at Pirosotsani in the prefecture of Drama, with its famous colored stalactites.

The Alistrati Cave lies 50 kilometers southeast of the town of Serres. More than 3,000 meters long, it is said to be one of the finest caves in Europe.

The Petralona Cave, in western Halkidiki, in the foothills of Mount Katsika; the cave became known worldwide in 1960 when a human skull some 700,000 years old was found in it.

The Bride Rocks of Macedonia are limestone rock formations about 8 meters high and 3-4 meters wide with a spongy appearance. Local legend says they were created when a bridal procession was petrified.

The Marbles on Thasos; these consist of limestone that was transformed into marble by intense pressure at high temperatures under the earth's surface.

The Cyclops Cave, near the city of Maroneia, is said to be the lair of Polyphemus the Cyclops.

The Perama Cave is near the village of the same name, 4 kilometers from the city of Ioannina. It covers an area of 14,000 meters and was formed 1.5 million years ago. It contains 19 different types of stalagmites and stalactites.

The Vikos Gorge in the center of Zagori, about 60 kilometers from Ioannina; with sides more than 1,000 meters high, it is the world's deepest canyon in proportion to its width.

The Springs of Acheron, Lake Aherousia; in antiquity Acheron was believed to be the crossing point for souls on their way to Hades. Two tributaries formed Lake Aherousia, which no longer exists.

The Theater and Oracle of Dodoni. Dodoni was the political, cultural and religious center of the Pelasgians in the prehistoric era.

Mount Olympus, at 2,819 meters, is the highest peak in the country. It was known to the ancients as the home of the gods. The two highest peaks are Zeus's Throne and the Pantheon.

The Vale of Tempe, between the mountains of Olympus and Ossa, is 8 kilometers long and is traversed by the Pineios River.

The karstic formations on Mount Parnassus.

The Korykion Cavern on the northwestern slope of Parnassus, near Delphi, was said to be connected to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

The Phaidriades Rocks and the Castalian Spring; the two huge rocks form a narrow valley from which the sacred spring of Delphi flows.

The Kopaida Plain in central Viotia covers an area of 250 square kilometers and was formed by drainage.

Lake Vouliagmeni was formed when a cave lost its roof. It gets water from underground and from the sea.

Diros Cave; the entrance to the cave is about 50 meters from the shore. More than 280 meters long, it has labyrinthine passages and many small and large chambers.

Limnoi Cave, 18 kilometers from Kalavryta, has passages, arcades and a unique set of 13 lakes on three different levels. When the snow melts in winter, the cave turns into an underground river with natural waterfalls.

The Samaria Gorge, situated in the White Mountains of Hania, in Crete, is the second longest gorge in Europe.

The Ida Cavern is on the Nida plateau on Mount Psiloritis, 24 kilometers from Anogeia and 78 kilometers from Rethymnon. A large cave, it has a spacious central chamber in which, legend has it, Zeus was raised.

The Sfendoni cave is in Zoniana, 300 meters outside the village. The ancient cave is about 400 meters long.

Other natural monuments that the committee has proposed include the rock folds at Aghios Pavlos in Crete, the karstic rock formations on Ithaca, the Tafoi Caves on Paxoi and the tunnel of Eupalinos on Samos.