Greece as a birding destination
The interest in international wildlife watching tourism in Greece is probably old but probably rather slow growing. See multiple references to: ''wildflowers and archeological sites'', Spring birding on Lesvos (Lesbos), botanical excursion to Crete etc (ever since the late 1970s...) and this "hidden Greece" approaches away from the beaches have been well promoted. Ever since people like Marc Dubin (Rough Guides) helped inland areas famous (at least since the early 1980s). "Wildlife" stands as a nice complement to cultural tours, i.e., many of the culutural monuments are in marvelous open landscapes, sometime close to wild lands too. Also, I should mention Oliver Rackham and his important contribution through the book 'The Making of the Creten Landscape' (1996). In the '80s and '90s, when there were magazines and tiny guide books sold at kiosks, people like George Sfikas provided an important impetus for promoting natural history tourism here. And there were many writers at the time (now they are bloggers, or vloggers...). Ok.
There were different stages of this promotion. And some of it really worked but was it sustainable?
Ok, since the early 1980s there has been an active interest in some kind of quasi-ecotourism development in this country but nothing never really clicked, despite the glossy photos, nature protection areas (on paper), and good new accomodation facilities, etc.
Lets focus on birds. Not a lot of the country was well known for birding before 2000 (and before Google Earth; it was not easy to explore). Since, 1997, when 'Birds of Greece' was published by Handrinos and Akriotis (this was a land-mark for birding developement as where some early "site-guides" (Crete, Lesbos, Northern Greece)).
Times have changes a generation later (2015-2025 period). We know where the birds are and this has really been helped by Ornithologiki, Greece's birdlife partner, with many field trips and information and leBird, of course. One would expect Greece to be good/thriving/big for birding tourism. Simple criteria point to this and support this claim. There are some amazing hotspot concentrations - with specialty birds, big wetlands, migration traps and an amazing combo with beach and cultural tourism. Also, Greece is so easy to drive around in, and you can combine driving in Greece with visiting four bordering Balkan countries next door. Also Greece is a beautiful.
Is Greece a top birding country in Europe and the Med: no (i.e., compared to Spain, Isreal, Turkey Cyprus, France).
I generally feel a lot more could have been done here. And there are many lost opportunities and degraded sites (i.e, trashed infrastructure, wasted efforts by government, and poor conservation interest). Basically Greece is a top and global nature tourism opportunity which we Greeks have trashed and neglected, for 4 decades straight! I know there is a lot of greenwashing paperwork saying otherwise.
Yes, I think we have failed. And I say this from experience. I first led tours with my brother and then my wife in the late 1980s and 1990s; then I did a lot of education tourism in this century. So I have been doing this a lot (despite my other interests and varied activities). I still lead educational tours. I know Greece. Why am is so negative?
Well, maybe I should not be so negative (leave that for another time)...here I will concentrate on the successes, the good places. Where a perfect combination of location, government support and private initiatives really made a difference. Where local people really benefited and birds were effectively used a as an incentive and tool for ecotourism development.
Some areas, about 30 or so hotspots did become 'world famous' for birders in Greece. And the specific attractions have recived a steady development (ecodevelopment, ecotourism). This is looking at the glass half-full. Lets do this.
Where are the top birding hotspots where we have good ecotourism experiance in Greece?
It depends on your choices, your criteria: lets use these: Richness (bird spp.), Distinctness (ambiguous I know...) and accessibility as categoreis.
I would wager there are 13 top areas, and I know I am missing out a lot but lets see these together here...
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I divided GR in North and South based on a line across the country. This is a bit abstract but worthy of consideration since 8 of the sites are north of the line (only 5 south of the line). Note that all areas have wetlands and no non-wetland dominated area is included except say Crete which has some minor wetland sites as well. The north is exceptional in having many more 'lesser' areas close to and attached to the ones selected here - and some of these are uniquely rich near the wetlands. So in the North you may have the wetlands and the temperate mountain landscapes (this includes the spectacular Central Rhodope mountains near Nestos or the Kaimaktsalan Mountains with the 'lake district' of Kastoria-Ptolemaida for example). The south is interesting in having some specialty birds not easily found in the north (Bonelli's Eagle, Ruepell's Warbler, huge colonies of Eleanora's Falcon, etc). The scale of cover in the south and the distinctiveness is hard to express. There are many smaller areas that are not in the 13 top sites I picked here: some areas that probably should be included are: Naxos Island (wetlands and mountains with Griffin Vulture colonies), Kos (wetlands), Samos (Eastern specialties, small wetlands). |
This is a quick description of the top sites I picked in this rapid review:
1. Evros Delta National Park (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace)
Why: Legendary. One of Europe’s great deltas (≈320 spp. most easily seen each year), guided tours/boat rides via the Visitor Centre (Loutros). Extensive seasonal checklists and reports going back to late 1960s. Best seasons: peak spring and autumn migrations and definatly winter (geese, raptors, swans, pelicans, rarities all the time). Facilities & access:easy; track network (4×4 helpful in wet months), boat trips (more so in the past); good access from Alexandroupolis and close to other hotspots along the border (and on the other side of the border as well).
2. Dadia–Lefkimi–Soufli Forest NP (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace)
Why: Raptor stronghold with Europe’s vulture trio; raptor observatory & good information centre; long-term scientific monitoring shows since early 1990s strong - outstanding conservation impact. Famous place. Good network of trials. Best seasons: All year round. Late spring–summer for migrants, breeders and soaring birds; autumn migration wonderful with storks and eagle passage and lots of passerines; forest birds. Winter: Wintering raptors and passerines. Facilities & access: Dadia visitor centre & hide network; one private hide for photography (Chris Vlachos). Area regenerating after a massive forest fire a couple of years back. Still a beautiful area, within a culturally interesting part of Greece; easy access to Turkey and Bulgaria increase the ecotourism potential.
3. Nestos Delta, Porto Lagos & Lakes Vistonida–Ismarida (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace)
Why: One of Greece’s largest national parks by extent although much of it under cultivation. Lots to see: mosaic of lagoons, reedbeds, ponds, lakes, & coastal steppe, saltmarshes, and the largest lowland riparian forest in the country (much of it regenerating after protection and restoration progremmes). Multiple vantage points and tracks (but area not well organized; poorly promoted). Best seasons: spring for herons/warblers/raptors; winter for geese and ducks. Facilities & access: spread-out network of drivable embankments; visitor nodes at Porto Lagos area but still poorly developed. Nearby uplands also of interest, especially Kompsatos Gorge and Nestos Gorge. Site very close to spectacular mountaion areas of the Central and Eastern Rhodope massif. But generally, this area is underplayed, poorly organized (a transit area moslty).
4. Lake Kerkini National Park (Central Macedonia)
Why: Without a doubt Greece's best all-round international birding destination! Year-round abundance and high diversity (≈300+ spp.). Look-outs, embankment roads & a staffed info-centre, easy boat trips for pelicans/waterfowl, shorebirds; easy road access from Thessaloniki. Conservation & monitoring are long-standing (Ramsar/Natura 2000) and work of local scientists and good management team on the ground. Best seasons: All year: winter (pelicans, waterfowl), spring (pelicans in breeding plumage, herons, breeding forest and countryside birds), late spring for breeding waterbirds, forest birds in nearby mountains; Autumn is very good as well (low water, shorebirds, migrants, flamigos, etc). But I think late spring is best (May-late June) and combined with forest birding on Mount Belles and Mount Krousia - it is fantastic. Easy access to Bulgaria and North Macedonia as well. Also, the site is close to other lesser hotspots (Lake Doirani, Central Rhodope). If you are from the Americas and want to go to one site, go to Kerkini.
5. Axios–Loudias–Aliakmonas Delta (near Thessaloniki)(Central Macedonia)
Why: This place is totally underated. Vast coastal complex with easy urban access, active management unit & information centre, routes for independent birders but no over-all development for birding. Its important to note that the area is next door to Thessaloniki, Greece's 'second capital city'. In fact parts of it are within the city limits: This includes the Dendropotamos Estuary (Ekvoli Dedropotamou) and the Loudias Estuary at Kalochori. These places are full of birds at all seasons. Best seasons: all year; spring/autumn for shorebirds, herons, storks and migrants; winter for a varierty of raptors, flamingos & wildfowl. Facilities & access: Info Centre; signed routes; near-urban walking paths (e.g. Kalochori Lagoon). Note that from this place you can look across the bay to see the towering Mount Olympus - often snow-capped. Its less than 60 minutes away and offers good forest birding potential (among other attractions).
6. Prespa Lakes National Park (Western Macedonia)
Why: Globally important Dalmatian Pelican colony; strong NGO-led conservation (SPP), visitor info hubs, trails & viewpoints; excellent documentation and monitoring and good community spirit supporting conservation (both at the national and municipality level). Both upland wild land and lake-side cultural landscapes. Note this is a really unique place globally, but a lot of it looks like upland areas in some other Balkan countries or even in parts of Asia. Best seasons: Mar–Oct for pelicans/waterfowl; winter for waterfowl. Migration season and especially spring for both migrants and breeders. Not so good as a winter destination (continental cold!). Facilities & access: Agios Germanos Info Center; multiple park info points- well developed and with a proud local nature-positive vibe. And still authentic.
7. Amvrakikos Gulf National Park (Epirus)
Why: This area is the southern half of Greece's most important wetland complex and probably the most birdy area in the south in general. It is huge. It is also a culturally and aesthetically amazing place. A Ramsar wetland with excellent, diverse birding (salinas, lagoons, mudflats; rock hills, canyon, woods, coasts and more). Active management unit, small visitor information centre, and some ecotourism promotion (low-key). Amazing and easy place to see good wildlife and have large day-lists (with spectacular species, incl. vultures, flamingos etc. all together). Combines well with nearby areas (big lakes, mountain forests, rivers, etc - Acheloos-Evinos uplands). Best seasons: spring & autumn for shorebirds/terns; winter for wildfowl and raptors. Facilities & access: Info Centre at Aitoliko; guided tours upon request or from Greece's top birding guides (based in Athens). Messolonghi is the closest big wetlnad experiance near Athens.
10. Gialova Lagoon / Pylos (Peloponnese)
Why: Key stopover at the south end of the Balkans (~250+ spp.), good trail access near major tourism infrastructure (Pylos/Costa Navarino) and beautiful landscapes. Best seasons: Apr–May & Sep–Oct migration; winter holds some ducks, flamingos, etc. Facilities & access: graded tracks, local accommodation/food options in Gialova/Pylos. Note that in the Peloponese we have only two wetland areas as important hotspots; this is unfortunate because a lot of other areas are poorly developed (not well organized/poor access/ poor conservation intiatives or plainly too small - of localized or regional interest). There is an important migration in the southern part of the peninsula at other points besides Gialova/Pylos - and perhaps the best and best studied place is the 'pelagic' island of Antikythira, due south of the southernmost three pronged peninsula. But I think Antikythira, and its world-famous bird observatory, are mostly for an ornithological trip, not general birding (that's why its not included here).
12. Lesvos (island-wide, esp. Kalloni Gulf wetlands and areas around this central location)
Why: First Lesvos is in Asia, not Europe. It is one of the big islands along the coast of Anatolia. It has famous spring migration (falls of passerines, shorebirds, bee-eaters, shrikes) and some local Anatolian specialties (cinereous bunting, Kruper's nuthatch and others); superb documentation (decades of trip reports) and an Environmental Information Centre at Kalloni and Natural History museum (Sigri). Best seasons: late Apr–May (spring peak); also autumn passage. Facilities & access: Kalloni Centre programs; dense network of drivable tracks and easy accommodation near hotspots. At least two good local guides regularly lead tours on the island. Hands-down, Lesbos is Greece's best destination for visitors from Western and Northern Europe (and may be good also for North Americans who have seen Central European habitats). Lesvos does not really compete with the wetlands of Northeastern Greece or the mountains of that area; both areas are big and special for birding and natural history.
13. Schinias–Marathon National Park (Attica)
Why: Greece's capital’s most important birding wetland (>210 spp. recorded), ease of accessibility (45–60 min from central Athens); some trails and observation towers; strong seasonality but great for quick visits or wetland targets in season (i.e., needs to be a bit 'wet'; not a good place in prolonged droughts...). Best seasons: peak passage is spring, also for breeders but during drought years things can be underwelming. Winter is interesting if there are flood waters and colder conditions (cold snaps up north); autumn brings rarities. Facilities & access:some "marked paths' (Schinias Reservoir); easy public/private transport from Athens; however its best to have a vehicle since the area is rather big and there are no circuit trails; not easy to walk it on a hot day. Schinias-Marathon is close to some other areas in Attika, notably Mount Parnitha (spring forest birds, winter); Artemis Lagoon, Oropos Lagoon and even the wonderful Tritsis Park within Athens metro area (see map below showing the top 15 birding wetland sites near Athens).
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| 15 important wetland sites for birding in Attika (circled in red). Since Athens attracts a great number of international tourists, it would be in the economy's great interest to promote ecotourism in these sites. At this point in time only one of them has some kind of infrastructure (observation towers, etc), and that is Schinias-Marathon National Park. Some of them are threatened and extremely degraded. |
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| A typical itinerary for spring birding in Greece; as marketed by one international tour company (FieldGuides.com). My wife and I led this kind of tour back since the early 1990s for Canadian visitors and it was really a fantastic experience for all. The trip starts with a flight from Athens to Alexandroupolis and then you are led down to Athens. |
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| Greeks promoting birding within the National Parks of Northern Greece at the UK Bird Fair in 2025. The NECCA our authority for conservation areas is doing its part in promotion of biodiversity and awareness. Below are some campaign posters. |
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| Schinias-Marathon National Park in Attika (very near Athens) makes a wonderful airphoto at certain angles and there has been some effort made to suppress wildfires and save the coastal pine wood at the beach. The fantastic aspect here is the amazing wetland behind the wood. |
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| One of the most unGreek landscapes in Greece is the remarkable wetland complex of the Lakes Vistonis, Ismarida and Thracian lagoons, also part of a National Park. This incredible area is one of the top 5 places for birding but it is poorly developed relative to its potential. |
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| Greece has no endemic bird species but several are range-restricted specialties and rarities which are not seen easily in other parts of Europe. Rueppel's Warbler is one such bird distributed in the south and a few of th larger Aegean Islands. |
