Sounio National Forest

Designated as a National Park since 1974 (P.D. 182/74 FEK 80 A/26-3-1974). It covers an area of 6129.5 hectares and extends over a long and narrow area in the N.E. tip of Attica from Cape Sounion north to Lavrio, Thoriko. The total perimeter of the park is estimated at 37.5 kilometers with a maximum altitude of 359 m. In application of the Protocol "On the Specially Protected Areas of the Mediterranean" 9 areas have been designated in Greece as Specially Protected Areas, among which the National Park of Sounion. It is adjacent to the archaeological site of Sounion and is only 50km away from Athens. The extensive remains of ancient mines and laboratories of historical times, the ""Chaos"" that constitutes of a natural monument, and the botanical fossils that do not exist today are of particular historical, geological and paleontological interest. From the ancient marble quarries comes the marble with which the Temple of Poseidon and the sanctuary of Athenian Souniada at Cape Sounio were built. Semi-mountainous, hilly and coastal landscape with endemic and vulnerable species of flora. The largest part of the park is covered by pine forests, shrubs (Quercus coccifera, Arbutus unedo, Schinus) and bryophytes (thyme, Genista lydia, etc.). The fauna is not particularly rich in variety of species, while, apart from the fox, there are no large mammals. The avifauna is represented by common species (owls, chaffinch, etc.), but the area is a passage for migratory birds. The most notable plant is the centaurea laureotica. The forest area is easily accessible from the many forest roads that have been opened to protect the flammable vegetation from fires.