UNESCO’s network of ‘Man and the Biosphere’ sites
The UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are model sites where the protection and management of the natural environment is in complete harmony with the social and economic development of the local communities.
Biosphere Reserves are not protected sites, but consist of large areas that include conservation, natural and cultural heritage sites.
Crete is home to two of the three sites in Greece that have been included in this network: the National Park of Samaria and the Asterousia Mountains.
The National Park of Samaria
The National Park of Samaria was established in 1962 and occupies an area of 48,480 acres, in the south of the prefecture of Chania. The main part of the park is the Samaria Gorge, the second largest gorge in Europe, which is a unique geological formation about 16 kilometers long.
The narrowest part of the gorge, 3 meters wide, is found at the imposing Portes. At the same point, the height of the vertical walls exceeds 100 meters, while in other parts the vertical rocks reach a height of 700 meters. The gorge is home to unique endemic plants, birds and animals, the best known being the Cretan goat.
Asterousia Mountains
The Asterousia Mountains Biosphere Reserve, with a land area of 367 square kilometers and a wide coastal and marine zone, includes three Natura 2000 sites, three Wildlife Sanctuaries, seven Archaeological Sites and a large number of individual monuments, landscapes of particular beauty, magnificent beaches, trails, etc.
The biodiversity of the area is invaluable, with rare endemic species of land and sea flora and fauna, including 192 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.