Kids love to explore the world!
Marine parks zoos let parents spend some quality time with their children, make a summer holiday in Greece even more memorable. During their visit, parents can also have a light meal or a coffee while enjoying the view or relax on a beach in front of a sea life center, while our little friends get to know animals and microscopic creatures of the sea, play, participate in educational programs or watch documentaries carefully produced by experts to keep children happy and satisfy their genuine curiosity. Take your family on a tour to:
CretAquarium in Crete, Heraklion.
Admire approximately 2,500 Mediterranean tropical organisms in one of Europe’s largest sea life centers. CretAquarium offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the magnificent world of the Mediterranean Sea. From large predatory sharks to tiny seahorses and spectacular jellyfish, the diversity of marine life is presented against a backdrop of Cretan underwater seascapes, such as the rocks at Matala (South Crete) the seabed at Vai (Southeast Crete).
Kids, a tip for you: Use one of the microscopes here to observe microscopic creatures and understand more about the marine ecosystem!
The National Marine Park on Alonnisos
The National Marine Park is the first of two National Marine Parks in Greece and one of the largest protected marine areas in Europe (approx. 2.260 km2). Apart from the sea area, the park includes a large group of islands: Alonnisos, six smaller ones (Peristéra, Kyrá Panayiá, Psathoúra, Pipéri, Skántzoura, and Yioúra) and 22 small islets. The many caves along the coastline provide the ideal environment for the Mediterranean monk seal, monachus monachus, to rest, live, and reproduce. The geographical isolation of the area, the Mediterranean climate, the characteristic morphology, and the minimum of human intervention make the sea, as well as the land in the park, an ideal habitat for many rare species of fauna and flora.
Kids, join forces: Adopt a monk seal to help protect the species’ lives habitat!
The National Marine Park on Zakynthos
The Marine Park encompasses the marine area of the Bay of Laganas, the sea turtle nesting beaches, and an adjacent area of land, the wetland of Kerí Lake and the two small Strophades islands. Zakynthos is one of the most important sea turtle nesting areas in the Mediterranean. The area features a variety of habitats, including sand dunes and Posidonia oceanica beds. It is home to the critically endangered sea daffodil and submerged reefs, as well as hundreds of species of flora and fauna, some of which are of great importance. The west coast of Zakynthos is also home to a population of the critically endangered species, the Mediterranean monk seal (monachus monachus).