Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL
The
Mediterranean monk seal
(
Monachus monachus
) has the dubious distinction of being
the most endangered European mammal - fewer than 600 survive, almost half or them here,
the rest elsewhere in the Aegean or around islands off the coast of West Africa.
Females have one
pup
about every two years, which can live for 45 years, attaining 2m in
length and over 200kg as
adults
. Formerly pups were reared in the open, but disturbance by
man led to whelping seals retreating to isolated sea caves with partly submerged entrances.
Without spending weeks on a local boat, your chances of seeing a seal are slim (marine-park
cruises are far more likely to spot dolphins); if seals are spotted (usually dozing on the shore or
swimming in the open sea), keep a deferential distance.
Monk seals can swim 200km a day in search of food - and compete with fishermen in the
overfished Aegean, often destroying nets. Until recently fishermen routinely killed seals; this
occasionally still happens, but the establishment of the
National Marine Park of Alónissos-
Northern Sporades
has helped by banning September-November fishing northeast of Alónissos
and prohibiting it altogether within 1.5 nautical miles of Pipéri. These measures have won local
support through the efforts of the
Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Monk Seal
(
W
mom.gr; see p.684), even among Sporadean fishermen, who realize that the restrictions should
help restore local fish stocks. The society has reared several abandoned seal pups (bad weather
often separates them from their mothers), subsequently released in the sea around Alónissos.
10
the modern studios and apartments have views out to sea
over the landscaped grounds as
well a
s being handy for
town. There's a pool and pool-bar.
€110
Sossinola
Sténi Vála
T
24240 65776,
W
sossinola.gr.
Harbourfront taverna that also has modern, a/c studios and
two-room apartments, with balconies looking out over the
harbour or out to sea. Plenty of fish on the menu, plus
Alónissos pies and a meaty goat in t
oma
to sauce.
Daily
lunch & dinner.
Studios & apartments
€80
The National Marine Park of Alónissos-Northern Sporades
W
alonissos-park.gr
Founded in 1992, the
National Marine Park
protects monk seals, dolphins, wild goats and
rare seabirds in an area encompassing Alónissos plus a dozen
islets
speckling the Aegean
to the east. None of these (save one) has any permanent population, but a few can be
visited by excursion boats, weather permitting.
Pipéri
islet forms the core zone of the park
- an off-limits seabird and monk-seal refuge, approachable only by government-
authorized scientists.
Peristéra
, opposite Alónissos, is uninhabited, though some
Alonissans cross to tend olive groves in the south; it's little visited by excursion craft
except for a brief swim-stop at the end of a cruise. Well-watered
Kyrá
Panayiá
, the next
islet out, has a tenth-century monastery whose old bakery and wine/olive presses, restored
in the 1990s, are maintained by one farmer-monk. Nearby
Yioúra
has a stalactite cave
which mythically sheltered Homer's Cyclops, plus the main wild-goat population, but
you won't see either as
kaïkia
must keep 400m clear of the shore. Tiny, northernmost
Psathoúra
is dominated by its powerful lighthouse, the tallest in the Aegean; some
excursions stop for a swim at a pristine, white-sand beach.
Skýros
Despite its natural beauty,
SKÝROS
has a relatively low profile. There are few major sites or
resorts, and access, wherever you're coming from, is awkward. Those in the know, however,
realise it's worth the effort, and there are increasing numbers of trendy Athenians and
Thessalonians taking advantage of domestic flights - and making Skýros Town a much
more cosmopolitan place than you might expect - plus steadily growing international
tourism. The New Age Skyros Centre, pitched mostly at Brits, has also effectively
publicized the place. There are plenty of
beaches
, but few that can rival the sand of
