Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) or Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are sites that have been assessed by each Member State for their importance for the conservation of animal and plant species of Community interest. With the adoption of the national list of protected areas of the Natura 2000 network, sites designated as Sites of Community Importance have been declared as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
Aspropotamos
The area of Aspropotamos, included in the NATURA 2000 network (code GR 1440001), combines unspoilt nature and rich tradition. Its flora includes plane and fir forests (900-1 700 m) and alpine meadows (2 300 m and above) with rare endemic herbs. The cold climate and frequent rainfall create suitable conditions for rich fauna: brown bears, partridges and wild trout, the latter and the latter being threatened by human activities. A wild trout farm is located near the village of Krania. https://aspropotamos.org/
Mountain Kerketio (Koziakas)
The area GR1440002 – Kerketio Oros (KOZIAKAS) is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Koziakas, or Kerketion Oros, is a beautiful long-conical mountain west of Trikala. It is located at the easternmost edge of the central Pindos. It is densely forested for the most part. The vegetation of the area includes toadflax, dry grasses, dry forest, and the most important of all the mountain ranges.
calcareous grasslands, dry siliceous grasslands and native coniferous forests. It is characterised by bare and rocky ridges and peaks, but also by forested gorges and spruce forests. The vegetation and flora of rocky habitats such as cobbles, exposed rocky surfaces and steep cliffs are characteristic and interesting. On its eastern and western sides there are dense deciduous forests. Firs predominate higher up. The main human activities are agriculture, forestry, livestock farming and tourism. There is also a ski resort in Koziaka near the village of Pertouli.
Mountains Athamanika (Tzoumerka)
The area of the Athamanika Mountains (Tzoumerka), classified as a Site of Community Importance (GR2110002) and a Special Protection Area (SPA, GR2130013), is located in South Pindos, on the border of Epirus and Thessaly. It is one of the largest mountain ranges in Greece, with a length of more than 30 km, which includes wooded areas of coniferous and broad-leaved species, as well as plateaus with herbaceous vegetation. The area is home to rare and protected species of fauna (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), while its floral wealth remains poorly studied.
Metsovo (Anilio – Katara)
The area of Metsovo (Anilio – Katara) with GR (2130006) is included in the European Ecological Network “Natura 2000“, based on the Community Directives 92/43 and 2009/147 (79/409).It is located in the “passage” from Thessaly to Epirus and occupies the area of Metsovo and Anilio, where mainly spruce, rosemary, beech and beech forests and grasslands are found.
Mountain Lakmos (Peristeri)
Mountain Lakmos (Peristeri), designated as a Site of Community Importance and Special Protection Zone (SPA, GR2130007), is an imposing mountain range with alpine plateaus, separating Epirus from Thessaly. The flora includes rare and protected species of Pindos, while its rock formations are home to predators such as golden eagles, snake eagles and a few vultures. The fauna includes amphibians, such as the alpine newt, and the Greek nanohendra (Vipera graeca), a rare snake that lives above 1,400 m. Other species include the Mediterranean tortoise and the Roumeli lizard.
