Agios Nikolaos Geopark
Description
The Open Air Museum of the Ages with Petrified Trunks and Marine Intelligence
The Geopark of Agios Nikolaos (which hosts the famous coastal Petrified Palm Forest) is one of the most imposing, ancient and rare natural monuments of the entire Vatican peninsulain Southern Laconia. It is located at the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese, occupying an extremely privileged, wild and rugged coastal zone near the legendary Cape Malea. The great advantage of the geopark is that it is a unique geological wonder in Europe, having been included in the Atlas of the Geological Monuments of the Aegean, with its findings reaching an age of 2 to 3 million years.
- Fortification type: An authentic natural "fortification" of time, where the history of the earth itself remained intact and "locked" within the rocks. The fossilization of the paleoflora was accomplished by a unique and slow underwater process (limestone fossilization). The organic matter of palms, conifers and mollusks was replaced molecule by molecule by solutions of silicon and calcium under the sea, after intense prehistoric geological disturbances and earthquakes.
- Suitable for: Families, students, geology enthusiasts, nature lovers and travelers who wish to discover how nature creates living sculptures. The area is famous for its construction ingenuity, as it extends to the coastal locations of Agia Marina, Korakas and Spitha. There visitors can see standing fossilized trunks up to 2 meters high, fossilized fruits, roots and root nodes with a diameter of up to 1 meter.
- Infrastructure: Exemplary highlighted and mapped by the Municipality of Monemvasia in collaboration with university bodies. Entrance to the outdoor park is free all year During the summer months there is an Information Center with the possibility of guided tours. In the bay of Agia Marina, a stone's throw from the shore (just 100 meters) and at a depth of 12 meters, there is also the famous sunken shipwreck of Kaptan Ismail Hakki, ideal for snorkeling and diving.
- Access:Very easy and immediate. The journey from Neapoli Voion takes about 20-25 minutes (distance 15-16 km). Drive towards the village of Agios Nikolaos and from there follow the signs to the port of Prophet Ilias and Agia Marina. The road is paved and only a final, short stretch of about 300 meters is a passable dirt road that leads directly to the geopark parking lot. The tour among the fossils is done on foot by the sea.
Information