Schinias-Marathon National Park

Text by Stam Zogaris - photos by Aris Vidalis

Schinias wetland has been known since ancient times as “Marathon Marsh”, or simply the “Great Marsh”. On its beach the Persian forces landed in order to attack Athens, and on the adjacent plain the famous battle of Marathon took place 2500 years ago.

Compared to Greece’s major wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention Sites) it is not an extensive marsh, but it is the largest in this part of the Attika Peninsula in SE Greece.

After decades of widespread anthropogenic wetland degradation this relic wetland is one of the most important remaining wetlands on the southern Aegean coast of Greece. The wetland now covers roughly seven square kilometers in area – including one of Attika’s most famous freshwater springs, reedbeds, rushbeds, saltmarshes and the Olympic Rowing Center’s freshwater lake. Since 2003 a National Park has been designated here comprising nearly the entire wetland, the famous coastal pine forest, the surrounding hills, and a part of the shallow bay.

The wider landscape and wildlife habitats including the low beach dunes, some brackish marshes and rare Umbrella Pine stands are all threatened by various anthropogenic pressures, including destructive holiday-home building and other poorly planned works; wetland-infilling, pollution, uncontrolled recreational disturbance and water resources mismanagement. Unfortunately, despite many people’s good intentions, little has practically been done by the Greek state to protect and manage this important oasis for biodiversity. It is located only 30 Kms east of Athens, so its biodiversity values touch nearly 5 million residents!