PROJECT AREAS
Crete - Rethymno
The beach is on the northern coast of Crete and at it is located east of the town of Rethymno, known for its Venetian Harbor and picturesque Fortezza. It is about 11 km long and hosts approximately 350 nests of loggerhead sea turtles per year.
The coast of Rethymno is a renowned tourist destination in the Mediterranean, famous for its beautiful sandy beaches with shallow waters and well developed services for visitors. Unfortunately, tourist activities result in pressure on sea turtle nests, and the need for protection of sea turtles in this area is imperative.
There is a management plan for sea turtle nesting in this area, proposed by ARCHELON to the competent authorities and businesses. It includes practical solutions for the conservation of the coastal zone and the sea turtles within a sustainable development scheme for tourism.
ARCHELON's project in Rethymno began in 1990 and today includes the following activities:
- Recording of reproductive activity (morning and evening observation of nests and estimation of number of hatchlings)
- Protection of nests
- Collection of data on threats and compliance with protection measures
- Seasonal Information Centre in Rethymno city center
- Information in tourist units and awareness-raising actions on beaches
The volunteers live in an organized campsite in Missiria village. There are daily trips that are very popular to nearby sites such as the Knossos Minoan Palace, the Samaria Gorge, the Preveli Lake on the south coast, the natural landscapes of western Crete, the volcano of Santorini.
The beach of Rethymno, along with other neighboring areas of high natural value, has been included in the European Union Natura 2000 network under the code GR4330004 "PRASSINO FARANGI - PATSOS - SFAKORYAKO REMA - PARALIA RETHYMNOU KAI EKVOLI GEROPOTAMOU, AKR. LIANOS KAVOS - PERIVOLIA".
More than 11,000 visitors were informed by ARCHELON during the summer of 2017 in Rethymno.