Vai Palm Forest, Palm forest in Eastern Crete, Greece
Vai Palm Forest is a protected woodland on eastern Crete containing around 5000 Cretan date palms spread across roughly 25 hectares. The forest area connects to a broad sandy beach that extends to the sea.
Greek authorities declared the area a protected forest in 1973 following decades of heavy camping activity that threatened the land. This protection saved the woodland from further damage and preserved it for future generations.
The palms feature in local stories about ancient Arab sailors, though they are actually native to Crete. Visitors experience this botanical connection while walking through the forest today.
Access is provided through a parking area with marked pathways leading through the woodland to the coast. An observation point offers views across the forest and helps orient visitors to the space.
It houses the largest natural concentration of the rare Phoenix theophrasti palm in Europe. The species is named after the ancient Greek naturalist Theophrastus, who studied this plant.
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