The Agios Nikolaos Geopark

If you are looking for something a little bit different, this petrified forest on the coast near Agios Nikolaos is a great “alternative” outing. It’s right at the southern tip of Laconia and is basically a huge outdoor museum which has been included in an Atlas of Geological Monuments of the Aegean. You can also go diving or snorkelling and see the spectacular wreck of the Turkish ship Kaptan Ismail Hakki on the coast at Agia Marina.

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If you’ve ever wondered what fossilized palm trees, palm fruits and roots look like, this is the place to go. The large stretch of beach at Agios Nikolaos in Laconia is unique in Europe, and with a bit of imagination you can get a picture of what this area must have looked like two and a half million years ago! You can also see fossilized shells, shallow water fauna such as molluscs, shellfish, sea urchins. All in all, this petrified forest is a very valuable open-air geological museum which has been included in the Atlas of Geological Monuments of the Aegean and has yielded findings of inestimable scientific importance.

The paleoflora in the area was fossilized millions of years ago as a result of geological disturbances, earthquakes and volcanic activity. The organic matter of trees, plants and molluscs was replaced, molecule by molecule, by solutions of silicon and calcium in a slow process that took place under the sea.

The petrified forest is 8 km from Agios Nikolaos and covers the coast at Agia Marina, Korakas and Spitha. You can also go swimming at these beaches, and get a different view of the fossilized trees. 

The shipwreck of the Ismail Haki
The commercial Turkish ship Kaptan Ismail Hakki sank in the bay of Agia Marina in 1978. The 30-meter, 500-ton ship was carrying iron ore and one car. It is 12 m deep and 100 m from the coast. It was the first Turkish ship to be converted to running on a diesel engine. According to local stories, a shepherd who happened to be in Agia Marina at the time of the storm lit fires to direct the crew of the stricken boat away from the rocks and towards the beach.
You can go snorkelling and diving at the wreck site.

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.