Natural Environment

The eastern part of the island, where there is the peninsula of Kalamos, has been subject to “Natura 2000”. The quality of the area is due to the fact that the peninsula is naturally protected, because the cliffs, cliffs and lack of roads make it difficult to access. It has great aesthetic value (especially the Kalamos peninsula) and archaeological interest (especially the Monastiri site) while there are many unexplored caves.

The island is also of particular interest for the bird fauna, which uses the area as a migration station. The Ornithological Society is one of the important areas for the protection of birds in Greece. Its flora is rich in common and endemic species (the latter are of great interest, as most of them are rare and endemic to the Aegean).

Fauna

On the steep slopes of Anafi, such as in Kalamos and the rocky islets of Ftena, Makria and Pachia, the hawk nest, the hawk of the Aegean. Also known as the barb, it is a migratory bird that comes to the Mediterranean in April and in late October returns to Madagascar and the other islands of the Indian Ocean to spend the winter. In Greece, 85% of the world’s population reproduces, while Anafi is estimated to host about 300 couples. In this area of ​​the Aegean still lives the rare species of Aegean gull, which is the only species of gull that lives exclusively in the Mediterranean. In Anafi, the species breeds on the islets around the island. In the northern part of the island many seals find shelter.

Flora

Anafi has a rich and unique herb garden especially in the Eastern and Southern parts of the Island with over 85 species of toadstools recorded. Its main feature is the excellent quality of thyme that helps the development of beekeeping. Of particular interest is the spontaneous vegetation of the saffron (crocus). The terrain creates several valleys of considerable length that end at the beaches. On the slopes of the island there is a lot of vegetation and there the agricultural production develops mainly due to the inhabitants. There is a remarkable surface worked with terraces mainly in the south of the island. It is also noteworthy that on the boundaries of the properties have developed from old prickly pears and immortals that delimit the area used for agricultural use

Climate

Anafi according to the revision of the Climate classification of the Koppen system (2007) presents a warm desert climate (BWh) and together with Santorini are the only areas in Europe with such a climate.