The name of the Echinades appears in the financial news every now and then next to the name of an ambitious Greek or foreign investor who wants to buy a private paradise. These days, in fact, one of the islands, Makri, goes under the hammer. The famous cluster on the Ionian Sea between Lefkada, Ithaca and the coast of Acarnania boasts an ancient past and references from Homer and Thucydides to Strabo. The important thing that most of us don’t know about is that the famous naval battle of Nafpaktos in 1571, which decided the future of Christian Europe when European forces defeated the Ottoman fleet, took place in their own waters. In addition to their market value, echinaceas have a stunning natural environment that was included in the Natura 2000 network. They are protected as important areas for bird fauna, as well as habitats for wildlife. They are owned by the Messolonghi Lagoon and Akarnan Mountains Management Agency.

A few months ago, this organization initiated the publication of an excellent photo album by Nikos Petros and Kostas Vidakis, which introduces us to the biodiversity of Echinacea through amazing photographs created by Sakis Vergos and Sofia Singiridu. This event took at least two years and many visits by two photographers who had to shoot from dawn and return when the light fell, trying to gradually cover all the islands. The result is worth their effort. Beautiful photographs of birds can be seen on the pages, from rare seabirds and winter terns to kestrels and black grebes, mostly taken by Petru.

Vidakis, who lives permanently in Drama, has focused his attention on the particular Mediterranean flora of the area: endemic centaury, teucria, impressive crinoids and many more of the approximately 390 plant species that have been recorded. The album lacks the fish found in the area, which also has fish farms. The remarkable element that unites fauna with flora is the survival mechanisms that species have evolved, as well as the absence (so far) of human intervention that could upset the balance of nature. Leafing through the album, which can be obtained by contacting the Management Agency, you understand how few completely natural places are in our country and how much we must be vigilant in order to protect them.