Astrotourism is gaining momentum in Greece as the nation is part of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), an organization that works globally to certify parks, reserves, and communities and raise awareness about responsible lighting practices.
Greece is part of this movement, featuring its own certified Dark Sky Park and numerous areas with minimal light pollution, offering exceptional opportunities for astrotourism.
Major astrotourism locations in Greece
Since 2022, the Mount Ainos National Park on the island of Kefalonia, which is part of the Kefalonia-Ithaca Geopark, has been certified as an IDA International Dark Sky Park—an ideal destination for astrotourism.
This certification recognizes the park for protecting absolute darkness through responsible lighting policies and public outreach. The IDA notes that “average night sky quality measurements across the entire area regularly show excellent darkness, particularly in the interior.”
The National Park organizes free astronomical evenings with telescopes for observing the night sky, primarily during the summer months, capitalizing on its dark skies to attract visitors interested in the cosmos.
While Mount Ainos is the only officially certified site, several other regions in Greece maintain significantly low levels of light pollution, offering truly dark skies suitable for amateur astrotourism and viewing more stars than are visible in major cities.
To locate these spots, enthusiasts can consult online resources, such as interactive light pollution maps (like lightpollutionmap.info), where darker colors indicate a purer, unpolluted sky.
The most “uncontaminated” skies in Greece are found in:
- Northern Pindus National Park
- Tzoumerka
- Agrafa
- Mount Parnon
Even for those located near urban centers in Greece, traveling just a few kilometers can be enough to escape the urban glow and embark on a spontaneous astrotourism trip to witness the cosmos.
This contrasts sharply with highly industrialized regions worldwide—for example, it’s estimated that 99% of people in the US can no longer see the Milky Way in the night sky due to excessive artificial lighting.
Popular international Dark Sky Places around the world for astrotourism
Astrotourism is one of the fastest-growing niches in global travel. Besides Greece’s Mount Ainos, here are some of the most celebrated and popular International Dark Sky Places around the world for astrotourism:
- New Zealand: Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve
- Chile: Elqui Valley & Atacama Desert
- United States: Southwest Parks (Utah and Arizona)
- Namibia: NamibRand Nature Reserve
- Canada: Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve
- India: Hanle Dark Sky Reserve
These destinations offer not only pristine night skies but also provide strong economic incentives for local communities to protect their nighttime environments, embodying the spirit of responsible astrotourism.
