GeoMôn Global Geopark is unique and comprises the entire island of Anglesey. It is important for its tectonics and the oldest fossils in Britain. It was accepted into the European Geopark Network (EGN) in 2009 and in 2010 gained Global Geopark Network (GGN) status (under the auspices of UNESCO). It is one of over 50 European members and is the second in Wales after Fforest Fawr Geopark. Members aim to promote and support sustainable tourism through geology and its landscapes, that it must help to conserve. It aims to achieve economic growth through geotourism, culture and heritage. Members meet twice annually and hold events during European Geopark Week at the end of May and first week of June.
Meet our other geoparks in the United Kindom
Fforest Fawr Geopark, Wales
From the valley floor to the mountain top and everything in between, Fforest Fawr, which translates as ‘Great Forest’, is a swathe of upland country included within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
www.fforestfawrgeopark.org.uk
Geopark Shetland, Scotland
Walk on an ancient ocean floor, explore an extinct volcano and stroll cross shifting sands all in the space of a day. Along the way you will discover some of the most stunning scenery in the UK and find out how geology has influenced every part of life in Shetland.
www.geoparkshetland.org.uk
North West Highlands Geopark, Scotland
At 3,000 million years old, the far north west of Scotland presents one of the most ancient landscapes in Europe. Here you will find rugged and wonderful scenery, where the rocks tell their history of huge crustal forces, oceans, deserts and grinding ice sheets.
www.north-west-highlands-geopark.org.uk
Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, cross border Ireland
Located in the rugged mountainous uplands and the gentle rolling lowlands of counties Fermanagh and Cavan. Taking in the world-famous Marble Arch Caves, this Geopark boasts some of the finest natural landscapes in Ireland and offers a window into the area’s 650 million year past.
www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com
North Pennines AONB and European Geopark, England
A stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling rivers and wonderful woods. As well as being home to some of the country’s most special birds, animals and plants, the North Pennines also has outstanding geodiversity, including world-class mineral deposits and a rich mining heritage.
www.northpennines.org.uk
Copper Coast Geopark, Republic of Ireland
A spectacular coastline consisting of scalloped beaches and coves buttressed and enclosed by rocky headlands, the Copper Coast gets its name from the nineteenth-century copper mines that lie at its heart.
www.coppercoastgeopark.com
Meet our other geoparks in Europe
Arouca Geopark - Portugal
The Arouca Geopark territory is located in northern Portugal near Porto and Douro Valley. It is renowned for its exceptional geological heritage of international significance, with 41 geosites. The Giant Trilobites of Canelas and the Castanheira's "stones that give birth" are the most emblematic.
Arouca offer a variety of touristic experiences like to contact with the culture of Monastery of Santa Maria de Arouca, feel the whitewater by rafting in the Paiva River and taste Arouquesa meat and convent sweets.
Azores Geopark
Located in the North Atlantic and includes the 9 islands of the archipelago and submarine geosites in the surrounding sea floor. At the Azores geopark territory it is possible to tell 10 million stories about volcanoes and man. Come to meet the Azorean volcanoes and enjoy an eruption…of flavors, aromas and experiences!
Bakony–Balaton Geopark, Hungary
Far more than just a geological wonderland! Bakony–Balaton Geopark was accepted into the European and Global Geoparks Networks in 2012. The 3,244 km2 Geopark is located near Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, at the boundary between four major geographic regions. Therefore it is characterized by a variety of geological, topographic, climatic and hydrological features and by its extensive biodiversity. Altogether 24 of the 45 geosites are located within protected natural areas of national interest (Balaton Uplands National Park, Protected Landscape Areas, Nature Conservation Areas) and/or the geosite is itself protected by law (e.g. caves). The Geopark territory comprises 151 settlements – ranging from tiny villages to towns – with 330,000 inhabitants.
Bakony–Balaton Geopark, with its long tradition of geological research is one of the places on Earth where the outstanding geodiversity is not only described in scientific papers but is also beautifully reflected in the landscape. Instead of seeking hidden treasures, just open your eyes to more than four-hundred-million-year old metamorphic rocks, fossil-rich Alpine Triassic limestone sequences, dinosaur-bearing Cretaceous rocks and tropical tower karst, sediments of the former Lake Pannon containing diverse endemic species of molluscs, gorges and karst plateaux featuring 700 caves, hundreds of sinkholes, a 10-km-long thermal-water maze under a town and more than 1,600 clear-water springs. Here you can see one of the ‘densest’ volcanic fields in Europe. The 3–8 million years old remains of volcanoes with ‘basalt organs’ in the Tapolca Basin offer one of the most dramatic landscapes in Europe. Wandering in one of the ‘seas of stones’ around Káli Basin is a delightful experience for everyone.
Added to this geological and biological wonderland is the legacy of five thousand years of human occupation: the rich archaeological heritage of the prehistoric and Roman times, ruins of medieval castles, old monasteries, the two millennia old but still existing viticulture and beautiful examples of traditional folk architecture.
korbely@bakony-balaton-geopark.hu
Photo by Zoltán Szenthe
Basque Coast Geopark
Basque Coast Geopark is located where the Pyrenees meet the Cantabrian sea. The Basque region is known by its landscape, cultural heritage and first class gastronomy. All these features, together with an amazing geology, can be seen and enjoied in the Basque Coast Geopark. This territory is worldwide known among the scientific community because it contains one of the most important geological outcrop of the world: 12 kilometers of big sea cliffs formed by flysch rocks contain more than 50 million years of Earth history along the Cretaceous and the Paleogene periods, including one the most famous KT boundaries of the world. Big warming events like the PETM or two Global Stratotypes can also be seen in this big natural book. This impressive geological heritage is accompanied by a very rich archeological and cultural heritage that can be summarized in the Basque language, one of the oldest languages in Europe, still alive in the Basque Geopark"
