Mediterranean Basin

Cork oak, pine, maquis and garrigue around a warm inland sea.

Around the Mediterranean Sea, hot dry summers and mild wet winters have shaped a landscape of evergreen scrub, pine and oak woodland, and rocky coast. It is recognised as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.

Thousands of years of farming and grazing have shaped it too, creating a mosaic of habitats rich in plants and insects.

The Landscape

Dense evergreen scrub called maquis grows on acidic soils, while lower, aromatic garrigue grows on limestone. Cork oak, holm oak and Aleppo pine form open woodland, and shrubs such as rock-rose, rosemary and thyme perfume the hills in summer.

Who Lives Here

Sardinian Warbler and Hoopoe are common in scrub and olive groves, and Hermann's Tortoise lives in the drier western and northern parts. Cicadas fill summer afternoons, and many butterflies and orchids are found nowhere else.

Through The Year

Spring is the peak, with wildflowers, orchids and migrating birds arriving across the sea. Midsummer is hot and quiet except for cicadas. Autumn rains green the hills again, and winter is mild, with many northern birds spending the season here.

Pressures And Care

Wildfire, intensive tourism on the coast, abandoned or over-intensive farming and drought all put pressure on the region. Traditional grazing and cork harvesting can help keep habitats open and varied.

Visiting Well

Walk early or late to avoid the heat, carry water, take care with fire in dry months, and stay on paths in dune and cliff areas.

Look for

Sardinian Warbler
Hoopoe
Hermann's Tortoise
Cistus (Rock-rose)
Cork Oak

Often a good time to visit: March, April, May, October. Conditions vary from year to year and place to place.

Related habitats

Woodland · Grassland · Coastal

More in Europe

European Temperate Woodlands · The Alps And European Mountains