🦜 Close contact with the animals
You’ll feel the road winding steeper and steeper as you go. The air in Lasithi is clearer up here, and somewhere between olive trees and rocky hillsides, a gate suddenly appears. Behind it — sounds you don’t usually hear on Crete. A parrot screeches. A monkey rustles in the bushes. You’ve arrived at Amazonas Park in Agios Nikolaos municipality, in the Neapoli area of Lasithi Prefecture — a different kind of experience high up in the landscape.
The photo shows a young Barbary macaque sitting on a hill with a view over the green landscape surrounding Amazonas Park. The monkey gazes out towards the horizon with an almost dreamy expression. The image conveys a sense of calm, freedom, and connection to nature — a reminder of why many of the animals here have been given a new life in safer surroundings.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🐵 Meet the lemurs for real
You walk through the entrance gate and follow the path further in. Behind some bushes, there are cages with colorful parrots shouting and mimicking sounds. The space between the trees is tight, but the path is clear. A bit further up, a small group of people is waiting. It’s time to feed the lemurs.
The guide arrives with a bucket of fruit and gives quick instructions. “Hold out your arms and keep the cup steady. Don’t try to pet them.” Then he lets you in. The lemurs carefully jump from branch to shoulder and down into your hands. You feel the warmth of their fur and see their eyes meeting yours.
The actual lemur feeding lasts maybe fifteen minutes. But the feeling of a lemur looking you in the eyes and taking fruit from your hand with its soft fingers — that stays with you for a long time.
The photo shows a group of ring-tailed lemurs gathered in a perfect circle as they eat fruit together. The pattern and placement of their tails create an almost graphic image, illustrating both the strong bond within the group and the calmness of the moment. This is one of the highlights for many visitors — getting to feed the lemurs and watch them up close.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🦚 A different kind of animal care
Amazonas Park isn’t a zoo in the way many might expect. It’s run by volunteers and passionate people, and the animals have been rescued from difficult conditions around the world. Many of the birds used to live in cramped cages. Some of the monkeys were brought here after losing their natural habitats. Here, they get to live freely in large enclosures with trees and hiding spots. No shows. Just respect.
You won’t get to see all the animals up close. Many of them have their own needs and keep their distance on warm days. But this only makes the place feel more genuine.
A small group of Barbary macaques rests in a rocky mountain landscape. The adult holds its baby close, while another watches nearby. The animals live in large enclosures with natural surroundings and the freedom to retreat whenever they choose. This reflects the mission of Amazonas Park — to offer rescued and abandoned animals a new life filled with calm, care, and space.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🦎 Practical — but on their terms
The park is about a ten-minute drive from Neapoli, and the road up is winding. If you’re visiting with children, it’s smart to come in the morning or late afternoon when it’s less hot. The lemurs are fed at set times, and tickets cost €14 per adult, plus an extra €3–4 if you want to buy food for the animals.
There is no kiosk inside the park, so bring water and a small snack. The toilets are basic but clean. The area is steep and not well suited for wheelchairs or strollers.
This close-up of a ring-tailed lemur was taken at Amazonas Park. The eyes catch the light and convey both calmness and intensity. The close encounter with the animals here reminds you of something important: You’re a guest in their world. The terrain is steep, and it’s the animals’ rhythm that sets the pace of the day.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🦜 Colors and sounds in the air
The parrots are everywhere. They shout, sing, and mimic sounds from visitors. Many of them have been rescued from small cages and bars, and now they can play freely in large enclosures with trees and climbing branches. Their colors are intense — green, blue, yellow, and red — and the contrast against the dry landscape outside leaves an impression. Some come close to you. Others stay high above, simply watching.
Two colorful macaws sit close together on a branch in Amazonas Park, surrounded by a green backdrop. One seems to be whispering something to the other. Many of the birds here are former pets, and several mimic both sounds and words from people. Now they get to live in open aviaries with space to fly, climb, and live as a flock.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🐒 Small encounters along the path stien
In the green areas between the enclosures, spider monkeys sit in the sun and watch you with calm eyes. Some rest on the steps, while others swing low in the trees. Down by the fence, you might spot colorful lizards and large iguanas lying still, soaking up the warmth. This is the place for unexpected moments — small animals, a slow pace, and true closeness.
Along the path, small moments appear that many visitors remember the most. A spider monkey resting on the steps. An iguana lying quietly along the fence. You might not notice them at first — but once you do, you can’t help but stop. At Amazonas Park, it’s not about shows and noise, but about getting close — at a slower, more mindful pace.
Photo: Amazonas Park
🌿 A quiet ending on the mountainside
Before you leave, you might spot the man from Brazil who started it all. He strolls around with a parrot on his shoulder, speaking softly with one of the caretakers. He was the one who rescued the first birds and built everything up with his own resources.
You feel something inside you has calmed down. Maybe it’s the silence. Or maybe it’s the way the animals live here. It feels right. And it feels real.
At the very end, they’re all there — the flamingos quietly strolling in the sand, the monkey climbing among the trees, the black cockatoo nodding knowingly toward the fence, and the lemur gazing out over the landscape. They’re not show animals. They have their habits, their small routines. And they’re waiting — for the next person who comes up the steep path with a camera around their neck and curiosity in their eyes. Maybe that person is you.
All photos: Amazonas Park
🏔️ Good to know 🚿📌
- Location: Neapoli, Lasithi Prefecture
- Amazonas Park on Google Maps 📍🌎
- Amazonas Park on Facebook
- Amazonas Park on Instagram
- Facilities: Toilets, shaded areas, parking
- Activities nearby: Neapoli village,
- Recommended transport: Rental car or taxi
- Distance to Agios Nikolaos 17 km
- Distance to Chania 189 km
- Distance to Rethymno 130 km
- Distance to Iraklio 52 km
- Distance to Sitia 82 km
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📌 Keywords – Kallikratis.no
🔹 Place names & historical sites
Amazonas Park, Neapoli, Lasithi, Lasithi Prefecture, Crete, Κρήτη, Αμαζώνας Πάρκο Ζώων, Πάρκο Ζώων Νεάπολης
🔹 Common misspellings
Amazona Park, Amazonaspark, Amazon Park, Amazonas Crete, Αμαζόνας πάρκ, Αμαζόνας πάρκο, Πάρκο Αμαζόνας
🔹 Architecture & history
Animal park, animal rescue, rescue center for animals, species conservation, rehabilitation of exotic birds and primates
🔹 Tourism & experiences
Lemur feeding, parrots, exotic animals, family-friendly park, animal encounters, volunteering with animals, small animal parks in Crete
🔹 Kallikratis-related keywords
Amazonas Park Kallikratis, Crete Kallikratis, Visit Crete Kallikratis, Kallikratis 2025, Experiences on Crete, Greece history
🔹 Authors & Kallikratis signatures
✍️ Thore Johansen 2025, ✍️ ThoreJohansen Kallikratis
🔹 Kallikratis.no – Huskerdu.no