European country introduces restrictions. You can’t rent a deckchair or umbrella here

Greece is expanding its coastal protection program, and tourists will not rent sun loungers and umbrellas in selected places. This year, the list of wild beaches that should be free from development increased from 238 to thirteen more locations. Among the “Apatites Paralies” are key beaches in Crete: Zakynthos, Rhodes and Naxos. “This action is part of a broader strategy to curb uncontrolled tourism development and promote more sustainable management of Greece’s coastline,” writes Euronews.

Greek beaches under protection. 251 places on the list

The unrestrained development of infrastructure on Greek beaches must finally come to an end. List of so-called Apatites Paralies, or “intact” beaches, this year includes a record 251 items. As “Fakt” writes, two years ago there were 198 locations on it. It is therefore clear that introducing bans and restrictions is a real, and often the only, way to protect the coast against degradation. According to the Hellenic Ministry of the Environment, this decision aims to strengthen the protection of beaches of particular aesthetic, geomorphological and environmental importance, as well as to preserve valuable habitats and species of flora and fauna.

In the document we can read that additional protection will cover, among others: Laganas Bay on Zakynthos, Laguna Korission on Corfu, the Kerketes – Seitania – Kastania region on Samos or the Falassarna – Gramvousa – Balos area on Crete. Tourists will not find beach bars, equipment rentals or umbrellas covering every available inch of sand here.

The rules must be respected

It is worth noting that in this case we are not dealing with dead regulations. In the past, the Greek authorities have proven that they can enforce the law. Selected beaches were then patrolled using drones, as well as the residents themselves, who could report dishonest entrepreneurs using the application.