Greece expands sunbed-free beach list for 2026

Greece connected Friday named implicit 250 beaches successful environmentally important areas that indispensable beryllium near successful their earthy state, amid ongoing efforts to bounds the interaction of overtourism successful its multi-billion-euro travel industry.

The inaugural bans the use of umbrellas and sunbeds for prosecute successful areas some connected the mainland and islands, including galore protected marine Natura 2000 sites, some of whom are vital grounds for endangered species such arsenic loggerhead turtles and monk seals.

The inaugural “seeks to guarantee the effectual extortion of beaches that person peculiar aesthetic, geomorphological, oregon ecological value, arsenic well arsenic the preservation of the situation types and the works and carnal species recovered connected these specific beaches,” the authorities said successful a ministerial decision.

The updated database for 2026 includes 251 beaches compared to 238 past year, and 198 successful 2024.

Amid increasing concerns implicit the interaction of overtourism connected Greece’s earthy environment, authorities successful caller years person dismantled amerciable operation connected coasts.

On Thursday, crews accompanied by riot constabulary tore down beachfront shacks connected the small land of Gavdos south of Crete that the section municipality had deemed a occurrence risk.

There was besides contention past year connected the land of Milos implicit edifice operation adjacent 1 of Greece’s astir celebrated beaches, the volcanic stone ιστοσελίδα of Sarakiniko.

In December, respective mayors from the Cyclades and Dodecanese warned that overtourism was threatening the “very existence” of the islands.

Greece successful 2025 acceptable caller records for tourist arrivals and revenue, the country’s cardinal slope said successful February, with astir 38 cardinal travellers not counting cruise vessel traffic.

The blimpish authorities has besides announced the instauration and enlargement of nationalist marine parks, but has besides travel under disapproval implicit deals for state drilling successful the Ionian Sea and south of Crete.

Source: AFP