Businesses on the renowned beaches of Plaka, Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, and Agios Georgios swiftly resumed their practice of arranging sunbeds, umbrellas, and various beach equipment along the coastline following the departure of a Cyclades Property Service team from Naxos.
This recurring incident underscores the inefficacy of continuing traditional inspections over employing digital methods throughout the season. The individuals responsible for these actions seem to disregard the authorities, highlighting the need for more robust measures.
By Wednesday, the social media platform of the "Save Naxos Beaches" movement was inundated with photographs offering evidence of the situation. A visitor to the island, Georgia Papadopoulou, recounted her observation of workers using drills to anchor umbrellas along Plaka Beach around 1 a.m., indicating that these activities persisted in broad daylight.
Simultaneously, the Finance Ministry has escalated its scrutiny of beaches across Greek islands, issuing a statement on Wednesday detailing inspections conducted since July 21. A total of 918 businesses and individuals were inspected nationwide, with 178 in the Ionian Sea, 110 in the Cyclades, 85 on Crete, and 35 in Halkidiki.'
The results of these inspections unveiled a tally of 336 violations. These breaches encompassed cases of exceeding leased land boundaries, as well as instances of occupying the shoreline without appropriate leases. This heightened vigilance speaks to the government's commitment to preserving the natural beauty and integrity of Greece's coastlines.
Protesters say that prices for two loungers and an umbrella can often top 100 euros for a day, and in many cases businesses expand well beyond the agreed area of the beach, leaving little room for those who want to lay a towel and sunbathe for free.
"We come here peacefully... we just want to let you know that we are trying to reclaim our right to free access to our beaches," said one of the protesters through a loudspeaker as he walked through sun loungers at the Marcello beach in Paros.
A prosecutor has launched an investigation into Paros' case.
In Naxos, more than 5,000 people have joined the Facebook group "Save the beaches of Naxos now!", which has also filed a legal complaint.
"The beaches were so full of this furniture ... that many people who didn't want to sit on a bed or in a chair, had no other space to sit anymore," said Eleni Andrianopoulou, 47, one of the group's organisers.
More Arrests
The owners complied with the order but went on to replace the sunbeds, loungers and umbrellas as soon as the inspectors left the island.
The businesses in question are on the beaches of Agios Arsenios, Agia Anna and Agios Prokopios. Respectively, they occupied a surface area of 180 square meters, 234 sq.m. and 126 sq.m. without a license.
On social media posts, Greeks report that sunbeds and umbrellas returned also on other beaches in the country. In Achaia, NW Peloponnese, for example, five owners of beach bars were detained for placing again their illegal sunbeds and umbrellas.
Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis posted on Twitter that over 1,000 control checks have been made since July 21 and over 350 violations have been confirmed.
