Ministry Orders One-Month Deadline for Full Restoration of Excavated Sarakiniko Site on Milos

By Greek City Times Newsroom

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy has issued a formal decision requiring Unique Development A.T.E.E. to fully restore the heavily excavated site at Sarakiniko Beach on Milos to its original natural condition within one month of receiving the order.

Signed by Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou, the decision follows on-site inspections that confirmed significant environmental damage from unauthorized excavations intended for a proposed five-star hotel complex.

The project, which involved digging into the iconic volcanic white tuffs to create foundations for a two-storey hotel with a basement and swimming pools over 19,000 square meters in the “Kaminia” area, was halted after investigative reporting by protothema.gr exposed the illegal building permit 11 months ago.

Key requirements outlined in the ministerial decision include:

• Removing all formwork, reinforcement bars, and construction materials or installations (including any prefabricated structures).
• Backfilling the excavated foundation area (approximately 30m long, 20m wide, and up to 10m deep) using the stockpiled excavation materials from the adjacent plot.
• Restoring the natural landform and relief to prevent erosion risks and ensure visitor safety.

The Milos Building Authority (YDOM) has been tasked with supervising compliance and reporting progress to the Ministry’s Coordinating Office for Environmental Damage Response.

Inspections by environmental authorities revealed multiple violations: the site lies within the protected Wildlife Refuge (KAZ) “Gournado–Fylakoti,” with altered landscape, destruction of native vegetation, degraded aesthetic value, and heightened erosion risk from wind and rain. The open excavation posed immediate hazards to hikers and visitors due to incomplete fencing and exposed reinforcement.

Further scrutiny by the National Transparency Authority highlighted critical urban-planning and institutional shortcomings that led to the permit's revocation:

• Access via an unapproved dirt “agricultural road,” contravening Council of State case law requiring frontage on a legally established road for out-of-plan development (especially for tourism projects).
• Incorrect classification as Category B instead of Category A2, bypassing the required Environmental Impact Assessment for a hotel with special infrastructure like a spa.
• Missing approvals, including watercourse delineation, shoreline/beach demarcation, borehole water-use permit, and geotechnical soil study.

This Sarakiniko case has spotlighted broader concerns over uncontrolled development on Milos, serving as a catalyst for stricter oversight. It contrasts with ongoing disputes at nearby projects, such as the White Coast hotel expansion in Mytakas, where authorities—including the Ministry, Municipality, and Council of State—have intervened to suspend works amid similar environmental threats.

The decision reinforces Greece's commitment to protecting unique natural sites like Sarakiniko, frequently ranked among the world's most beautiful beaches for its lunar-like volcanic formations. Failure to comply within the one-month deadline could trigger further enforcement actions by the Ministry.

Read More Discovering Ancient Piraeus: A Cultural Journey Through Greece’s Historic Port