You wouldn’t know it by the heat but summer is coming to an end in a couple of weeks, but people in Greece are still flocking to beaches, and inspectors too, looking for businesses violating leases and others taking over public beaches.
Although it violates the Constitution, Greece rents space on public beaches to private businesses and luxury resorts, that as of this year are supposed to occupy only 30 percent of the space but many taking most or all of it.
But with pressure from 2023 protests on a few islands, the government has stepped up inspections although at the same time wooing more luxury resorts taking over beaches and no report whether any were among those being checked or keeping out the public.
Most of the violations in the latest round of inspections were in Halkidiki in northern Greece, a favored peninsula renowned for clear water and beaches, the Finance Ministry reporting there were 4,700 complaints about 32 beaches.
Then came East Attica with 2,082 complaints, also for 32 beaches, with alerts registered through the #MyCoast app, leading to fines being imposed on businesses on the island of Kefalonia as well as in Iraklio on Crete and the Dodecanese islands.
In July and August there were 20,500 checks on 630 beaches with 682 violations found among more than 2,400 businesses, 8.5 million euros ($9.44 million) in fines levied, 400 administrative measures and 55 businesses closed, although it wasn’t said for how long.
