Santorini enforces safety measures until 2027
- Greece put new civil protection rules into force on Santorini, limiting access and vehicle movements in Athinios, Fira’s Old Port, Ammoudi and nearby sites. - The restrictions last until March 31, 2027, and cap Ammoudi road access to supply runs plus 15 rotating private vehicles. - The move follows Santorini’s 2025 earthquake swarm and wider geodynamic monitoring by Greek scientific committees. (tovima.com)
Greek authorities have imposed new civil protection measures on parts of Santorini, with access and traffic limits set to stay in force until March 31, 2027. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) The rules cover Athinios Port, Fira’s Old Port, Armeni in Oia, Ammoudi, and Korfos on Thirassia. Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection said the decision followed a joint ministerial order based on scientific recommendations. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) At Athinios, Santorini’s main ferry gateway, officials are tightening traffic controls during ship arrivals and departures to cut congestion and reduce how long passengers and vehicles remain in the area. A designated emergency zone on the road network must stay clear, and parking there is banned. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) At Fira’s Old Port, including the cable car area and the path linking the port to town, access is still allowed except inside a specifically restricted zone. In Armeni, visitors can still arrive by sea or by the existing footpath. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) The toughest limits are on the road to Ammoudi below Oia. Vehicle access from the main junction is banned, except for supply vehicles between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and up to 15 private vehicles, with up to 20 seats, on a rotating basis under municipal supervision. (tovima.com) Sea access to Ammoudi remains open, and the walking path between Ammoudi and Oia stays open. The trail from Ammoudi to Agios Nikolaos is closed. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) The government says the rules are a response to geodynamic risk, a catch-all term for hazards tied to earthquakes, ground movement, landslides and volcanic activity. Officials said the order followed unanimous recommendations from committees monitoring seismic risk, volcanic activity and broader hazard conditions. (tovima.com) (greekcitytimes.com) That caution follows months of scrutiny on Santorini after a 2025 earthquake swarm disrupted daily life on the island. Schools on Santorini, Ios, Anafi and Amorgos were closed in February 2025 as authorities extended emergency precautions. (tovima.com) (therepublic.com) The legal backdrop is also recent. Greece’s Council of State upheld earlier Santorini safety restrictions in 2025, ruling that protection of human life outweighed business objections from local entrepreneurs challenging the traffic limits. (tovima.com) The new order can still be revised or suspended if stronger geodynamic or weather-related phenomena emerge. For now, Santorini is entering another tourism cycle with some of its busiest arrival points under long-duration safety controls. (tovima.com)
