Protected beaches expanded
- Greece added 13 beaches to its “Untouched Beaches” registry on April 24, lifting the total to 251 protected shorelines where commercial beach setups and other intensive uses are barred. - The new rules ban sunbeds, umbrellas, canteens, motor vehicles, water-sports rentals, amplified music and gatherings of more than 10 people on the newly protected stretches. - The list stood at 238 beaches last year and 198 in 2024, extending a wider crackdown on beach commercialization after Greece’s “towel movement.” (euronews.com)
Greece expanded its “Untouched Beaches” list on April 24, adding 13 shorelines and raising the total to 251 protected beaches for summer 2026. (ot.gr) (ekathimerini.com) The update came in a joint decision by the ministries of National Economy and Finance and Environment and Energy, which amended last year’s decree on high-protection coastal areas. (ot.gr) The protected zones are mostly in Natura 2000 areas, the European Union network for habitats and species judged important enough to get stricter conservation rules. (euronews.com) (ot.gr) On those beaches, Greece bars concessions for commercial use and bans temporary infrastructure such as sunbeds, umbrellas, tables, chairs and mobile canteens. (ot.gr) The restrictions also cover motor vehicles, recreational vessels, water-sports rentals, amplified music and organized gatherings of more than 10 people. (ekathimerini.com) (ot.gr) Among the newly added beaches are Halikounas on Corfu, Pori and Italida on Ano Koufonisi, Kastro on Lefkada, two sites in the Messolonghi Lagoon National Park and seven beaches in Chania, Crete. (ekathimerini.com) Greek outlets said the broader additions also cover areas on Limnos, the Acheloos Delta and the Small Cyclades, including Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia and Keros, plus protected stretches around Kissamos, Kantanos-Selinos, Gramvousa and Falasarna in Crete. (keeptalkinggreece.com) The beach list has grown fast: from 198 protected beaches in 2024 to 238 in 2025 and now 251 in 2026. (today.rtl.lu) (euronews.com) The policy sits inside a wider fight over who gets to use Greece’s coastline after protests over crowded beaches and high-priced loungers helped drive tighter national rules in 2024. (greekcitytimes.com) One flashpoint is Kastro beach on Lefkada, where a citizens’ group of more than 1,500 people has gone to court against a proposed tourism project tied to an old winery and kiosk. (ekathimerini.com) For travelers and beach businesses, the practical change is simple: on these 251 beaches, the summer setup stays largely absent by law. (euronews.com) (ot.gr)
