Local authorities have sealed a well-known beach bar located in the so-called ‘third leg’ of Halkidiki, specifically in Afytos, following confirmed violations involving unauthorized occupation of public shoreline. According to ERT, during intensified inspections conducted by officials from the Property Services Department of the Ministry of Finance, it was discovered that the establishment lacked a permit for using the coastal area and had illegally occupied approximately 2.5 stremmas of land. The venue has been closed for 48 hours, with barriers restricting access now in place. The management has until Wednesday, July 9, to remove all sunbeds and structures from the beach.
This case comes amid a surge in reports concerning illegal use of beaches across Greece. In just the last two months alone, more than 3,000 complaints have been submitted via the digital platform MyCoast — and summer has not even reached its peak. Eastern Attica remains the region with the highest number of reports, followed closely by Halkidiki, underscoring the scale of the issue in the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
The government is taking decisive action to tackle the problem. Last year, nationwide inspections numbered around 26,000, resulting in 55 beachfront establishments being shut down and fines exceeding €9 million. Inspections are expected to continue at an intensified pace as authorities aim to enforce order along the coastlines, promote free public access to beaches, and curb instances of illegal encroachments.