The China Mail - Greece expands sunbed-free beach list for 2026

The initiative bans the use of umbrellas and sunbeds for hire in areas both on the mainland and islands, including many protected marine Natura 2000 sites, some of whom are vital grounds for endangered species such as loggerhead turtles and monk seals.

The initiative "seeks to ensure the effective protection of beaches that have particular aesthetic, geomorphological, or ecological value, as well as the preservation of the habitat types and the plant and animal species found on these specific beaches," the government said in a ministerial decision.

The updated list for 2026 includes 251 beaches compared to 238 last year, and 198 in 2024.

Amid growing concerns over the impact of overtourism on Greece's natural environment, authorities in recent years have dismantled illegal construction on coasts.

On Thursday, crews accompanied by riot police tore down beachfront shacks on the small island of Gavdos south of Crete that the local municipality had deemed a fire risk.

There was also controversy last year on the island of Milos over hotel construction near one of Greece's most famous beaches, the volcanic rock site of Sarakiniko.

In December, several mayors from the Cyclades and Dodecanese warned that overtourism was threatening the "very existence" of the islands.

Greece in 2025 set new records for tourist arrivals and revenue, the country's central bank said in February, with nearly 38 million travellers not counting cruise ship traffic.

The conservative government has also announced the creation and expansion of national marine parks, but has also come under criticism over deals for gas drilling in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete.

U.Chen--ThChM