Greek Beach Law App
The Greek government introduced a law in 2024 that comprehensively strengthens the protection of the country’s beaches.
It has always been the case, as written into the Greek constitution, that the public has the right to free and unrestricted access to all the country’s beaches. However, in recent years, there has been a growing problem of beach access being commandeered by hotels and beach businesses, leading last year to a public outcry and the creation of a citizens’ ‘Free Beach’ movement.
From 2024, the law states that those businesses leasing seafront areas will have to agree to specific requirements allowing the public full and unhindered access to the beach, foreshore, and sea, with any violation of the rules incurring increased penalties. For the first time, fines for obstructing the public’s free access will range from 2,000 to 60,000 euros.
Strict adherence to the rules will be monitored with regard to the number and spacing of sunbeds and umbrellas, and the mandatory free and open area in front of the shoreline has to extend back at least 4 metres from the sea. Businesses will also be obliged to employ a lifeguard if this is not covered by the relevant municipality.
Criminal penalties are also being introduced for anyone modifying or changing the foreshore or beach area without, or in excess of, any official permit and businesses leasing shorefront areas will be liable for the daily cleaning and upkeep of the allocated part of the seashore and beach. Increased use of technology, such as satellite imagery and drones, will be employed to strictly enforce all aspects of the new law.
The new law gives greater protection to environmentally sensitive beaches and nature reserves by banning the installation of umbrellas, sunbeds, etc.
The government’s digital platform, called MyCoast, where the public can report abuses of the law and request action is now available as an app that can be downloaded onto your mobile devices.
The app is available for Android and Apple devices on Google Play and App Store, respectively. However, most of the app content is at present only in Greek. We hope that soon the app will offer the user a choice of language. The links to the app are below:-
