Local authorities on the popular tourist island pledged to curb illegal beach operations two years ago but rogue operators are still reportedly there
It seems businesses are still flouting the rules on the popular tourist island of Rhodes – despite promises made two years ago by local authorities to clamp down on illegal beach operations. The citizens’ group Ombrella has reported that businesses continue to exceed their leased areas, erect unlicensed structures and block public access.
Ombrella has highlighted three cases where these illegal activities are allegedly taking place. One such case is at the picturesque Elli Beach in Rhodes Town, where a business with a 7,578 square foot lease is actually occupying more than 22,600 square feet, the group says.
This includes a restaurant, bar and massage area built without the necessary permits, they say. Another nearby venue, they say, has large pergolas, bars and hedges obstructing sea views, covering over 21,500 square feet.
Over at Anthony Quinn Beach, a lease for 883 square feet has expanded to more than 12,900, with sunbeds even placed in the water, says Ombrella. The group argues that such practices violate constitutional rights and harm lawful operators.
According to ekathimerini, the state-owned property company ETAD says it’s up to Rhodes Municipality to monitor leases. However, after hearing about these allegations, it has ordered inspections, reports the Express.
Just like other parts of Greece, officials in Rhodes are cracking down on rogue beach businesses using cutting-edge drone surveillance and a government application called “My Coast” to keep operators in line.
The rules are crystal clear – at least 70% of beaches must stay free from sunbeds, rising to 85% in conservation zones, whilst any firms selling or hiring out loungers need the proper paperwork. But serious doubts remain over whether the crackdown in Rhodes is actually working.
Last June, council bosses reportedly ordered a beach bar in the Santra Marina district to shut its doors by month’s end after inspectors discovered a shocking catalogue of planning breaches – not least that the entire operation had reportedly been illegally constructed on an archaeological site.
Investigation teams from the island’s land department and harbour authority, acting on tip-offs from MyCoast app users, discovered the Santa Marina bar owner had erected 19 unauthorised metal decking platforms complete with sunbeds jutting out into the sea.
The same establishment had already been hit with penalties in 2023 for identical breaches after footage of a waiter serving customers whilst standing in the water became an internet sensation. Officials had demanded the unlawful structures be torn down.
The local council declared that “approval was never granted nor would it be possible to grant it for the installation and operation of the business, considering the archaeological legislation, since it has proceeded to illegally occupy the shared seafront and beach area”.
I visited a picturesque hidden gem just 10 minutes away from the capital of Santorini
‘I’ve visited 40 European countries and this one is the most underrated’
Under new regulations introduced by the Greek government last year, sunbeds must be placed at least 13 feet from the shoreline to ensure beachgoers have easy access to the water. Businesses that fail to comply with these rules could face a hefty fine of up to £600,000.
“Our goal is to protect, on the one hand, both the environment and the citizens’ right to free access to the beach, and on the other hand, to preserve our tourist product as well as the healthy entrepreneurship represented by business people who do the job right,” said Kostis Hatzidakis, the Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance in 2024.