The ban also covers speakers, organised sports events and private hotel areas
Holidaymakers have been banned from using sun loungers, beach umbrellas and speakers on 251 beaches in Greece in a bid to cut down on overtourism. It is hoped the move will also reduce development around beaches.
Some beaches will be reopened to the public with hotels banned from cordoning off private areas. There will be a ban on developments such as concrete piers, sea walls and paved paths to keep beaches in the natural state.
As of April 2026, there are now 251 areas designated Natura 2000 in Greece – banning development and things like sun loungers, organised activities, beach bars, speakers and umbrellas. The project started in 2024 with 198 beaches and that number has now been extended.
The Greek Environment Ministry said the new rule: “Seeks to effectively protect beaches that have particular aesthetic, geomorphological or ecological value, as well as to preserve the types of habitats and the species of flora and fauna found on these beaches”.
It added: “In particular, the number of shorelines and beaches within areas included in the National List of Areas of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 is increasing and in which the granting of simple use, as well as any other action that may endanger their morphology and their integrity in terms of their ecological functions, is now prohibited.”
Beaches on the list include Balos, Elafonisi, Falassarna, Gramvousa, and coastal zones in Gavdos, Kissamos, and Kantanos-Selinos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Syros (11 sites), Naxos (7 sites), Kimolos (6 sites), Tinos, and the Small Cyclades (Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia, Keros), Karpathos (13 sites), Tilos (9 sites), Astypalaia, and Kalymnos (6 sites). Lefkada, Zakynthos (Laganas Bay/Marathonisi), and Kythira (6 sites), Agios Efstratios, Samothrace, Lesvos, Limnos, and Ikaria, Eastern Mani (17 sites), Zacharo, and Pylos-Nestor, Evia, Acheloos Delta, Messolonghi Lagoon, and Schinias (Attica).
To keep these areas “untrodden,” the Greek Ministry of Environment enforces the following rules:
- No Concessions: No rentals of sunbeds or umbrellas.
- No Commercial Hubs: No canteens, beach bars, or organized water sports.
- No Motorized Access: Vehicles are generally barred from the sand and dunes.
- Event Restrictions: No organized events involving more than 10 people.
- Acoustic Protection: No amplified music or loudspeakers.
