Safeguarding Paros' Public Beaches: Addressing Violations and Ensuring Citizens' Rights

Paros is an island built on authenticity, and its people are some of the best people I know. The island is my home and I have been made to feel so welcome. It pains me that in recent years the island has drifted closer and closer towards being like Mykonos — overtourism and toxic entrepreneurship and capitalism are turning the island's beaches, once famous for NOT having sunbeds and umbrellas, into cashgrabs that leave the locals without the places they have had connections to for generations. To a tourist, the Parian beaches are a place to sunbathe and relax. To the Parians, with their connection to the ocean, beaches are an important part of their identity — something the average tourist and outsider entrepreneur will never understand. And unfortunately, the municipality and mayor can see it only in terms of income. Something must change. Paros deserves better.

I want to contribute to fight against capitalism and its disastrous influence in the environment and our life.

To uphold the constitution of Greece. To get rid of some corruption .

Die Strände, die Natur muß für alle zugänglich sein. Gegen den Profit.

Because frequently visit Paros, and I care about the island. In Norway I live on an island with much similarity to Paros caused being close to the capital, favourable climate, and good beaches.we experienced that wealthy people and entrepreneurs buy sites close to the coastline, building closer to the sea than they 100 meter limit, build larger than regulated, fence in public land, privatizing public land. Investigation show that widespread corruption from public officials made it all possible. Now the municipality spend millions to try to reverse it, and finally it all end up in courts. Which take time and resources. Prices rise sky high and young a not afford to settle there. Rich people buy houses, and they end up as holiday homes, being used a few weeks every year.
If Paros will be preserved, this is has to be stopped, or else ruined….

Because the beaches must Not onlybelong to the rich people. They belong to everyone, forever!

over tourism destroys the beauty and the identity of the island .

Because beaches are for all people

As an owner of a house in Paros I am afraid the local environment is constantly degraded against the long-term interests of the people of Paros.

I'm a permanent resident of Paros.

For the future & reputation of Paros to remain a place for all to visit

Beaches belong to all, rich and poor.

I leave been living on Paros for 21 years now and started coming to Paros in 1986 every year until I came to live here. The illegal, flagrant invasion of the beaches, is unacceptable!!!

I have seen first hand the growing numbers of beach beds around Paros, and in particular, the exorbitant prices charged after Covid. The joy of Paros is that it is not Mykonos. I com to Paros regularly for extended periods; we must ensure the beaches remain accessible to all.

The beaches of Greece belong to the people of Greece.
Laws regarding the use of these precious resources by the Greek people and their guests must be respected.

I have visited Paros for decades. Walking along its beaches, and swimming are part of the joy of the island. And it is a shame the way it has changed. Beaches should be free for all. Not owned or occupied by anybody.

I visit Cyprus and I am concerneddetails by the increase in the number of sunbeds on the beaches at Latchi Polis and the Akamis where turtlea nest. I believe local people should make a living from both tourism but also from conservation of the environment and have the benefits of a protected environment.

Because it is the right of Greeks to have full access to their country and to empower them to counter corrupt behaviour.

Sowohl Müll, als auch Verkehr müssen dringend geregelt werden auf der Insel, wenn sie nicht gänzlich zerstört werden soll, wie Santorini oder Mykonos.
Wenn ich ein Haus mit 100qm besitze, kann ich mir keine 1000 Gäste einladen.

As part owner of a house on Paros, the current conditions of touristic (over)development in the island are a cause of great concern to me.

Yes. I live here year round, and own property here.

Paros wird zunehmend auf den Tourismus und um jeden Preis Business zu generieren zugeschnitten, ohne die Bedürfnisse der Bewohner sowie der Kultur zu respektieren.

I have been coming to Paros for 43 years and now live permanently on the island . It is so depressing to witness the over tourism and the degradation of the simplicity and beauty of the land and beaches which will in turn keep away the kind of tourists that love and respect this island for what it was. The illegality in the exploitation of the beaches is very concerning as it reveals the workings of a mafia type administration which must be operative in other domains that are not so obvious.

I love Greece but the past few years things are overexploited and overcrowded. To realize that the locals can’t even swim on their own beaches for free is outrageous.

Beaches are for everyone. Nobody owns a beach. It is that simple.

Beaches should always be for all

I enjoy planting a towel above the edge of a beach and taking a swim. I prefer body surfing, but a daily one mile swim every morning is better than coffee for bracing oneself for the day.

Because businesses don't have the right to profit off their communities and the environment. Not to mention the increase in pollution! Do those businesses collect every piece of plastic blown out to the water or rake the cigarette butts out of the sand every night?

Because I want to be able to place my towel where it is legal to do so.

I dream of visiting Greece and its islands, and, like in my own country, I also feel the pressure that the luxury tourism has on the local communities, and would like it to be thoroughly supervised by the authorities so as to prevent excesses.