Astypalaia: Tourism here is a family affair

Astypalaia (also spelled Astypalea) has not lost its charm. At the end of spring, this Dodecanese island is still lush and green. The Chora sparkles under the strong Aegean light. Many shops are still closed, and the few tourists enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. A dance performance organized by the Cultural and Educational Association of Astypalaia on this Sunday evening, featuring dozens of schoolchildren, becomes an occasion for a small celebration, with locals gathering in the courtyard of Agios Nikolaos in Pera Gialos to admire their children. Afterward, people disperse into large groups at restaurants and cafes. There is this family atmosphere that characterizes small island communities before the frenzy of summer takes over.

Behind this image of normalcy, Astypalaia is experiencing a period of change. The sense of transition is strong among all the island’s residents – reinforced by the sale of some large properties around Chora and Livadi, the gradual increase in new constructions, the opening of new roads, but mainly by information about a different type of investment interest: the creation of large tourist facilities, something alien to an island where tourism entrepreneurship remains a family affair and always on a small scale.

“There is concern on the island,” says Tasos Kontaratos, a native of Astypalaia who works as a teacher and is head of the island’s hiking group called “Pardalo Katsiki” (motley goat). “All this came about from the excessive publicity Astypalaia received in recent years with Volkswagen’s electric mobility program, which received a lot of coverage in Greece and abroad. Our fear is that we must not attract large investment companies, the ones we see having overrun the Cyclades. Most people do not seek easy profit, and it’s natural that information about tourist villages and large hotels causes unrest.”

The sense of a “transitional period” in Astypalaia is also heightened by changes in daily life. German Joachim Wolf has been living permanently on the island for the past eight years. “My concern is the gradual increase in the cost of living for the locals, especially energy costs. For people like me, who are retired from abroad, it’s not a problem. But many locals struggle. I fear that prices will eventually rise to Cycladic levels and force people to sell and leave.”

“I am very worried about where we are heading,” adds Michalis Lalos, owner of an antiques shop in Chora. “In the last five years, a change has begun that is evolving rapidly. There is intense building activity, roads are being opened, and there is an effort to exploit every beach. In Tzanaki [also known as Tzanakia], for example, a road was opened to the coast [partly destroying the footpath that led there until last year]. We constantly hear about Pachia Ammos, Panormos, and various other parts of the island.”

Who are the ones buying and building in Astypalaia? Civil engineer Ioannis Kalis, who served for several years as an employee of the island’s technical service, resigned five years ago and now works as a freelancer. “Astypalaia has remained as you see it for three reasons. The first is its natural isolation; the island is remote. The second is archaeology; since 2001 large zones have been designated on the island where construction is prohibited, followed by the decree for traditional settlements in the Aegean. Finally, the Astypalites have a special relationship with their properties. They are hardworking family people selling with great difficulty and only for significant reasons, such as to educate their children. The island experienced a building boom for the first time from 1990-2010; until then, there was no interest. In the last two to three years, there has been intense interest again. There was also significant publicity with the electric mobility program, but the demand is not as high as rumored. Buyers are mainly Greeks, not only from Astypalaia but also from abroad, wanting to create a bond with Greece for their children. They come and build a holiday home or a complex of two or three houses, intending to use one and rent out the others. They come to the island, bring their children, who make friends with the local children – you see our children asking all summer when their friends will arrive. In my opinion, these people, educated and with notable careers, are an asset to our island.”

“The truth is that there is not yet significant tourist pressure,” says Antonis Kyrannos, owner of a car rental company and a free diver. “Compared to the Cyclades, it is minimal and does not have a major impact. The proof is that Astypalaia’s season is still limited, mainly in July and August. The island has a large area, lots of open space, and untouched nature, which remains its advantage. Our concern is more about what is being talked about. If such large tourist investments proceed, large hotels and tourist villages, it will be disastrous, altering the identity of our place, making us like everyone else. Additionally, the island cannot support something like that, as the infrastructure is already inadequate: Our roads are small, the landfill is overloaded. What will happen with the additional waste, water, electricity?”

Big investments

The proposal by a company to create a 25,000 sq.m. settlement on a 2,000-hectare plot, revealed by Kathimerini (“Mega-project on Astypalaia in the works”), caused a stir on the island. The proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Environment (specifically, to the Central Town Planning and Disputes Council, or KESYPOTHA) for initial approval, but the matter has not yet been discussed. The island’s municipal council unanimously requested that the project not proceed, deeming it incompatible with the scale of the island. The mayor, Nikos Komineas, now serving his second term, sought information from the Environment Ministry but received a negative response.

“We don’t have specific details because they haven’t given them to us yet. However, we were assured that when the issue is discussed at KESYPOTHA, the municipality will be invited to attend,” he says. “The news shocked the island. The residents’ opinion is that the island should preserve its hinterland and protect its natural environment instead of developing tourist villages. We are in favor of investments, but within the limits of the settlements, which, thank God, have plenty of room,” he notes.

As he explains, the municipality has been approached by various parties. “There is interest in Astypalaia from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait. We advise them to operate within the framework I mentioned. For example, in Agrilidi, there is an abandoned settlement that could be revived. They could construct energy-efficient, autonomous complexes integrated into the local architecture. There is also interest from major real estate firms, but we discourage them when their target is areas outside the zoning plan.”

According to the mayor, the increase in construction activity on the island comes “from within.” “To a large extent, permanent residents are building, creating small family businesses, studios integrated into the morphology of our settlements, of good quality. In my opinion, the situation has not gotten out of hand, and Astypalaia has the most successful tourism model, with small hospitality units and restaurants with local products. In recent years, fields that had been left uncultivated for years have been revived, and greenhouses have been established because there is the possibility of consuming the produce on the island.”

“The island’s exposure in recent years has been very big, especially after the government’s deal with Volkswagen. There is now intense construction interest, whereas in previous decades, everything had frozen,” says Panormitis Kontaratos, who served as mayor for two decades. “Here, great caution is needed. We must decide what we want: to prosper by maintaining the island’s qualitative characteristics, or a tourism industry that will quickly bring in a lot of revenue, but with the risk of significant losses? This period is the most critical. We must be careful not to lose the island. I am not scaremongering; the risk is visible. If we attract the interest of large real estate companies, the residents will be vulnerable to such advances. Major tourism investments should not start before the island’s urban planning is completed.”

“It bothers me when I hear condemnations of growth. There must be housing; there must be construction activity if we want to increase the island’s permanent population,” Kalis says. “However, it is very important for the island to retain its countryside. For this to happen, the island’s new urban plan must be completed quickly. Secondly, we must do a better job of managing the problems of the summer season, such as vehicle traffic. Thirdly, the municipality must secure larger funding since small municipalities cannot rely solely on levies. As for us residents, the danger for a society is nouveau riche attitudes. Seeing people who could be productive adopting the mentality of rentiers, with their only concern being how to find a cleaner for the rental rooms. The issue is achieving balance.”

Still burning diesel

The “Smart and Sustainable Island” electromobility program, which started in 2021, brought global attention to Astypalaia. It was an innovative initiative introducing electromobility to an island – a spatially limited place – with the participation of local government and residents. What was not immediately apparent was the paradox of using electric cars that rely on a traditional fossil fuel-burning power generation station – i.e. diesel. Locally, as expected, the program raised great expectations that it would become a driving force for large-scale change. This may be why a portion of the island’s society feels disappointed.

The island’s mayor, Nikos Komineas, is a staunch advocate of the whole project. As he explains, the aforementioned paradox will soon be resolved. “The program is progressing very well. Today, we are in the second phase, which involves constructing a hybrid station for energy production. PPC Renewables will create a 3 MW photovoltaic station, and the electricity will be stored in a 10.5 MW battery and go to local consumption. The goal is to cover 50% of peak summer demand. In the second phase, a wind turbine will be built to cover an additional 30-40% of consumption.”

Regarding the penetration of electric vehicles into local transportation, today, the island has 125 new VW cars (mostly small models like the e-up! and ID.3), four buses, eight vans, and eight scooters. “Vehicle replacement is going incredibly well; for almost 2.5 years now, almost all new cars purchased on the island are electric, as are two thirds of the rentals. We are optimistic about commercial vehicles as well, with a separate subsidy provided since the beginning of the year. If the replacement rate is not impressive, it is not due to the subsidy amount but people’s finances. Thanks to the program, a 35,000-euro car costs Astypalaia residents 15-16,000 euros with the old vehicle trade-in. However, people’s priority is not to buy a new car but to invest their savings in their homes and businesses. After a decade of economic crisis, you can’t expect anything different,” says Komineas.

Regarding transportation services, the AstyBus system, which operates with an app for on-demand rides, made 27,833 trips in 2023 according to the municipality. The app has 2,876 users, and about 25% of the residents use its 27 stops, as do visitors. Overall, its reception on the island has been positive.

The landfill is burning

The island’s infrastructure and its promotion as a “green island” are viewed humorously by locals. “The landfill is saturated and caught fire two or three times last year. Recycling is not happening; the only effort is for plastic bottles. So much for Astypalaia being a green island,” teacher and hiker Tasos Kontaratos says. “As for the electromobility program, I think it was much ado about nothing. Firstly, electric vehicles are charged with energy produced by the PPC substation burning diesel. Secondly, we were told that the goal is to replace all vehicles on the island with electric ones, which hasn’t happened, perhaps because the incentives weren’t strong enough. The best thing that happened was the electric bus [AstyBus]. Things should have been done in a different order – first green energy production, then the rest.”

“How foolish it is to burn diesel to charge electric vehicles. With two wind turbines, they could cover the island’s needs,” says retiree Joachim Wolf. “It irritates me when I hear talk of a ‘smart’ and ‘green’ island. The landfill is a nightmare; last year, it caught fire and filled Chora with smoke. Recycling is nonexistent. The desalination plant in Maltezana doesn’t work because it hasn’t been maintained. We want exposure and more tourists, but tourism needs water, which we don’t have.”

“The VW program is important,” counters rental car buisinessman Antonis Kyrannos. “Significant incentives were provided, and many electric cars came to the island. For us professionals, it’s easier to manage them, while customers who rent them are pleased with their performance. The cars are of good quality, and at the same time, exhaust pollution is reduced,” he says. Out of the 40 vehicles available for rent in the summer, already nine are electric.

Water

Regarding infrastructure shortages, Komineas believes the island is on the right track. “We have installed pre-treatment facilities for the reservoir water and are completing an automatic chlorination system to make it drinkable from the tap. The most appropriate next step is to build another reservoir and a desalination plant to meet Chora’s peak period needs. Additionally, the Management Organization Unit (MOU) is conducting a study on our behalf for reusing wastewater for irrigation in Livadi. For waste management, responsibility has now been taken over by the Waste Management Company (FODSA) of the South Aegean, which is preparing studies for a waste and biowaste treatment plant, in what would be an extension of the existing landfill. Regarding recycling, today we collect the majority of plastic bottles and glass and send them for free – thanks to the support of Blue Star Ferries – to the collection center for recyclable materials (KDAY) in Aspropyrgos, Athens.”

“If we want to become a truly green island, we need to invest in maintaining and attracting quality tourism,” says Kontaratos. “We should utilize our trails, create climbing areas, promote our archaeological wealth, work on extending the tourist season, and support the primary sector to prevent its abandonment. We need a serious carrying capacity study to indicate how many people our land can support without losing its identity.”