Illegal camping threatens one of Greece’s most famous ‘untouched beaches’

The municipal authority of Kymi-Aliveri on Evia Island has sent a document to the police to address the presence of illegal campers at Thapsa Beach, following a viral photo that depicted the coast occupied by a large number of tents, it was reported on Wednesday. 

Additionally, the municipality plans to dispatch cleaning crews to the beach and will install signs informing visitors of the camping prohibition.

Thapsa is one of Greece’s 198 legally designated “untouched beaches” part of the Natura 2000 network, protected from commercial exploitation to preserve their natural shoreline.

However, this year, the beach has grown in popularity as a camping destination, following the municipality’s decision to pave a section of the road previously accessible only by off-road vehicles.

The individual who captured the viral photo described to Kathimerini the situation at Thapsa last weekend.

According to him, the beach was overcrowded and filled not only with umbrellas but also with dozens of camping tents from people who clearly intended to stay overnight illegally.

Nikolaos Barakos, the mayor of Kymi-Aliveri, confirmed that last weekend “not a single free spot” remained on the beach, despite the nationwide ban on illegal camping.

“On the beach, there is an ‘occupation’ by campers, something that is unprecedented for Thapsa, although it has occurred on other well-known beaches of Evia for years,” he stated.

Illegal camping poses not only public health risks, with local residents complaining about an intense bad smell coming from the beach last weekend, but also risks of fire spread.