Mykonos

A demolition protocol was issued on Friday for illegal constructions at a beach bar in Psarou on the island of Mykonos.

The protocol was issued following inspections carried out by environmental inspectors from the Ministry of Environment between April 4th and 11th.

The owner has the right to appeal the demolition decision within ten days.

The Holy Fire, flown to Greece each year from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, is set to arrive on a special Aegean Airlines flight on Saturday evening, in time for Easter midnight mass.

Accompanying the Holy Fire on the Aegean aircraft will be a small diplomatic mission and the plane is expected to land at Athens international airport at approximately 6 p.m.

Seven people have been arrested on the island of Mykonos for urban planning violations, reports said on Wednesday.

The arrests were made after officials of the Environment Ministry sent their report to the relevant prosecutor's office.

Three associations issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on the Culture Ministry to strengthen the service responsible for protecting antiquities on the islands of the Cyclades from rampant illegal construction and other violations.

The "tourism model" pursued on Mykonos is an embarrassment for the state. But it is also a valuable sign from the future. It shows what might happen to Greece's natural and cultural wealth if we only chase after "record" years. 

It has happened to other countries before us that allowed whole regions to turn into seasonal entertainment venues. 

The time has come for something to change in the way flagrant illegality is dealt with in Greece. The political system will be tested on whether it has the courage and determination to show in practice that something is changing by how it intervenes in Mykonos.

A couple on the ferry boat Nissos Mykonos in the Aegean sea, August 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/DIMITRIS TOSIDIS

The probe was triggered by an attack on archaeologist Manolis Psarros, who is in charge of urban planning and archeology on Mykonos, on March 7.

A team comprising environmental inspectors and financial police, accompanied by a public prosecutor and a strong law enforcement contingent, began audits on the popular tourist island of Mykonos on Monday amid a proliferation of complaints and reports of arbitrary and illegal construction activity. 

A vast wall erected by a bar/restaurant is seen on Panormos beach on Mykonos. Kathimerini traveled to the popular Aegean island to investigate allegations of out-of-control building violations after the brutal attack on an archaeologist opposing such rampant construction.

The demand for luxury homes in various regions of Greece last year recorded by Sotheby's International Realty reached 10.4 billion euros. This is an impressive increase over previous years, which has created optimism for further growth in the luxury housing market both this year and in the years to come.