National authorities in Greece are putting forward legislation to prevent any further construction in Santorini’s caldera zone.
Picturesque Santorini is known for its perfect blue skies, blue seas and strikingly bright white traditional villages that tumble down hillsides to the water, but concerns have been growing about the vast numbers of tourists such delights attract and their impact on the small Aegean gem, an island of only 75 km² (29 square miles).
The new proposals from the Greek Environment and Energy Ministry, are designed to respond to views long-expressed by residents and local government figures that the island’s unusual and limited volcanic landscape cannot be expected to meet infinite demand from the tourist sector.
Europe’s largest caldera is a UNESCO World heritage site
If voted through by parliament, the legislation will prompt a building suspension in the island’s caldera zone – a 25 km² (10 square-mile) crater that is Europe’s largest and one of the five largest in the world, formed in the 16th century BC by a volcanic eruption.
The stuff of Greek mythology, including the legendary sirens whose beautiful song would lure sailors to their deaths, Santorini’s caldera is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beloved by walkers and cyclists. Villages at the top of its cliffs, such as Fira and Oia offer spectacular vistas, while divers can spend time down at the South Coast beach.
To preserve this heritage for future generations, the proposed rules will mean that no new licences can be granted and permits already given will be suspended pending review. That includes a moratorium on swimming pools and extensions.
“Irrational” building developments
The restrictions are likely to be welcomed by Nikos Zorzos, Santorini’s mayor, who told the Greek Reporter that he asked the government to go further and “halt the construction of all types of hotel units, short-term rentals, and especially strategic investments, not only for the caldera but for the entire island of Santorini.”
Calling any continued tourist development of the island “irrational”, Zorzos notes that as well as threatening the island’s natural beauty and historic landscapes, non-stop construction brings with it further infrastructure needs and demand for resources that the island cannot hope to meet, putting their touristic success in jeopardy.
“When the needs keep increasing,” Zorzos told the paper, “new consecutive problems will build up which we won’t be able to resolve; the increasing need for water and electricity, for instance, which we have worked hard to get to their present level, and we keep working on.”
