Athens Lawyer explains your legal right to free access to the sea, and what it means when you swim, build, buy or complain
Few things define life in Greece as much as the sea. With one of the longest coastlines in Europe and a long legal tradition of treating the shore as a shared public good, Greece guarantees something many countries do not: the sea belongs to everyone. For retirees and newcomers this matters in two ways. As a beachgoer, it tells you what you are entitled to. As an owner or buyer near the coast, it tells you what you may not do, and what can go wrong in a purchase.
By Spyros-Nikitas Tsamichas
The principle is easy to state. There are no private beaches in Greece. The foreshore and the beach zone belong to the State and are open to all. Businesses may rent part of a beach, never all of it: at least half of each beach must stay free, and a strip of at least 4 metres along the water must remain open. You may cross, sit and swim in front of any hotel, beach bar or villa, and blocking access carries fines of €2,000 to €60,000. Structures on the foreshore are illegal unless specifically licensed, and they cannot benefit from the general amnesty for illegal buildings. Complaints, meanwhile, are easy: you can use the free MyCoast app or contact the local Land Registry Service of the State (Κτηματική Υπηρεσία).
The shore as a common good
Greek law distinguishes three coastal strips. The first is the foreshore, the land washed by the sea at its highest usual wave reach, recognised by law as an essential element of the natural environment. The second is the beach zone, a strip adjoining the foreshore, defined to protect the coast from erosion and to link land and sea, which may extend up to 50 metres inland. The third is the old foreshore, former foreshore that became dry land as the coastline moved seawards. It belongs to the State as private property, subject to rights lawfully acquired before its delimitation.
Under the law on the coast and the Civil Code, the foreshore and the beach zone are things in common use. Their primary purpose is free and unobstructed public access. They cannot be privately owned, sold, mortgaged or acquired by long possession; the State may only grant the temporary use of limited parts. The Constitution, which obliges the State to protect the environment, reinforces this protection.
The exact lines are drawn by a regional committee chaired by the head of the local Land Registry Service and including the Harbour Master, an engineer and a geologist. Decisions are published in the Government Gazette and recorded in the Hellenic Cadastre. Where no line has been drawn, the natural boundary between land and sea applies. Once a line is published, affected land may not be built on or improved for two years, and private rights within the protected strips may be expropriated.
Building near the coast
Setbacks depend on the location and use of the building, and stricter local plans or protected area rules may apply. As a general guide, houses outside town plans and settlements must stand at least 30 metres from the foreshore line, and always beyond the beach zone line. Tourist accommodation must stand at least 50 metres away. Settlements existing before 1923 or with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants require at least 15 metres, and again always beyond the beach zone line. Within approved town plans the plan itself provides the distance, but the building line may never go beyond the beach zone line.
Many believe fences are banned only within 50 metres of the sea. The real rule is stricter. Outside approved town plans and pre-1923 settlements, no fences are allowed within 500 metres of the shore. This rule, long established in Greek law, is now part of the Tagaras Code. Narrow exceptions exist for crops and certain special uses, and even those fences must stay well back from the foreshore and never block public passage. Unlawful fences are treated as illegal constructions and may be demolished.
Where a private property lies between a public road and the foreshore, the owner must provide a free passage for safe access to the shore. Obstructing access to the sea is punished with a fine of €2,000 to €60,000, doubled for a repeat offence.
Buying an old house on the waterfront
A traditional stone house with its feet in the water is many retirees’ dream. Legally, it is also the highest risk purchase on the Greek coast.
Age does not legalise a building on the foreshore. Because the foreshore cannot be privately owned, a building standing on it does not become lawful because it is old or appears in family deeds. Occupants of such buildings may be removed without any claim to compensation, under the Tagaras Code. The Land Registry Service issues a demolition protocol, giving 30 days to remove the structure before it is demolished at the owner’s expense. Listed buildings and monuments are exempt.
The financial and criminal exposure is serious. Unlawful works attract fines of four times the annual concession fee for up to five years, and altering the foreshore without a permit is punishable by at least one year of imprisonment. There is also no amnesty to fall back on. The general scheme for legalising illegal buildings expressly excludes structures on the foreshore. Buildings in the beach zone may be regularised only if they pre-date its delimitation. Since a property carrying unregularised illegal structures generally cannot be transferred, the sale itself may be blocked.
Finally, even a perfectly legal house behind the beach gives its owner no exclusive right over the sand in front. Sunbeds, “private” signs or chains on the foreshore are unlawful and can be ordered removed within 48 hours.
For the buyer, the sequence of checks is clear. Ask your lawyer whether a foreshore or beach zone line has been published for the area. Have an independent engineer plot that line on a topographic survey against every building, terrace, pool and fence. Compare the survey with the Hellenic Cadastre record, where foreshore land appears as State property. Confirm through the engineer’s certificate that nothing sits on the foreshore. Check for pending demolition protocols or fines, and where doubt remains, make the contract conditional.
Private stairs, decks and jetties
A concrete staircase down the rocks, a sunbathing deck or a small jetty are among the most common coastal violations. The law prohibits any building, structure or alteration on the foreshore, the beach zone or the seabed without a permit. Permits are exceptional and are granted only through a special procedure, before the Land Registry Service and with the opinions of other authorities such as the Harbour Master. Ordinary planning offices cannot license such works, as the Council of State has confirmed. Existing works can be legalised only through the same procedure and only if they could have been lawfully permitted. Unlicensed works face removal at the owner’s cost, fines, a ten year ban from beach concessions and criminal liability. Accessibility ramps and platforms serving the public are treated differently and are encouraged.
Hotels, resorts and beach bars
When a resort advertises a “private beach”, it can only mean that the resort holds a temporary concession for sunbeds and umbrellas on part of the beach, never that the public may be excluded. The law sets clear limits. At least 50% of each beach must remain free of concessions. Each concession may cover up to 500 m², and main hotels and camping sites may hold larger areas within the 50% limit. Sunbeds and umbrellas may occupy at most 60% of a concession, or 30% in Natura 2000 areas. A free strip of at least 4 metres must stay clear along the water, with free passage both along the shore and towards the sea, and neighbouring concessions must be at least 6 metres apart. Very small beaches, and around 200 protected “untouched” beaches in Natura 2000 areas, cannot be rented out at all. Every concession must also display a sign with a QR code showing its approved boundaries.
In practice, you may walk through a concession to reach or walk along the water, and you may lay your towel or umbrella in any free area, including the 4 metre strip, without buying anything. Staff cannot lawfully ask you to leave the free zone or block the path from the road. If sunbeds spread beyond the area shown by the QR code, that is a reportable violation.
Most concessions are awarded through electronic public auctions; about 3,250 were held for the 2026 season. Legally operating neighbouring hotels, rooms, camping sites, catering businesses and nautical clubs may instead obtain a direct concession for one to three years. None of these arrangements relaxes the public access rules.
Who enforces the rules
It is often said that the Coast Guard is responsible for everything on the beach. The reality is more nuanced. The Land Registry Service of the State is the primary authority: it manages the foreshore, runs concessions, inspects, orders removal within 48 hours, seals unlawful businesses, issues demolition protocols and imposes fines. The municipality also inspects, removes equipment from unlawfully occupied areas, cleans the beach and hires lifeguards. The police assist inspections where needed. The Coast Guard is responsible for safety at sea, bathing safety, water sports and vessels, and the local Harbour Master sits on the committee that draws the foreshore line. Tax and prosecution authorities handle related tax and criminal offences.
To report a problem, download the free MyCoast app, then at the beach scan the concession’s QR code or find the beach on the map and submit a report with photographs, either anonymously or with your name so you can follow its progress. For blocked paths, fences or illegal structures, also write to the local Land Registry Service so there is a formal record.
Enforcement has become far more effective. Since June 2026, violations can be established remotely using drones and satellite imagery, and in summer 2026 the authorities carried out more than 1,500 inspections at over 300 beaches, while complaints fell as compliance improved.
The European dimension
The European framework stands behind much of this. Under the EU Services Directive, because beaches are a scarce resource, the Court of Justice of the EU requires concessions to be awarded through transparent selection and prohibits automatic renewals. Greece’s electronic auctions follow this logic. The stricter limits and the “untouched” beaches in Natura 2000 areas reflect the EU Habitats Directive.
The Mediterranean ICZM Protocol calls for a 100 metre coastal zone free of construction. The EU has approved it, but Greece has signed without ratifying, and Greek setbacks of 15 to 50 metres remain narrower.
Practical advice
The practical advice depends on your role. As a beachgoer, know your rights, use the QR code and MyCoast, and keep dated photographs. As a buyer, never rely on the seller’s word or the age of a building, and commission an independent legal and technical check before signing. As an owner, do not build fences, stairs, decks or walls towards the sea without first confirming the permits required, and remember that you may have to keep a path to the beach open. If you receive an order, act immediately, because deadlines are short: a removal order, for example, must be challenged within five days.
SOURCES
Coastal public domain framework: Law 5092/2024 (Article 3, the foreshore as an essential element of the natural environment; Article 6, foreshore and beach zone as things in common use)
Things in common use: Civil Code, Article 967
Free passage to the shore and fines: Law 5092/2024, Article 6(6)
Building, structures and alterations without a permit: Law 5092/2024, Article 6(3)
Fences within 500 metres of the shore: Law 1337/1983, now Article 305 of the Tagaras Code
Removal without compensation: Tagaras Code, Article 305(3)
Legalisation of illegal buildings: Law 4495/2017 (excludes structures on the foreshore)
Permits for works on the foreshore: Law 2971/2001 (special procedure before the Land Registry Service)
Remote enforcement by drones and satellite imagery: Law 5313/2026
Beach concessions: EU Services Directive; Court of Justice of the EU, Promoimpresa (2016) and Comune di Ginosa(2023)
Protected and "untouched" beaches: EU Habitats Directive (Natura 2000)
Coastal setbacks: Mediterranean Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
Reporting violations: MyCoast app - local Land Registry Service of the State (Κτηματική Υπηρεσία)
ABOUT THE EXPERT
Spyros-Nikitas Tsamichas, Lawyer, Co-Founder and Legal Advisor of Energon Green Solutions Ltd, an integrated carbon efficiency platform
Tsamichas Law Firm
sntsamichas@tsamichaslaw.GR
Akadimias 17, 106 71 Athens, Attica, Greece
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