sunbeds

Greece BANS sunbeds and umbrellas across 250 beaches in crackdown on overtourism

GREECE has slapped a sunbed ban on 251 of its beaches meaning tourists will have to ditch the loungers for a simple towel.

The rule aims to limit overtourism on the beaches as well as tourist developments, such as hotels and sunbeds for hire, to keep the beaches in their natural state.

Umbrellas and sunbeds are not allowed to be hired on 251 of Greece’s beaches Credit: Alamy
These include Elafonissi Beach, which is well-known for its pink sand Credit: Getty

So for tourists heading to the 251 beaches on the list, they’ll need to stick to either a towel or just sitting on the sand.

And some spots have even stricter rules – on beaches that are part of the Natura 2000 programme, you won’t see hotels cordoning off areas as a ‘private beach’ section, instead they will be open to everyone.

There will also be no changes to how the beach looks, so no concrete piers, sea walls or paved paths.

Essentially, anything that messes with the natural state of the beach, is not allowed.

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So, if you want a beach bar and to rent an umbrella, you’ll need to head elsewhere.

A release from the Greek Environment Ministry stated that the ban “seeks to effectively protect beaches that have particular aesthetic, geomorphological or ecological value, as well as to preserve the types of habitats and the species of flora and fauna found on these beaches”.

The Ministry added: “In particular, the number of shorelines and beaches within areas included in the National List of Areas of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 is increasing and in which the granting of simple use, as well as any other action that may endanger their morphology and their integrity in terms of their ecological functions, is now prohibited.”

The ban follows Greek authorities dealing with a number of incidents in recent months on the protected beaches.

According to local reports, riot police recently took down a number of shacks on the island of Gavdos, just south of Crete.

One of the beaches included on the list is Elafonissi Beach found on the southwest coast of Greece as it is a protected Natura 2000 nature reserve.

Its not the easiest to get to – visitors must head across a shallow lagoon.

It was named the second best beach in the world by TripAdvisor‘s Travellers‘ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2026 and also 15th best in Europe in the World’s Best Beaches 2025 awards.

Or favourite Greece holidays

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Blue Bay Beach Resort, Rhodes

The four-star Blue Bay Beach Resort sits a stone’s throw away from this beach, and has its own pools, splash park and water slides. Here you’re only a 15-minute drive away from Rhodes Old Town, where UNESCO-listed medieval streets wind through castle-like architecture. Make sure to check out the Street of the Knights, one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe.

BOOK HERE

Gouves Bay Hotel, Crete

Gouves Bay Hotel keeps things simple on a sunny Greek island location right by the sea. This hotel has a relaxed, family-friendly feel with two pools, a kids’ club and easy all-inclusive dining. And if you fancy a change of atmosphere, Gouves’ bars and tavernas are just a short walk away for your choice of evening drinks with a view.

BOOK HERE

Aegean View Aqua Resort, Kos

The picturesque hotel is perched up high and surrounded by lush greenery in the historic harbour town of Kos. Here you’ll find a huge swimming pool and a waterpark, as well as activities like darts, tennis, football and more. There’s evening entertainment six days a week, and an on-site spa with a hot tub and sauna to unwind.

BOOK HERE

TUI Blue Lagoon Queen, Halkidiki

This mega resort with six pools and its own waterpark is rated five stars by TUI. In the main restaurant, you’ll see show cooking displays as you take your pick from an extensive international buffet. Plus, Kalives beach is on the doorstep of this hotel, with its strikingly blue water and soft golden sands.

BOOK HERE

The beach is known for its pink sand, which gets its colour from crushed seashells – though removing any of the shells or sand is forbidden.

One recent visitor said: “One of the most beautiful natural paradises in the world.”

Other beaches include Kalamaki Beach near Athens, Tobruk Beach near Heraklion and several beaches on the island of Samos.

If you are heading to Greece and are not sure what beaches the ban applies to, download the Gov.gr MyCoast app, where you can see a map of all the 251 beaches.

If you are thinking of going on holiday to Greece, there’s one city that’s better in spring with funiculars, sunset rooftops and wine tastings.

Plus, there’s a stunning Greek island that will pay you to move there and give you a house.

Some beaches have stricter rules too, that even stop pathways being built Credit: Alamy

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Tourists in Tenerife look up from sunbeds and can’t believe what they see

Tourists in Tenerife were recently taken aback when they looked up from their sunbeds to be met with an unexpected sight. Many couldn’t believe their eyes due to what they saw

Tourists in Tenerife recently witnessed an unexpected sight after looking up from their sunbeds, and it comes after people have encountered unlikely experiences at the destination. Many tourists jet off to the Canary Islands hotspot in hope of catching a tan and having a much-needed rest but some admitted they were faced with a rather different holiday lately.

It was brought to people’s attention by a man known as Sam T, who claimed the weather in Tenerife is very “deceiving”. After he posted footage from his sunbed, looking up at the sky, it got many people talking about how their holidays have been impacted by the same surprising factor.

This isn’t the first time the topic has been brought to people’s attention either. Just weeks ago, holidaymakers made another similar complaint.

Lying on his sunbed, Sam was hoping to get some sun on his skin, but it looks as though mother nature had other ideas. As he filmed up towards the sky, you could see the blue sky was gradually clouding over and turning grey.

It also sounds like there may have been a bit of thunder and lightning too. The footage quickly got people talking, as they were keen to share what their own experiences at the destination have been like.

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One said: “I just don’t get the hype with the Canaries. Beaches ain’t pretty and there’s always so much cloud.”

Another wrote: “Been here since the 19th and it’s been so inconsistent. It’s cloudy then a bit of sun. Rubbish really.”

A third replied: “The weather sucks. No sunshine, clouds always around the mountains. Five more days then I go home.

“Never ever coming back. I’ll try to leave earlier. Biggest disappointment of this year.”

Even though Sam admitted it’s been hot during his stay, he noted it’s been “overcast a lot of the time”. He also admitted he’s visited a few times in the past, but this was the first time he’s experienced so much cloud.

Someone else wrote: “I was here 15th to 22nd and had lush weather!” Another responded: “Still absolutely boiling though.”

One more also noted: “Been here since 18th April. It’s been mid 20s every day – been scorching.”

What people need to know

Generally, Tenerife is not considered a cloudy island overall, but it has distinct microclimates. The north is greener and often cloudier, while the south is consistently sunny and warm.

Clouds commonly form over the central mountains, and occasionally spill over to coastal areas, particularly from September to May. However, it’s also been noted the weather in parts of the Canary Islands has been worse than usual this year.

During early 2026, Tenerife experienced significant, unseasonably bad weather, which has been described as some of the worst in over a decade. March was particularly impacted by Storm Therese, which brought heavy rain, high winds, flash flooding and rare snowfall at high altitudes.

It also led to travel disruption and flight cancellations. This is why people have been talking so much about the weather there recently.

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Egypt holidaymakers look up from sunbeds and are floored by what they see

Many holidaymakers like lazing around the pool and soaking up the rays when on an Egypt break. But tourists in one resort got more than they bargained for when they were relaxing by the pool in their resort

Egypt is a top holiday destination amongst Brits, with approximately one million British nationals visiting the the country each year. The destination known for its diverse blend of ancient history, world-class marine activities and year-round winter sun. However, as well as exploring, many holidaymakers like lazing around the pool and soaking up the rays when on an Egypt break. But tourists in one resort got more than they bargained for when they were relaxing by the pool in their resort.

Paolito Entertainment, which puts on hotel and resort entertainment, shared a video of some baffled holidaymakers in Egypt being greeted by someone dressed as Monster’s Inc character Michael Wazowski.

The ‘green monster’ was seen jumping on some people’s sunbeds as they tried to ignore him.

Next to him was also someone dressed as fictional character Cheburashka.

They captioned the post: “Hotel-style entertainment done right.”

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The post racked up 178,000 likes as many admitted they would find it amusing.

One person called it ‘their dream’, while someone else added: “I wish this would happen to me.”

However, other people weren’t so keen.

“That looks terrifying,” admitted one person, while another said: “They don’t look very entertained.”

A third confessed: “Don’t want to know who is inside there.”

While someone else asked: “What the heck Cheburashka doing out there?”

As of April, 2026, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) considers major tourist destinations in Egypt safe to visit, but maintains strict warnings for specific border and desert regions.

Areas advised against travel

The official FCDO advice for Egypt warns against:

North Sinai Governorate: All travel due to ongoing security operations and the risk of terrorism.

Egypt-Libya Border: All travel within 20km of the border (except for El Salloum, where only essential travel is advised).

Western Desert: All but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta (except for major sites like Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and the Faiyum Governorate).

Northern South Sinai: All but essential travel beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, excluding coastal areas.

Ismailiyah Governorate: All but essential travel to areas east of the Suez Canal.

Safe tourist destinations

The FCDO does not currently advise against travel to the primary tourist hubs, including:

Cities: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan.

Red Sea Resorts: Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam.

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