# Greece Is Closing One of Its Getaways. This Island Drew Crowds of Tourists Every Year

> Chrissi, one of the most beautiful uninhabited islands in Greece, is being closed to visitors. Find out why the authorities took this step and what comes next.

- URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/hretsiya-zakryvaye-odne-z-mists-vidpochynku/
- Language: en
- Published: 2022-01-21
- Categories: News, Beaches, Tours, Greece, Relaxation, Seas & Oceans

---
Chrissi is one of the most beautiful uninhabited islands in Greece. This resort gem attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, but next season there will be no way to enjoy its charm. The regional authorities have announced a full ban on entry that will remain in force until 31 October.

The entry ban applies from 1 May to 31 October and comes in response to the fact that the region's natural environment is being intensively exploited and destroyed.

The island lies in the Libyan Sea, roughly 15 km off the coast, near the town of Ierapetra. Although it can only be reached by boat, it draws nearly 200,000 holidaymakers a year.

Chrissi has attracted tourists mainly thanks to its sandy beaches, juniper trees, dunes and cedar groves. The island's main attraction is a wide, sandy beach with crystal-clear water.

As the local authorities stressed in their statement, the natural environment on the island of Chrissi has been devastated, and the cedars growing there, some of them up to a hundred years old, are now under threat of extinction. They have a fragile and extensive root system that has been badly damaged by countless visitors trampling the ground. The picture of the harm done to nature is completed by piles of accumulated rubbish.

"That is why the entry ban is essential, so that the natural environment on the island of Chrissi can recover."

foreign media quote the statement from the Crete administration

It should be added that tourists will still be able to sail up to the island by boat, swim in the sea and approach the shore, but coming ashore is prohibited. In turn, since November 2022 it has been possible to stay on the island, but only until sunset.

![](/storage/image/prev/statti-9-1.jpg)