Santorini: €4m for Monolithos seafront redevelopment

The Thira Municipal Port Fund has unanimously approved the final study and tender documents for the redevelopment of the Monolithos seafront zone in Santorini. This is one of the largest public space redevelopment projects launched on the island, as it concerns the entire seafront of the area. The decision completes the design stage and opens the way for the next administrative steps before the project goes to tender.

The project’s budget stands at €3,968,000 including 24% VAT, an amount corresponding to €3,200,000 excluding VAT for construction alone. The study provides for a two-way cycle path, new pavements, a roundabout and parking areas, including spaces for people with disabilities. It also includes a playground of approximately 355 square metres, an outdoor exercise area of approximately 167 square metres, a beach volleyball court, a small open-air theatre, public restrooms and new LED architectural lighting.

“We are pursuing a comprehensive rearrangement and upgrade of the seafront that will change the area’s image,” said the president of the Thira Municipal Port Fund, Georgios Nomikos. According to reports, the required permits are estimated to be completed within the next six months, before the tender process proceeds. This stage is critical, as projects in a coastal zone involve more than one competent authority.

Regarding funding, it was reported that if no external source is found, the project could also be carried out using the Port Fund’s own resources. This possibility distinguishes the undertaking from other infrastructure projects that remain pending while awaiting inclusion in some programme. The project is linked, as has been made known, to the future new marina and the new port of the area, placing it within a broader plan for the island’s eastern side.

Monolithos is the main family beach on Santorini’s eastern coast and one of the few flat and accessible stretches on the island. On an island with pronounced relief and limited level public spaces, the redevelopment of such a zone has direct significance for permanent residents, particularly for families and people with mobility difficulties. The provision for accessible parking spaces and organised recreational areas moves in this direction.

Despite the approval of the study, several issues remain open. No construction timeline has been announced, nor exactly when the tender will be issued. It has also not been made known whether specific external funding will be sought and from which programme, nor how the service will manage the execution of works in an area with high visitor numbers during the summer months. The answers depend largely on how the permitting process unfolds.

The next milestone is the completion of permits within the six-month period, as estimated by the Port Fund, followed by the tender process. The project falls within a series of infrastructure interventions launched in the Cyclades, alongside funding such as the €9.77 million for damage restoration in the Cyclades. Until then, the Monolithos seafront remains in its current form.