- An African dust storm on May 25, 2025, covered pools in Heraklion, Crete, with mud and dust.
- Hotel staff scrambled to clean both pool water and filters, closing the pools for safety.
- Due to water shortages, pools couldn’t be drained and refilled as usual—instead, dirty water was filtered and reused.
- The main municipal pool at Lido remains closed two days later, with no end in sight.
- Water supply to Heraklion and Hersonissos municipalities remains well below agreed levels, raising fears for the upcoming summer peak.
- Hoteliers have pleaded for patience from guests and are working overtime on cleanup.
Sunday, May 25, 2025, proved that nature never asks for permission. The African dust storm swept over Heraklion faster than a waiter with a tray of ouzo, tossing clouds of mud and dust onto every pool in sight. By Monday morning, hotel pools across the region looked less like places for relaxation and more like avant-garde art installations titled “Brown, Murky Unexpected.”
It didn’t take long for managers to swap their customary hospitality smiles for the look of someone discovering last season’s swimsuit still fits—just also covered in silt. The staff, wielding nets, brushes, and a generous supply of sarcasm, attacked the mess head-on. As Giorgos Manolarakis, who helms a seaside resort, announced to baffled guests, “The pool is closed for its annual mud treatment—arranged courtesy of the Sahara.”
Guests were consoled (as much as one can be consoled with a closed pool and a ticket to Crete during a dust storm) that, “We’re working around the clock to vacuum up what looks like a lost continent. Patience will be rewarded with less brown water and more blue sky soon,” according to Maria from reception, who hadn’t smiled that wide since last September.
Chlorine Shortages and Unexpected Holidays for Filters
Now for the behind-the-scenes drama: water is in short supply this season, so the traditional solution—drain the pool and start fresh—fell flat. Instead, staff were forced to filter and reuse the existing water, a clever trick if you enjoy living dangerously or just like the idea of pool filter systems going on strike. The situation was so dire that, according to one pool maintenance chief, “If I find just one more bucket of mud, I might just turn it into a souvenir.”
Municipal pools, too, weren’t spared the chaos. The Lido pool, usually a hub for splashes and sunburns, has been closed for the second day in a row, leaving swimmers contemplating the innovative use of bathtubs and large buckets.
Crete’s water authorities managed to patch a broken treatment plant computer chip, only to discover the patch was several sizes too small. Heraklion’s utility, DEYAH, reported getting 300 cubic meters per hour instead of the pre-arranged 500. Hersonissos didn’t fare any better; their promised 100 cubic meters were cut in half. Local officials released a cheerless joint statement: “We are not receiving the volumes of water we paid for.” The understatement was met with the public’s favorite Greek chorus: a collective sigh.
Hoteliers tried to see the silver lining, although a thick cloud of mud largely obscured it. As one manager put it, “We pride ourselves on keeping things spotless. But when the Sahara drops off a delivery, there’s only so much a mop can do.”
Tourists, if you’re wondering about your pool time, remember: in Crete, even the dust is determined to make an entrance.
Damned if You Drain, Damned if You Don’t
The lingering question: what happens in peak season, when both patience and water supplies tend to run dry? With local officials wringing their hands over getting a fraction of the water promised by the Development Organization of Crete, summer plans might become less “Greek paradise” and more “DIY Mediterranean mud spa.” For now, hotels reassure visitors they’ll do “everything humanly possible”—short of summoning rain clouds—to have pools sparkling again.
Anyone wishing to swim in the meantime is advised to locate the nearest beach—preferably upwind.
Ηράκλειο: Αγώνας δρόμου για να καθαριστούν οι πισίνες μετά την επέλαση της Αφρικανικής σκόνης