- The Municipality of Hersonissos enters “Radio Silence” mode for the 2026 season.
- Heavy machinery and earthworks are banned from May 20 to October 10.
- Traditional villages like Koutouloufari and Piskopiano face even stricter lockdowns starting April 1.
- Fines are high, but a “backdoor” remains for “urgent” cases via the Deputy Mayor.
Hersonissos has finally realized that tourists don’t enjoy the melodic hum of a jackhammer with their morning frappé. In a desperate bid to preserve the “aesthetic” of the Cretan summer, the Municipality has issued a decree (Decision 136/2025) that essentially turns every construction site between the national road and the sea into a ghost town. It’s a classic case of: “We need the money from the buildings, but we can’t stand the sound of them being built.”
The “Traditional” Silence
If you’re trying to finish a villa in Koutouloufari, Piskopiano, or Old Hersonissos, you’re officially out of luck. The ban on these picturesque magnets begins as early as April 1 and lasts until late October. The local government is effectively putting a velvet rope around these villages, banning everything from excavations to the literal “ironing” of rebar. Apparently, the sunset over the harbor loses its charm if there’s a cement mixer in the frame.
The Prohibited List:
- Heavy Metal: Excavators, loaders, graders, and hammers are strictly grounded.
- The Wet Work: No drilling, no demolition, and definitely no pouring concrete.
- Pre-fab Dreams: Even moving a pre-fabricated house is considered a cardinal sin during the sunbathing hours.
Distance or Paranoia?
The geographical reach of this “quiet zone” is nothing short of obsessive. If you’re working outdoors, you need to be at least 200 meters away from any settlement. If you’re doing “heavy” nuisance work, that buffer zone balloons to a staggering 1,000 meters. They aren’t just asking for quiet; they’re trying to pretend the construction industry doesn’t exist for six months of the year.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Greek regulation without a “special case” clause. If your work is “extremely urgent,” the Deputy Mayor can wave a magic wand and grant you a permit. For the rest of the peasants, the Municipality promises “high financial fines” that will likely cost more than the foundation of the house itself.
“We are informing every interested party…” — The Municipality of Hersonissos (A polite way of saying: “Stop working or start paying.”)
Hersonissos is betting everything on the silence of the lambs—or in this case, the silence of the bulldozers. Whether this actually results in a peaceful paradise or just a backlog of half-finished eyesores remains to be seen.
