Playa Paraiso — Restaurant in Municipality of Kissamos

None of the businesses that are suffocating and destroying the Natura area with the giant sunbeds are legal. And yet they all work unimpeded.

According to a recent news article on Lifo.gr : Occupying with umbrella seats one of the most beautiful Greek beach, in Falasarna, Crete, is completely illegal. After the complaints of the municipal authority and the opposition and the revelations by the Citizens' Initiative Save Falasarna, the autopsy carried out the day before yesterday by a team of inspectors of the State Land Service revealed extensive occupation of the public area of the beach, without any lease of a beach concession permit.

In the autopsy in the area of Falasarna in the municipality of Kissamos, a count was made of the entire occupied area of the shared area of the beach and it was found that not a single lease of beach concession has been made in the area.

Despite the suffocating tourist exploitation of the beach, there are only 3-4 leases, which, however, relate to the exploitation of marine recreational equipment (e.g. water sports, bicycles, jet skis, etc.) which were drawn up by the Real Estate Service itself after by auction. On the contrary, none other than those professionals and operators of the beach where the team conducted an autopsy had a permit to occupy the beach and the beach for sunbeds and umbrellas.

In a recent announcement by the Citizens' Initiative "Save Falasarna" there is talk of small-four-wheeled-vehicles that "harvest" the sand dunes, jet skis, umbrella seats on 80% and not the 30% of the beach defined by Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency, and a scandalous rent of 10 euros per per square meter per year plus beach bars and decibels above the permitted limit. In addition, the Initiative states that it is now questionable whether there is a license for all of this. In the announcement, among other things, it is mentioned that "recently there was a police check all over the Falasarna bay and 13 businessmen were arrested (we learned about workers who are getting paid from the business owners to pretend that they are responsible for the business there when police comes for spontaneous arrest) because they did not have a license for the umbrella seats they were renting" and continues: "The invitation of the Municipality of Kissamos to businesses for a simple beach concession was made on April 11 and the deadline expired on June 23. The intervention of the Police took place a month later and it was found that no one had a permit, while most of the umbrella seats have been in since May. The first question is whether they had all applied to the Municipality by June 23 or whether they took advantage of the "loophole" given to them by the law, to apply through the Real Estate Service from July 1 onwards."

In another part of the Falasarna Movement's complaint, it is stated that, "even if they had a permit, the concession contract defines a specific area (usually 500 sq.m.), of which, because it is a Natura area, it can be occupied with umbrella seats 30%, i.e. around 170 sq.m. Falasarna beach has sand dunes that are plowed daily by small-four-wheeled-vehicles.

The last thing that shows the magnitude of the scandal is dedicated to those who believe that if we give our beaches to private initiative, this will bring development and therefore revenue to the public coffers. The companies in question, even when they get permission, will pay to the Municipality and the Greek State, based on the contracts we have seen, a price of around 10 euros/sq.m. for a whole year. That is, for a contract concerning 500 sq.m. they will pay 5,000 euros/year. The specific umbrella seats are charged from 20 to 80 or even 300 euros if they are in the first row. Do the multiplication for a business that has 100 umbrella seats (100x80 = 8,000 euros, i.e. the annual rental cost is the collection of only half a day) and you will see that we are talking about a robbery at the expense of Kissamites, Chaniotes and all visitors." the...

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude and admiration for the outstanding experience I had at your restaurant during my recent visit to Falassarna Beach in Crete. My first visit was in April when I had the pleasure of trying your deliciously juicy lamb and mashed potatoes. It was an amazing choice that left a lasting impression on me.

During my second visit to the island in May, I knew that I had to return to your restaurant with my friends, and we ended up visiting twice during our stay. I was delighted to see that all of my friends loved the food just as much as I did. It's not often that we find a restaurant that consistently delivers excellent food, and it's safe to say that Playa Paraiso does just that.

Not only was the food exceptional, but the staff was also incredibly friendly and courteous. I must mention Elina, our waitress, who stood out as particularly good. Her warm and welcoming demeanor made our dining experience all the more enjoyable. It's always a pleasure to dine at a restaurant where the staff genuinely cares about their customers' satisfaction, and it's clear that Playa Paraiso excels in this area.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend your beautiful beachside restaurant to anyone who is looking for a memorable dining experience in Falassarna Beach. Your juicy lamb dish is an absolute must-try, and I do not doubt that anyone who visits your restaurant will be just as impressed as I was.

Thank you for providing such an exceptional dining experience. I look forward to my next visit to...

I had the misfortune to come across with this horrendous place. It was a super hot day and I was sick and unwell I have health issues. We were given a table but, I just wanted to order water quickly. So my husband approach the lady at the bar and in that exact moment the waitress came to the table. I have no idea what went on in her head, but she rushed running to my husband at the bar. Then the owner comes and starts shouting at us. He was even aggressive with his hand gestures, he insulted me a woman who was unwell and just wanted water. I had to stand up from the chair and shout back at him to defend myself. He kept on insulting us and shouting at us. This man which is the owner of this place is just a clear example of a disgusting human being. Trying to show his “VIRILITY” which he lacks off. I have been to so many islands in Greece, Crete is by far the worst and Cretans are so rude. It’s a lack of common sense they have. One person brings you the menu, that person can’t take the order. They have only one person who takes the order. They are living 200 years behind like, the owner of this place who thinks he can shout to a woman in the year 2024. The place next door is much...