Save Kolymbithres is a group of citizens dedicated to preserving Kolymbithres’ heritage in all its aspects, including its landscape, flora and fauna, and history.
To this end, we have been working since 2021 to stop the large-scale development project by the company EKTER on the west side of the hills of Kolymbithres.
This project is still in the planning stage, though various bodies have already given their approval. The island council initially opposed it in 2016, approved it in 2017, and the current council opposes it once again.
In response to the opposition from us and many others, EKTER greatly reduced the size of its plan as of summer 2026.
However, even this scaled-down project will be deeply detrimental to the entire area. It will permanently destroy its hitherto pristine nature, block access to untouched archaeological and historical remains in the ground, and transform Kolymbithres’ unique beauty into a tourism hotspot.
In June 2022, our group filed an appeal with the Greek Council of State against the positive decision of the Ministry of Antiquities. We believe that this decision is completely unwarranted by the facts on the ground. The appeal proceedings are now scheduled to take place on 30 September 2026.
In August 2022, we wrote a detailed rebuttal against another decision and organized an online petition that quickly gathered more than 2,500 signatures — making it one of the most successful petitions on the island of Paros.
It remains our firm policy to file further appeals if and when additional questionable approvals are granted by any relevant body.
Accordingly, at our latest in-person meeting on 8 September 2026 on Paros, we decided to prepare and file yet another appeal with the Greek Council of State, this time targeting the approval of the smaller project.
Once that approval is officially published, there is a 60-day window to file an appeal, which we are fully prepared to do.
We are committed to exploring all legal options, as well as all technical, environmental, economic, and infrastructural arguments to prevent irreversible harm — we will stop only when this project stops.
As a group of local stakeholders dedicated to driving real change and protecting the community and area to which we are deeply connected, we operate as an informal collective rather than an incorporated association. Our (moderate) costs consist exclusively of legal and court fees, which we split equally on a per-household basis. We primarily meet virtually and make decisions by majority vote, which is usually unanimous.
If you share our vision and wish to work with us toward these goals, please contact us at info@save-kolymbithres.eu