Koumpara-Diakofto
In the area “Koumbara – Diakofto” of Ios, permits were granted to company 105 SA to build a tourist village. Diakofto is a rocky islet that was connected to the main part of Ios with a narrow strip of rocks. At the connection point there is a beach called Koumbara. The permits included the construction of a bridge that connects the rocky islet with the beach, something that is incompatible with the Cycladic landscape. The State Council cancelled all permits in 2022 following an application made by Ios homeowners and environmental associations in 2016. Autopsies made by the Environmental Inspectors during 2016 and 2018 revealed a number of illegalities, which concern the way the bridge was built, the alteration of a stream, the building of various structures without permits, etc.
Bridge
Diakofto is a rocky islet that was connected to the main part of Ios with a narrow strip of rocks, as shown in the first photos. The licensing of the complex tourist accommodation includes the construction of a bridge that connects the rocky islet with the beach. The remaining photos show the construction of the bridge, the concrete on the beach, and the general destruction of the landscape. Autopsy of the Environmental Inspectors have even revealed illegalities in the construction of the bridge.
Diakofto
The first photo shows Diakofto before the operations. The second shows the construction of a house right on the ridge, with simultaneous leveling of the ridge at a significantly lower height. The remaining photos show extensive earthworks on the islet.
Koumbara beach
Autopsies of the Environmental Inspectors have also shown violations in Koumbara, concerning the extent of the constructions and their distance from the sea, the clearing of streams and alteration of the landscape morphology, the unauthorized opening of a road in the coastal and beach area, the planting of alien trees ( palm trees in the USA and Mexico), construction of buildings without a building permit, obstruction of control, and others. The photos show the extensive planting of new palm trees.