Q – A quick question, as I imagine you are busy booking “Southwest tickets”. We leave for the Greek Islands in three weeks and I am hearing stuff on TripAdvisor and TikTok about crowds on some beaches in Greece. I guess you need to make a reservation to hold a spot. I am less concerned about Mykonos than Paros. We have heard some great things about the island and we will be there seven nights. What is the secret to getting a good spot on the beach. I realize we can pay a small fortune to rent a chair and umbrella but we just want to lay in the sand and go swimming. What’s the real story? And I know you likely have never booked a Southwest ticket!
A – You will be entering “Towel War” country. In June, the residents of Paros got fed up with the lack of space on their formerly beautiful, unspoiled beaches. Now, the locals have trouble, literally, finding a place to set up camp close to the water. So residents are waking up early, beating the tourists to the beach, and laying down towels to protect their newly claimed ground. Under Greek law beaches are public. And beach umbrella stands are forbidden to set up barriers around their chairs. The sand is, essentially, first-come first seated. On the island of Paros, the local protesters would tell you that their “movement” has been a success. Locals can now have their “place in the sand”. They just have to wake up at 7:00 AM to grab a towel and go to claim it.
