The beaches of Ayia Napa are constantly being upgraded, the majority of which are awarded every year either with the Blue Flag or worldwide, Dimitris Pateras, Head of beaches of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, told KYPE. This year, 15 beaches in the area received the Blue Flag, he noted.
Nissi Beach, he said, "is very famous around the world and is awarded almost every year, which is a special honor for our Municipality. The specific beach is beautiful, has a golden sandy beach, every year it is awarded the Blue Flag, every 15 days water analyzes are made, the results of which are posted on a special sign to inform the public while providing safety with the presence of lifeguards ".
He added that "the well-equipped staff is ready to help visitors in whatever they need, taking into account that this year for the second year we are facing the coronavirus. Precisely because of Covid-19 The traffic on the beaches is reduced, this year most of the tourists are from Russia, while there is traffic on the weekends when our local compatriots visit our area ".
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Pateras said that "the beach staff of the Municipality of Ayia Napa takes all the necessary measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, ie the sunbeds are sprayed and the employees use antiseptics and whatever else is needed."
He also stated that the goal of the Mayor and the Municipal Council of Ayia Napa is "every year the beaches become better for this and we are constantly upgrading them. This year, Pernera beach was upgraded, with new sunbeds, parking lots, sanitary facilities and installation of outdoor sports equipment ".
To another question, Mr. Pateras answered that "a total of 15 beaches received the Blue Flag in Ayia Napa this year, ie more than any other Municipality of free Cyprus. The organized beaches of Ayia Napa are about 22, however, in order for a beach with the institution of the Blue Flag to be approved, there must also be the relevant sampling point for water analyzes ".
He explained that "the water taken from the beaches every fortnight is sent for analysis to the State Chemistry which in turn sends the results and is posted on the bulletin board of each beach. This is a mandatory criterion by the National Judge ", he noted.
Asked to comment on the phenomenon that is observed especially on weekends with local visitors placing their towels on the sunbeds from the previous night, or very early in the morning, Dimitris Pateras admitted that "really on weekends this problem is observed, mainly due to the crowds that there is".
He noted that "the employees of the Municipality's beaches start working from 7 in the morning and the local visitors will pay to rent the sunbeds and umbrellas for their friends or relatives who will visit the area later. "As long as each person pays, the employees cannot refuse to rent sunbeds and umbrellas."
He added that "it is strictly forbidden for the employees of the Municipality to make any reservation, while the price for the sunbeds and the umbrellas is 2.50 euros per piece, an amount that has been imposed by Law and Regulations by the Central Beach Committee".
Regarding the issue of lifeguards on the beaches, Mr. Pateras said that "the Municipality of Ayia Napa has a well-equipped lifeguard unit with qualified lifeguards who perform a very good job. Specifically, on the beach of Nissi Beach there are up to 7 lifeguards who from tomorrow, July 1, will work from 9 in the morning until 7 in the evening ".
According to the Ayia Napa Beaches Manager, “because the smallest beach should have at least 2 lifeguards, we may need double the number. However, we do what we can, the lifeguards work about 10 hours a day, they are paid extra for overtime, he said and added that "the issue of the number of lifeguards should be considered more closely by the relevant Departments or the Ministry of Interior" .