Kyparissia Bay: Balancing Nature and Tourism

15/05/2025

Since 1984, ARCHELON has been active in Kyparissia Bay, protecting one of the most important nesting sites for the Loggerhead sea turtle in the Mediterranean. However, as the popularity of the protected area increases and pressures from tourism and climate change intensify, the question that arises is: How many people can this beach “bear” without degrading the environment?

Carrying Capacity: What Can the Coast Bear?

A recently published study by a team of scientists from the University of the Aegean evaluated the carrying capacity of the nesting beaches in Kyparissia Bay. This concept helps us understand how much human activity a sensitive coastal ecosystem can withstand without degrading it — a fact that would endanger not only the reproduction of turtles but also the overall biodiversity of the area.

This interdisciplinary study examined various parameters, such as the extent of the coastline, the extent of protected dune formations and nesting areas of the Loggerhead turtle, pollution, accessibility and the impact of people on the coast, but also the “social” carrying capacity, i.e. visitors’ perception of the levels of crowding on the beach. Among the sources and information used are data from ARCHELON’s records of sea turtle nesting activity in the area.

The results were clear: some parts of the coast are under increasing pressure, which may negatively affect the success of nesting and the natural balance of the coastline. Specifically for the beach of Kalo Nero, the nesting core of the protected area, they estimated that in recent years it has received approximately 700 more visitors per day than it can “bear”.

ARCHELON’s dual role, on the one hand as an environmental organization of voluntary contribution and on the other hand as a carrier of scientific knowledge, has made it possible not only to contribute to hundreds of research studies internationally, but also to transform the results into practical management proposals such as in the present interdisciplinary study. See the full list of ARCHELON’s research work here.

The Next Step: Protecting a Delicate Balance

The findings of this study by the University of the Aegean, conducted on behalf of the Nature Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), are a call to action. We hope that they will help make the Nature Protection Area of Kyparissia Bay a model of sustainable coastal management. Protecting Kyparissia Bay is not just about sea turtles — it is everyone’s responsibility to keep a coastal area alive, where nature, people (both residents and visitors) and history coexist. This summer, ARCHELON is back in the western Peloponnese, as well as in all the other nesting beaches of Greece, to record and protect the nests and hatchlings, to inform and raise awareness among visitors about how they can coexist harmoniously with nature.

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