Illegal ''cafés'' in Akamas start to come down

Two illegal cafés in the Akamas peninsula have finally been shut down and partially dismantled, following years of concerns about unregulated activity in one of Cyprus' most ecologically sensitive areas.

The decision was announced today by Lakis Mesimeris, Director of the Department of Environment, after a site visit he conducted on Tuesday alongside local officials.

Mesimeris told Diaspora News that the visit aimed to check whether the operations of these so-called "refreshment centers" had truly stopped. What they found, he said, was that two of the three cafés had already ceased activity and begun removing parts of their setup.

But the third case, located on a private plot, appears to be a more blatant violation. According to Mesimeris, the establishment has no permits or licenses whatsoever, and the matter is now being investigated by the Municipality of Peyia and the Paphos District Administration.

Environmentalists and local watchdogs have long raised the alarm about unlicensed development creeping into Akamas, which is meant to be a protected Natura 2000 site. These cafés, set up without approval, have become symbols of the slow enforcement of environmental laws in Cyprus.

Asked about public concerns and the pressure from environmental organizations, Mesimeris dismissed the idea of conflict. "There is no controversy," he said. “What we have before us is a common responsibility to preserve the environmental integrity of the area.”

The move to take down these structures comes after repeated calls for better protection of Akamas, especially as tourism and commercial interests continue to test the boundaries of conservation rules.

While the partial removal of two cafés is a step forward, many are still waiting to see whether the law will be fully enforced, especially in the third, clearly illegal case. Environmental groups have warned that turning a blind eye would set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the peninsula.