Are Santorini and Mykonos safe from fires? Travel advice for Kos, Zante and Crete
MANY tourists will be wondering which regions of Greece are safe to travel to amid the ongoing wildfires that have hit the country.
The fires, which began after Greece was hit by an extended spell of extreme heat, have caused catastrophic damage across holiday hotspots and seen thousands of locals and tourists forced to flee.
Is it safe to travel to Santorini?
Different areas of Greece have been zoned according to the fire risk there, ranging from low to extreme.
Santorini is not, at the time of writing, at very high risk and travel to and from the island is continuing.
The UK Government website notes that “no travel can be guaranteed safe” and urges British nationals to check with their travel operator or hotel prior to travel.
Tourists are also advised to follow the advice of local authorities at all times.
Is Mykonos safe to travel to?
Mykonos has not, at the time of writing, been deemed a high risk for wildfires.
Similarly, no wildfires have been reported on the popular party islands Zante and Kos.
Zante is, however, in the Ionian islands, which have been upgraded to a very high risk of wildfire.
There are no travel restrictions to the island but tourists should be aware of the fire risks and keep in contact with their holiday providers.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Brits.
It said: ”If you are a British national affected by wildfires in Rhodes near Kiotari, Pefkoi, Lindos and the surrounding area, please follow the guidance from the emergency services.
”Call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.”
The Foreign Office added: ”If you are planning to travel to Rhodes, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires.
“The situation can change quickly, so you should stay up to date with official advice, follow 112 Greece on Twitter for official updates (you may need to translate the tweets to English).
“Ensure emergency alerts are enabled on your phone to receive SMS updates from the Greek Civil Protection.”
The Greek government has also established a Crisis Management Unit to respond to the situation in Rhodes.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged holidaymakers to remain in touch with tour operators before going on their holidays.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “The safety of British Nationals is our top priority. I encourage those in Rhodes, and those with family and friends there, to continue checking FCDO travel advice for updates.”
Where are the fires in Greece?
Rhodes and Corfu have been severely impacted by the fires, with the danger going on to hit Crete.
In Rhodes, at least 19,000 locals and tourists were rescued from the wildfires – many of them Brits.
On the Island of Corfu, people in the areas of Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia, Perithia and Sinies were also urged to leave following an SOS alert.
According to the fire department, nearly 2,500 locals and tourists were evacuated from Corfu overnight.
In Crete, holidaymakers were warned of an “extreme fire risk” and a “Level 5” alert was issued.
Areas named as at risk were the holiday hotspot areas of Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Lasithi .
All civil protection services had been placed in “a state of heightened readiness/alarm provided…due to the increased risk of occurrence and spread of forest fires,” according to the ministry.
The Greek government also issued a “very high fire risk (category 4)” warning for many parts of the nation.
This included the regions of Chania in Crete, central and western Greece, Attica, north and south Aegean, Thessaly, Peloponnese and the Ionian islands.