We are publishing a joint statement by the tenants of Rea Kaikia Beach—Vangelis Katsanevakis—with the attachment, as requested, of the statements made by Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor Georgios Kominos on Public Television on July 27, 2025.
The truth about Melidoni
We express our outrage at the unacceptable statements made by Deputy Mayor Georgios Kominos.
This individual, in the midst of a major ecological disaster on our island, was quick to declare that Melidoni Beach has been destroyed without considering the consequences of his words. For our part, we chose not to issue any statement at a time when our homeland is being tested so severely, out of the utmost respect for our island and its people.
Today, however, we feel obliged to report that Melidoni was not affected at all by the massive fire.
The need for him to retract his statements, even at this late stage, is the least he can do for our island and for Melidoni Beach, which stands untouched, ready to welcome visitors to Kythira.
To prove this point, his statements are attached in full: «We have burned-down houses, beehives, and olive trees. The tourist beach at Melidoni has been destroyed.».
The Tenants of Rea Kaikia Beach – Vangelis Katsanevakis
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Below is the ERT report in its entirety, along with a link to a video from the relevant program.
An appeal from the island's deputy mayor
The island’s deputy mayor, George Komninos, describing the dramatic situation on Kythira and emphasizing that the fire has already destroyed a large area and is threatening settlements, monasteries, and tourist areas.
«Half the island has burned down», ", he said pointedly, noting that «A monastery is in danger—if air support doesn't arrive, it will burn down.».
Despite the efforts made yesterday, he emphasized that The delayed deployment of air assets allowed the conflict to flare up again: «The water bombers arrived, dropped water for an hour, and left. Then the fire got out of control.». He even emphasized that strong winds are changing direction, «They're running around and spreading the fire everywhere», even taking her to uncharted territories.
«We have burned-down houses, beehives, and olive trees. The tourist beach of Melidoni »has been destroyed", ", he said, while warning that unless firefighting efforts are immediately stepped up, «People will burn, too».
As for tourists, there has been no mass exodus so far, but the mayor warned: «If the fire isn't contained, everyone will leave—we'll face total destruction.».
In conclusion, he addressed Urgent appeal for aerial support and for immediate action to address the westerly winds, who, as he said, if they gain strength, «Even villages will burn».
It is worth noting that, according to ERTNews meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos, «the westerly winds will certainly pick up significantly in Kythira,» referring to the worst-case scenario on the fire front.
All of us on Kythira are mourning once again over this immense disaster. It goes without saying that tourism has suffered a massive blow, as has daily life on our island… Let’s all do whatever we can to help heal these wounds…Melidoni Beach is absolutely beautiful; anyone who doesn’t visit it will be missing out… there’s room for every visitor, and the well-organized part of it is e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-t…hospitality, cleanliness, amenities, reasonable prices… Enough destruction has already taken place; let’s help as much as we can to mitigate the collateral damage…
Good evening, everyone. Today, July 29, 2025, we were at this fantastic, beautiful, and exceptional beach—one of the best I’ve ever been to. It hasn’t suffered any damage whatsoever; it was fully operational and packed with swimmers, both in the organized section and the public area. People should come without any hesitation, both to this beautiful island and to this truly enchanting beach and location. Also noteworthy is the view you enjoy on the way to Melidoni. The only downside is that you pass by some scorched slopes, though fortunately they aren’t forested…