ATHENS – After a check of 150 beaches and 750 businesses allowed to put umbrellas and sunbeds for rent – in violation of the Constitution – Greece’s Finance Ministry issued fines of 800,000 euros ($867,916) for taking too much space.

That came after more than 4,500 complaints through the new MyCoast app and by phone after the government said it would crack down on businesses violating terms of leases limiting them to occupying only 30 percent of the beaches.

It wasn’t said if any luxury resorts were among those cited, nor any of the violators identified, but the ministry said the checks on the public beaches were made by police and local authorities.

The ministry said more beaches are accessible, although all are supposed to be free, and that it had found a range of violations including setting up too many umbrellas and sunbeds, unlawful buildings and taking over beaches without a state lease.

In cases without a contract, some 20 beach businesses were sealed off across the country, including Rhodes, Mesolongi, Volos, Corfu, Parga, Thessaloniki and Heraklion and opened for public access.

The regions with the most complaints, said the state’s Athens-Macedonia News Agency AMNA were Chalkidiki, Preveza, East Attica, Cyclades and Dodecanese islands and the ministry said more checks are coming through the summer.

A 2023 revolt on some islands and beach areas by citizens protesting the occupation of public beaches has largely fizzled out with no repeat of demonstrations this year after the MyCoast app was implemented.