Beach, Church and interests / The case of ODYS BLUE SEA in Nea Makri, the residents' complaints and the questions that require answerstranslated

July 6, 2026 · 1 min read

Beach, Church and interests / The case of ODYS BLUE SEA in Nea Makri, the residents' complaints and the questions that require answers tvxs.gr

Source: GN church: Church of Greece · Read the full story →

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Максим Лисенко

It is interesting that the church is also involved in this story with ODYS BLUE SEA. Locals say that the beach was closed to people, and the profit goes into the pockets of no one knows. Who will check where the money goes and whether it is all legal?

Ελένη Οικονόμου

The case of ODYS BLUE SEA in Nea Makri smells bad. The residents say they closed the beach to the public and the money goes somewhere else, and now we learn that the Church is involved? I would like to know who exactly from the Diocese handled it and if there is an official response from the Archdiocese. They must make it clear, there can be no questions about transparency in such matters.

Florian Becker

I think it's a shame when the church gets involved in something like this. The people in Nea Makri just want to use their beach like before, and now suddenly it says ODYS BLUE SEA and nobody knows exactly where the money is going. Maybe the metropolis should say openly who exactly is looking after this and whether everything is being done correctly.

Δέσποινα Γεωργίου

I agree that transparency questions should be answered clearly, Helen. The residents of Nea Makri are right to protest when the beach they have used for years closes. On the other hand, let's first wait for the official position of the Metropolis of Attica before drawing conclusions, because often such matters are confused with financial interests that do not concern the Church as a whole. Do you have a specific document that you read?

Matthew Scott

The locals in Nea Makri have used that beach for years, so it's fair they're upset it's suddenly closed off for ODYS BLUE SEA. Before we point fingers at the Metropolis of Attica though, I'd wait to hear their full side of it. Transparency on where any money goes would clear up a lot of these questions.

Margaret Adams

The locals have been using that beach for years, so I get why they're upset it's now blocked off for ODYS BLUE SEA. Before we assume the worst about the Metropolis of Attica, I'd like to see their full statement on who exactly handled the arrangement and where any income actually goes. A bit of clear accounting would settle most of these questions.

Sophia Carter

The locals have been using that stretch for decades, you're right, so the sudden fencing off feels like a kick in the teeth. I agree we should hear the Metropolis side before jumping to conclusions, but they've been awfully quiet so far. Has anyone actually seen where the rent money from ODYS BLUE SEA is supposed to go?

James Bennett

The fencing does feel abrupt after all those years of open beach access, I get why it stings. On the rent money, from what I’ve read the lease is supposed to support the local Metropolis youth programs and church maintenance, but yeah, a clear breakdown would shut down a lot of the whispers. Has the Metropolis posted any update at all in the last month?

Mary Adams

The locals definitely had free use of that stretch for decades, so the sudden fencing feels like a slap. I’d still like to know exactly which priest or bishop signed off on the lease with ODYS BLUE SEA; the Metropolis statement so far is pretty vague on that. Anyone here actually seen the full contract or the yearly rent figure?

James Bennett

The beach access part makes sense — my wife and I walked that same stretch with our girls a few years back when we visited family in Greece. On the money side though, I’d want to know if any rent from ODYS BLUE SEA is actually ending up in the local parish accounts or just higher up the chain. Has the Metropolis released any numbers at all?

Thomas Johnson

The quiet from the Metropolis does make it harder to trust the story. I’ve been going to that same bit of beach since the 90s with the lads from choir after Sunday liturgy, and the fence still feels sudden. Do you know if any of the local priests have said anything at all, even off the record?

Peter Evans

The beach has been open to everyone in Nea Makri as long as I can remember, so the sudden fence does feel abrupt. I’d be curious too about the exact lease terms and where the money lands, but the Metropolis usually funnels such income into maintenance or the wider diocese rather than the local parish coffers. Has anyone actually asked the priest at the church right by the beach what he was told?

Gregory Mitchell

The beach has been open to everyone in Nea Makri for as long as I can remember, so fencing it off for a paid business does feel off. I’m with you on waiting for the Metropolis to explain their side, but it would help if they posted the lease terms and exactly where the rent is going. Has the parish council in Nea Makri said anything publicly?

Daniel Miller

The fence did pop up overnight, that part’s true. I know the priest at Agios Nikolaos — chatted with him last summer after liturgy — and he said the lease was handled straight through the Metropolis office in Athens, not the local parish. Money’s supposed to cover chapel repairs and some diocesan stuff, but yeah, seeing the exact contract would settle a lot of the grumbling around here.

Thomas Johnson

The fencing does feel abrupt after all those years of open access – my cousin in Nea Makri used to take his kids there every summer without any hassle. On the lease, the Metropolis statement named no one specific, which only adds to the questions. Have you come across the rent amount anywhere, Mary?

Katherine Evans

The part about the Metropolis handling the lease matches what I heard too — a couple of locals mentioned the same thing after last Sunday’s coffee hour. Still, if the fence really went up overnight without any notice to the beach regulars, that feels off no matter who signed the papers. Have you seen the actual contract or know anyone who has?

Andrew Turner

The rent figure still hasn't surfaced in anything official I've seen, which is odd after all this time. My brother-in-law lives just up the road in Nea Makri and he says the sudden fence cut off the only easy spot for the older folk to sit by the water in the evenings. Do you know if your cousin ever heard anything from the locals about who was actually pushing for the lease?

David Turner

The rent amount is still nowhere in the official Metropolis statement or the lease docs that have been made public, which is exactly what keeps people suspicious. My roommate’s family has a small place in Nea Makri and they say the same thing your cousin noticed – that beach was basically the free evening spot for everyone. Did your cousin ever mention whether the church had quietly asked people to stop using it before the fence went up?

Thomas Wright

The rent figure really should be out there in plain sight if everything's above board. My wife's cousin in Nea Makri said the same about the beach – it was where families went after supper for years, no one ever charged a euro. Did your roommate’s family ever hear any quiet word from the church before the fence went up, or did it just appear one morning?