Soil erosion

Severe erosion at Keratidi Bay is threatening to swallow public infrastructure and luxury residential developments in Peyia.
A report submitted to the Environmental Authority describes the situation as critical, with the coastline retreating so rapidly that the public walkway now stands just three to five metres from the edge.
A study by “Dion. Toumazis and Associates,” prepared in November 2024, reveals that while the shoreline appeared stable in the past, erosion surged between 2014 and 2019. Experts found the coastline retreated by approximately 16 metres in the eastern creek and 10 metres in the western creek between 1963 and 2014. However, in the five years following 2014, it lost an additional five metres in both areas—an average loss of one metre per year.
Consultants warn it is only a matter of time before the public path and green spaces collapse. Parts of an adjacent public road have already sustained damage, with sections now underwater.
To address the danger, the owners of the Coral Seas development, in coordination with the Paphos District Administration, have proposed emergency protection measures costing €300,000. The five-month project involves:
- Building a 40-metre underground wall made of two rows of 12-metre-deep piles to stabilise the ground without blocking sea views.
- Placing natural boulders at the base of the cliff, four to six metres above sea level, to absorb wave energy.

Failure to act poses significant risks to visitors and frontline buildings, the report states. It notes that a general protection plan for the entire bay could take a decade to implement—time the area does not have.
Specialists George Petrides and Kyriakos Kyrou said specific protection measures in front of the Coral Seas project are the only immediately applicable solution. They noted that while erosion does not progress at a constant rate, extreme sea conditions could cause a sudden worsening of the situation.
The Department of Antiquities has raised concerns regarding the underwater wealth of Keratidi Bay, which served as an ancient anchorage. In a letter dated July 2025, the department stressed the site’s proximity to the Maa-Palaeokastro archaeological site and requested a clear mapping of all interventions to avoid altering the area’s character.
Consultants reassured authorities that work will take place on state land at the erosion points and will not affect the seabed where antiquities are located. They described the use of natural boulders as a “nature-based solution” that will stabilise the slope without affecting neighbouring beaches.
The project is considered urgent as Peyia Municipality plans to extend the coastal walkway towards the Sea Caves, a key route for the local community and Paphos tourism.