- He is paving over pristine beaches and obstructing the view of the Parthenon, and it is taxpayers who pay the fines.
- Explosive documents on Eumorfidis’ activities in Monemvasia as well.
- The sudden declassification of forest land in 2021, Eumorfidis’ visit to the Presidential Mansion in flip-flops in 2022, the Natura protection status, the untouched beaches and the serious environmental concerns of the residents.
- An on-site inspection by OFYPEKA in Xifias, Monemvasia was a “slap in the face”: “It borders the marine zone of the protected Natura 2000 Network area”, and “OFYPEKA was not informed about the issuance of the permit or the construction of the hotel unit in question”.
- There are also plans to add 59 two-storey houses to a 20-bed hotel.
- “The scale of the project is so large that it understandably causes concern,” the president of the Nomia Community of Monemvasia tells Data Journalists. Here is what “Ble Kedros” has to say in response.
by Vangelis Triantis
These are two cases with common factors. On the one hand, the hotel that “hides” the Acropolis and the buildings on the beach of Xifias in Monemvasia are “investments” by the same businessman, the Eumorfidis family, also known as the “Cocomat family”, and on the other, they have sparked equally strong reactions.
While the case of the hotel in Athens has been ongoing for years, despite the recent developments we will examine below, the “investment” on Xifias beach in the Peloponnese is a classic example of how “development” can clash with environmental protection and the rights of local residents.
The company “Ble Kedros” (owned by the Eumorfidis family) appears to rest on two pillars:
- The Declassification of Forest Land: Part of the 17-stremma (approximately 4.2-acre) area was covered by forest. While previous owners’ requests for declassification had been rejected, this decision was reversed in October 2021 after the land was sold to the company.
- The “Subdivision Tactic”: Although the company advertises a single, unified project consisting of a 5-star hotel with 22 bedrooms and 59 residences on its website, concerns have been raised about piecemeal permitting in order to avoid the obligation to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment, as alleged by residents and the opposition.
The area borders the Natura 2000 network directly; however, there is a legal paradox: while Natura protection covers the marine zone, it does not necessarily extend to the coastline, leaving the beach exposed. The beaches of Xifias and Ampelakia are home to turtle nesting grounds and sea lilies.
There are also serious doubts about wastewater management (biological treatment) and the water supply (attempts to drill desalination wells were halted following public reactions).
The residents, through the president Nelly Koutsandrea, have expressed their concerns, but have not been heard. The Xifias settlement is effectively doubling in size, which is altering its mild, low-impact character. Concrete structures, intensive construction work and environmental interventions are already causing problems in an area of minimal development with two public beaches.
Concerns have been further heightened by the conduct of the same investor in Athens: the top two floors of the Cocomat hotel in the Makrygianni area were deemed illegal as they obstruct the view of the Acropolis. Despite rulings by the Council of State and fines imposed, the demolition has been provocatively delayed, burdening taxpayers due to non-compliance.
The residents of Monemvasia are not “against development”, but they are calling for respect for the area’s carrying capacity, and for the law to be upheld without “loopholes”.
The 59 bungalows, the environmental permit and the Natura network
On 27 January 2025, the General Directorate of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA) responded to a complaint submitted by the Nomia Community regarding the Xifias and Ampelakia beaches.
As we reveal today, the response was issued after an on-site inspection carried out by OFYPEKA on January 10, 2025. The report states, among other things:
“Based on the observations made, the following are reported:
- The 20-bed hotel is being constructed on a privately owned plot of approximately 17 stremmas (about 4.2 acres) located between the aforementioned two beaches and in a non-protected area. However, it borders the marine zone of the Natura 2000 protected area, “Mounts Gidouvouni, Chionouvouni, Gaidouvouni, Korakia, Kalogervouni, Koulochera, Monemvasia, Solomos Cave, Trypa, and the Tower of Agios Stefanos”, which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation and a proposed Site of Community Importance.
- At the time in question, a specialised machine (pile driver) was carrying out piling works within the plot and near the rocks.
- Along the coastal zone, no dune ecosystems were identified on either “Xifias” or “Ampelakia” beaches.
- On Ampelakia beach, wooden structures and a shower remain in place and are used during the summer season under a permit for the simple use of the seashore.
- The faces of the slopes were vertical and devoid of vegetation.
According to the website of the construction company (Ble Kedros REIC) on the same plot, it appears that the construction of a seaside residential complex comprising 59 two-storey houses is being planned.
https://blekedros.com/el/projects/nea-erga/paraliakos-oikismos-ksifia-monemvasia
As the Organisation states in its inspection report, “the hotel under construction will have 20 beds (a fact that excludes it from the environmental permitting process)”, while adding that “according to the contractor in charge, construction of the 59 residences intended for sale will begin at a later stage. However, no information was provided regarding the issuance and obtaining of the relevant building permits.”
OFYPEKA clarifies that “the applicable environmental permitting procedure must be followed, and the project file must be submitted to OFYPEKA for an opinion. This is because the authority must assess the impact of the activities in question on the area’s habitats and protected species.”
The report, signed by Eleni Koumoutsou, Head of the Organisation’s Directorate, emphasises:
“OFYPEKA was not informed of the issuance of a permit or the construction of the hotel in question. All necessary measures must be taken to prevent disturbance to the Caretta caretta species, as described in the National Action Plan.”
OFYPEKA (formerly the National Centre for the Environment and Sustainable Development, EKPAA) is a public body responsible for managing Greece’s protected areas. Established in 2020, it operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Its purpose is to implement the Ministry’s policy for the management of protected areas in Greece, promote sustainable development and address climate change. Consequently, the organisation’s reports carry significant weight. OFYPEKA is subject to financial and administrative oversight, and its budget and annual report must be approved.
The Organization’s on-site inspection concerning the beaches at Xifias, Monemvasia, and the report containing observations of significant importance. OFYPEKA operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
“The scale of the project is so large that it understandably causes concern”
“Indeed, one could say that a “new settlement” is being created in the Nomia Community. This raises the question of whether Monemvasia has the necessary conditions and resilience for this, without upsetting its balance,’ says Nelly Koutsandrea, president of the Nomia Community, speaking to Data Journalists, adding:
“Let it be clear that no one disputes the need for economic activity and the creation of new jobs. However, the scale of the project presented by the company — a 22-bed hotel and 59 residences — is so large that it understandably causes concern and unease among residents about the future of the area.”
She concludes: “We all know of areas where overdevelopment and environmental degradation have ultimately led to dead ends. We therefore believe that every investment must be integrated into an overall plan that considers the area’s capacity, character and genuine requirements. Environmental protection and respect for the area are not obstacles to development; they are prerequisites for ensuring durability, quality and substance.”
Ble Kedros has recently responded to complaints in the daily press through its Director of Portfolio Management. They noted that the group continuously evaluates new investment proposals and that, for the time being, there are no plans for another hotel or investment in the same area. They also mentioned that, in addition to the two specific plots of 13 and 5 stremmas, the group has acquired a further plot of 2.3 stremmas in the same area. The group is examining the best ways to develop and utilise them.
The decision on the declassification of the “Ble Kedros” land on the beach
The declassification as forest land in 2021–2023
On March 15, 2023, the Municipality of Monemvasia informed the Nomia Community, via its technical services, that the land owned by “Ble Kedros”, belonging to the Eumorfidis interests, would cease to be classified as forest land. This classification had been in place since 1994.
The process of declassifying the area where the construction site now exists began in 2021. It was therefore proposed that the area initially excluded as forest land, which has now been declassified by the relevant decision, be included within the boundaries of the “Xifias” settlement. Specifically, this refers to the area where the company Ble Kedros’s property is located.”
“The company “Xifias Real Estate” did not employ any staff during the 2024 financial year.” Its real estate assets were valued at €952,000, and it recorded pre-tax losses of €465,000.
The “Parent” and the “Subsidiary” without employees
In the latest balance sheet of the subsidiary Xifias Real Estate, published in June 2025 for the 2024 financial year, the properties in its portfolio are valued at €952,000 and the company has recorded pre-tax losses of €465,601.
It is also noted that “the company did not employ any staff during the 2024 financial year,” while “it maintained a branch at its property in the settlement of Xifias, which is the site of the company’s investment and where a hotel unit is planned to be constructed.” The balance sheet is signed by Michail Eumorfidis as Chairman of the Board.
According to its articles of association, “XIFIAS REAL ESTATE SINGLE-MEMBER S.A.” was established in 2023 as a public limited company (société anonyme) and is registered in the General Commercial Registry (GEMI) under number 170907001000. It is based in the Municipality of Kifisia, Greece. As of June 1, 2023, the company “BLE KEDROS REAL ESTATE” (hereinafter referred to as the “Parent Company”), which is also based in Greece, holds 100% of the company’s shares.
Real Estate Service: “The beaches are untouched”
On February 18, 2026, a significant reference was made in a document from the Laconia Real Estate Service of the Ministry of Finance to the Municipality of Monemvasia regarding the Xifias beaches.
“Following a telephone conversation with the Office of the Secretary General for Public Property at the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, we were informed that the Ministry of Environment and Energy is in the process of designating beaches as “untouched”. If you do not wish to lease the “Agia Thekla–Votsalakia beach”, or any other beach, you may IMMEDIATELY submit a substantiated request to the Ministry of Environment and Energy so that the beach in question may also be designated as Untouched.”
The document of the Laconia Real Estate Service from February 2026 concerning untouched beaches in Xifias
Through a parliamentary question
On January 30, 2026, PASOK MP Nagia Grigorakou raised the issue in Parliament by asking the government about the observance of legal environmental and social requirements before granting concessions for sections of the seashore on Agia Thekla and Ampelakia beaches in the Municipality of Monemvasia.
She noted that “the Local Council of the Municipal Community of Nomia, as well as the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Monemvasia, had expressed explicit and well-documented opposition to the concession of Agia Thekla beach, as well as serious reservations regarding Ampelakia beach, pointing out that these beaches are nesting grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and that granting large portions of them in concession would entail disproportionately restricting public access and placing a significant environmental burden on the area.”
It also emerges that “the beaches in question directly border a marine area included in the Natura 2000 network. Within the framework of the Special Environmental Study, it is proposed that they be designated special protection zones for habitats and species, with usage restrictions to be established through an upcoming Presidential Decree.”
In addition to the “Ble Kedros” subsidiary, which is linked to the Eumorfidis (Cocomat) family, there is another subsidiary called Pavillem which, according to reports that have come to light, is also active in the same area through the purchase of land plots.
The visit to the Presidential Mansion and the Xanthi case
In November 2022, one year after the area was declassified as forest land, Pavlos Eumorfidis (brother of Michalis) visited the Presidential Mansion to meet Katerina Sakellaropoulou. His attire, which included flip-flops, sparked discussion in the media and on social media.
Pavlos Eumorfidis founded the mattress and furniture company Cocomat in 1989. Together with his brother Michalis, he also established the real estate investment company Ble Kedros in 2014.
The Central Archaeological Council (KAS) deemed the two additional floors of his hotel, which block the view of the Acropolis, illegal in 2019. They should already have been demolished because “the protruding mass of the building, with its configured height, causes indirect harm to the UNESCO World Heritage monument of the Acropolis of Athens and to its surrounding area, which it degrades”.
Earlier media reports show that, in 2018, Cocomat’s non-performing loans were called in and a payment order was issued by Piraeus Bank as the company was unable to service a loan of more than €20 million and was struggling to restructure it.
In 2007, the Xanthi-based daily newspaper Empros published an extensive, signed report on the damning ruling issued by the three-member Court of Appeal for Felonies in Komotini at the time of the Cocomat case. The decision saw Michalis Eumorfidis (brother of Pavlos) sentenced to 21 years in prison for fraud and instigating fraud, causing damage to the Greek state exceeding 50 million drachmas. Michalis Eumorfidis was released on bail of €100,000.
According to the indictment, the punishable acts were committed between 1995 and 1998, during which time Cocomat was included in the applicable development law and financed to the value of 1,965,238,000 drachmas for its investment plan. However, the conditions for inclusion in the development programme required the creation of 100 jobs within the company, yet it later emerged that it employed only 12 workers.
The record of the Council of State (CoS) from the session of March 23, 2026, concerning the €10,000 fine paid by taxpayers due to the illegal floors of a hotel that block the view of the Acropolis, which the Decentralized Administration refuses to demolish in accordance with the law.
Council of State: Who pays the fines for the two illegal floors
On March 23, 2026, the Council of State once again convened to examine the application of four citizens seeking the Administration’s compliance with a plenary decision of the Court concerning the latest permit, issued by the same authority, which revised the 2017 building permit. This permit had allowed the company “BLE KEDROS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS” to construct a 12-storey hotel with three basements, a planted roof and an open-air swimming pool at 5 Falirou Street and 34 Syngrou Side Street in the Makrygianni area of the Municipality of Athens. This site is designated as an archaeological site within the city of Athens.
It was noted that, in 2015, the Decentralised Administration of Attica resolved the funding issue that had arisen and proceeded, albeit with significant delay, to announce and carry out the tender for the demolition study of the illegal part of the building in question.
Last year, the Court ruled that “there is a lawful basis for determining a monetary amount to be paid to the applicants as a sanction for the Administration’s failure to comply with decision 2102/2019 of the Court’s Plenary, as represented by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance”. Taking into account the facts of the case and its particular circumstances — especially the importance of protecting the most significant monument of classical antiquity — the Court set the amount at €5,000. The Court also reserved the right to examine the progress of the process at a subsequent session.
Approval was given for the unsealing and evaluation of the financial offer submitted for the award of the contract, which was for “the preparation of the demolition study for the illegal part of the building in question”.
“In the March 2026 decision, the following is noted in relation to the background: ‘The subject of the demolition study consists of a complete and substantiated proposal for the demolition method, the structural adequacy assessment with documentation of the load-bearing structure, and the required investigative works in order to demolish three floors (the eighth, ninth and tenth), part of the seventh floor and the roof terrace of the COCO-MAT hotel owned by BLE KEDROS REIC.”
Thus, the Council of State ruled as follows:
“For these reasons, it finds that, even after notification of the 11/2025 adjournment minutes of the present Council, the Administration continues to fail to comply fully with Plenary Decision 2102/2019 of the Court. The Administration, represented by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, is ordered to pay the applicants €10,000. A new hearing date is set for the Council on September 30, 2026. This record was issued on March 26, 2026.”
Andreas Papapetropoulos, the lawyer who represented citizens in these lengthy legal battles, told Data Journalists:
“Unfortunately, seven years on from the Council of State’s Plenary decision, the Administration is still unable to enforce it and is avoiding demolishing the two illegal floors of the hotel. This behaviour is provocative, and even if it is not intentional, it is completely unjustified and offensive to not only the applicants, but every Greek citizen.”
In short, the Decentralised Administration of Attica’s failure to enforce the decision to demolish the three illegal floors of the hotel obstructing the view of the Acropolis results in a fine that ultimately isn’t paid by the hotel’s owning company, but by the taxpayer.”
