Polis camp site looks set to be full for the upcoming weekend, according to the facility’s operator.
Next Monday usually sees people flock to coastal towns to celebrate Katakylsmos, festival of the flood, however due to Covid-19 restrictions all of the island’s festivities have been cancelled. This move has been beneficial for the seaside campsite, which is set in Eucalyptus trees and boasts a blue flagged beach, Lakis Matheou told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.
“We only opened yesterday and have already received many phone calls to book spaces for this weekend as its Kataklysmos and people are looking for something to do. It looks good for the weekend,” he said.
It costs around €10 a night for a couple to pitch their tent at the site, €3 per person and €4 for the space, and, if required, electricity can be supplied at a starting price of €3.50 per night.
Mattheou is expecting around 150-200 people to stay at the camp site for the three day period. His licence permits for 210 tents and 48 caravans, he said.
The space is large, around 40,000m² in total, so social distancing won’t be a problem, he said, and all of the instructions from the ministry of health are being followed.
Signs on doors requesting only one at a time use the shower block and well-spaced tables at the beach restaurant are already in place along with signage notifying the public of the current regulations.
“We are also suggesting that where possible, people use the outdoor showers near the beach but without using soap or shampoo.”
Sunbeds and umbrellas have been laid out on the beach, while shower and toilet blocks have been cleaned and painted, the dirt approach road has been smoothed out and a general tidy up has been completed, he said.
“We have done what we can and also the high branches of the Eucalyptus trees have been cut to prevent falling,” he said.
A number of the trees were cut back to stumps by the forestry department last year, which has left some areas without shade. The department also planted more than 150 new trees last year, but around the outer areas and not in the central space, he said.
Matheou, who has operated the site since 2000, is embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Polis municipality, who are looking to remove him as the operator. Local mayor Giotis Papachristofi said this will ensure that the municipality is able to secure an investor for a huge planned renovation project.
The site is owned by the forestry department and leased to the municipality for an initial period of 15 years, with a renewal option of two further periods. The municipality rents it out to Matheou.
The site was created by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) in the late 1970s. Facilities haven’t been changed since then and are in desperate need of upgrading.
Usually, Polis camping site is open from late April to October, depending on the weather.
