Legal frame
Governing: ΓΚΛ 20 art. 4(1)(ι), 19(1), 25(1), 26 as amended by ΦΕΚ Β' 4559/2026; ΓΚΛ 23 art. 20. Builds on: L1.2.
Distance from swimmers and speed near the beach are governed by a handful of short rules. They are worth knowing by heart.
The bathing buoys
Beach operators, and on the Port Authority's request the local municipality, lay floating buoys to mark the swimming area (ΓΚΛ 20 art. 26). Check where the line actually runs on the day; it varies from beach to beach.
Since ΦΕΚ Β' 4559/2026 (24 July 2026), inside that line no powered pleasure craft, private or rented, may move or anchor, "unless otherwise provided". Before 2026 the rule covered anchoring only. The way in and out is a marked launching channel (L3.2).
Distances and speed
| Craft | From the outside of the buoys | From swimmers (no buoys) | Speed near shore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat (private or rented) | ≥100 m | ≥200 m | ≤5 kn within 200 m |
| Motor boat (λέμβος) | ≥100 m (committee may cut to ≥50 m in small coves) | ≥200 m | ≤5 kn within 200 m |
| Jet ski | ≥200 m | ≥300 m | >5 kn only beyond 500 m (L3.2) |
The 5 kn limit applies within 200 m of the shoreline in every case, including stretches with no swimmers (art. 4(1)(ιγ)).
CAUTION — 5 knots is slow Five knots is about 9 km/h, a brisk walking pace on the water. With a planing hull it means off the plane, bow down, minimal wake. If you are leaving a wake that rocks swimmers or moored boats, you are going too fast.
How far out you may go
Range is not in your licence. It depends on the craft:
- Rented motor boats and speedboats: as far as their navigation licence allows (ΓΚΛ 20 art. 25(1)(γ)). ΓΚΛ 38 ties this to the boat's equipment.
- Rented powered water-sports craft (jet skis included): 1 nm from the coast (art. 25(1)(β)).
- Non-powered craft (pedalos, kayaks, SUPs): 1 nm at most, and pedalos and canoes 500 m.
For private open boats up to 10 m, ΓΚΛ 23 art. 20 sets 2 nm from the nearest coast, extended to 3, 4 or 6 nm with a closed deck, buoyancy apparatus or liferaft. Your rental boat's licence will already reflect this. Ask the operator to show you the limit on the chart.
Other near-shore duties
For speedboats, ΓΚΛ 20 art. 4 adds:
- no one aboard who cannot swim or is under the influence;
- no more people than the seaworthiness certificate allows;
- no standing or sitting on the gunwale;
- careful handling, avoiding dangerous manoeuvres;
- following local port orders, including anchoring bans and quiet hours;
- no navigation in adverse weather. Private use is banned above Beaufort 5 / 38 km/h per the national weather service bulletin (art. 33).
TIP — read the local rules Each Port Authority can add local bans by decision, often for the summer season. Operators should know them; the Port Authority office will too.