Closed for the summer: farewell to easy-living Polis campsite

After a long legal battle, Polis municipality finally gets to revamp and tame a beloved slice of anarchy

The Polis Chrysochous beach campsite, beloved by many for over 40 years, is on the brink of a massive makeover.

For those who remember it fondly since childhood, it may feel somewhat like watching one’s favourite wacky aunt going under the cosmetic surgeon’s knife for “improvements” after years of flaunting her own unique, albeit boorish, style.

Who knows if any good will come of it and what will emerge?

In many ways, the ramshackle free-for-all site for years represented a tiny bastion of well-intentioned and-mostly-good natured anarchy for young and old alike.

Under the breezy shelter of the eucalyptus grove, with the sea just a stone’s throw away, many-a-marshmallow was grilled, practical jokes hatched, games of tavli won, hangovers and sunburns nursed.

True, in high season in recent years the camping may have become a little too rowdy for old-timers, with the 20-somethings taking over en masse, blasting music and organising impromptu dance-offs late into the night. One might even, God forbid, imagine catching the occasional whiff of weed.

But even this seemed somehow part of it all, one of the few places left on the island where good humour and a giant YES to easy living could prevail, away from the watchful eye, or the wagging finger, of an ever-encroaching nanny state.

Alas, it is no longer to be, since a ten-year-long threatened takeover by civilising forces –in the form of the legal entity of the Polis municipality – seems finally to be happening for real.

Originally opened by the now-defunct Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and run by a long-term private manager, the campsite officially passed into the hands of the municipality following its relative heyday in the 80s, whereafter it was deemed to have taken a downward spiral, with complaints of mismanagement, mosquitoes and shoddy showers.

In 2011, the 82,609 m2 site was granted to the municipality by the forestry department and the CTO, in exchange for nominal rent from the operator.

Problems followed and a long standoff ensued with the municipality being unable to evict the site manager who considered himself an institutional tenant and put forth various claims, including that he was owed rights to the site for investments made.

Last year in October the municipality finally wrested control via an out-of-court agreement. The decision effectively ended the time-consuming legal process, started against the site manager in 2017.

The decision called for immediate reclamation of the site by the municipality and recognition of the rental arrears due in their entirety.

And so, the municipality is at long last free to move ahead with upgrades following plans which have gathered dust in a drawer since 2008. According to the municipality, the plans for the revamped site will preserve existing vegetation, in particular, protecting the spot’s iconic eucalyptus trees.

Proponents of leaving the site as is cried foul about ten years ago, when a number of trees were coppiced by forestry department staff. The municipality argued at the time that this had not been done in error, but that the trees felled had dried up naturally from seawater seeping into their roots.

Fears of a fire (as happened in August 2018) have required rushes and underbrush to be cleared from the site, mayor Yiotis Papachristofi told the Sunday Mail, and some thinning of trees may be needed.

Efforts are to be made to green the area further by planting endemic flora, acclimated to the area’s conditions, such as carob trees.

The cost for the upgrade has been set at €2.5 million and the municipality is in the process of seeking a strategic investor for the project with plans to be presented publicly on April 24.

According to Papachrystofi, the old buildings will be demolished and new ones, including a beach restaurant and three ablution blocks, will be erected at the same spots. A playground and a recreation centre are also envisioned.

Improvements will include paved roads ­– instead of the existing dirt tracks – and a clearly designated zone for caravans with electricity and water hook-ups. Twenty caravan parking spots are to be created, with an eye to preventing permanent stays, and 68 parking spots for campers have been allotted. This will be the only area where movement by vehicle will be permitted.

Closer to the sea will be the zone for tents, with footpaths guiding visitors to the beach. A small artificial pond has been proposed in the area where a natural spring pools.

Enthusiasts of the new plan have argued that the site will not lose any of its character and its magic, but will simply be cleaner, safer and more modern, offering better amenities.

One wonders if genuine ecological improvements-such as grey water recycling, required use and provision of biodegradable detergents, waste sorting, composting and solar electricity, will also be introduced.

Are all these improvements “modern” enough for our decision-makers?

Will the little creek running through the campsite be well-maintained and aerated? Will mosquito control be effected by the usual blasting with insecticides, or will biological pest control such as salamanders and fish be introduced?

These are all matters which remain to be seen.

Meanwhile, for the first time in over 40 years (including the pandemic) the site is to remain closed for campers throughout the summer and for as long as prospective works last.

Visitors can still enjoy the “Dasoudi” beach, though without a beer from the campsite bar, and the municipality has assured the public that a lifeguard will still be onsite.