Heraklion municipality outlines renovation plan for Karavolas coastal park
The Municipality of Heraklion is preparing a series of repairs to the Karavolas coastal zone, an area officials acknowledged has suffered years of neglect, following criticism raised at a council accountability session.
Giorgos Sfakianakis, a councilor with the main opposition group on the Heraklion municipal council, flagged hazardous deterioration at several points in the heavily used coastal area during the session. Deputy Mayor for Technical Works Dimitris Spyridakis responded by acknowledging the problem.
“This is not the image we would want for a public space. There has been long-term neglect of the area, from the Efodos area to Giofyros,” Spyridakis said, adding that the relevant municipal service had conducted site visits and recorded the damage. He said on-site responses were expected soon.
According to Spyridakis, partial studies are in their final stages and are being tailored to the needs of the specific activities currently offered in the area.
Footbridge, fountains and dog park
The municipality’s technical service has examined a metal pedestrian footbridge and a set of fountains in the area. Spyridakis said an upgrade of the local Dog Park is expected to move into implementation in the coming period.
The footbridge, which crosses above the Giofyros river, has been closed due to structural insufficiency. “The study on restoring its structural adequacy and function has begun,” Spyridakis said. “We are in the process of environmental studies, because interventions to restore the load-bearing structure — the metal frame — require protective measures to remove oxidized material. If this is not done, it will create sources of pollution in the marine environment.”
The footbridge repair will proceed once environmental permits are issued and the structural study is completed, according to the deputy mayor.
Of the site’s fountains, one located on the ground-level section is under-performing, while the other two are, in Spyridakis’s words, “very large, almost pharaonic,” and were built without water recycling or filtering systems.
Playgrounds to be reorganized
A broader assessment of the Karavolas area led officials to decide on the complete removal of mechanical playground equipment, which Spyridakis said had deteriorated after years of inactivity. Replacing it would cost tens of thousands of euros, he said, so the municipality has moved to a redesign phase for the space, which he described as needing a “facelift.”
Landscaping work and cleanup have already taken place, according to the municipality. “More serious and more decisive actions are required, to give Heraklion’s community a safe space,” Spyridakis said.
One playground will resume operation once the necessary equipment is delivered. At a second playground, on the ground-level section, half of the flooring was replaced three years ago; renewal of the remaining half is expected to proceed relatively soon, officials said.
The coastal works are among several municipal infrastructure projects underway in Heraklion, following the Region of Crete’s approval of a plan for two new urban beaches at the city’s Dermatas Bay.
