Is it safe to travel to Zante? Latest Greece travel advice amid raging wildfires

Nearly 5,000 firefighters are battling ongoing wildfires in Greece today, with 40°C temperatures and high winds blamed for the 152 new blazes recorded over the last 24 hours alone.

Greek authorities issued extreme wildfire threat alerts for 10 regions of the country, including tourist hotspots like Chios, Kefalonia and Zakynthos (Zante).

While thousands have been evacuated from the worst-hit areas, Zakynthos mayor Yiorgos Stasinopoulos told Greek public broadcaster ERT that fires on the Ionian island are ‘out of control.’

And despite efforts to contain the flames, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis warned that conditions are likely to become more challenging.

‘Today, it will be another very difficult day, as the wildfire risk for most of the country’s regions will be very high,’ he said in a speech.

Firefighters and civilians have been taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation since the situation worsened on Tuesday, and extensive damage has been reported to homes and businesses throughout Greece.

So if you’ve got a trip booked over the coming weeks, caution is advised. Not only could this extreme weather impact your plans — it could potentially put your safety at risk.

Is it safe to travel to Zante and Greece? Latest advice

As of August 13, the UK Foreign Office has not issued any ‘do not travel’ noticed for Greece, but highlights safety advice due to a ‘high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October.’

The FCDO website warns that Greece is prone to extreme natural phenomena, including earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat and flash floods.

It recommends travellers register for the Greek government’s national emergency alerts (you can do this here), adding: ‘Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.’

To avoid starting wildfires – which is a criminal offence in Greece – you should always pick up litter (especially glass), avoid barbecues and make sure that cigarettes are properly extinguished.

Tourists are also urged to ‘be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires,’ and to call the emergency services on 112 if you’re in danger.

Where else are there wildfires in Europe?

As well as Greece, wildfires have ripped through Spain, Portugal, France, Albania and Turkey this summer.

The Spanish government have reported three deaths as a result of a blaze in the province of León, where more than 4,000 people were evacuated last night, while emergency services have also been deployed to fresh blazes in Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia.

In the Portuguese city of Vila Real, one fire has been burning for 10 days, with mayor Alexandre Favaios commenting: ‘We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue’.

Red and amber heat alerts have also been issued in Italy and France, as record-breaking temperatures sweep the Mediterranean.

How common are wildfires in Greece?

Greece – particularly its islands – is one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries when it comes to wildfires.

In July 2018, at the height of tourist season, the worst wildfire to hit Greece in over a decade tore through a small resort town near Athens, killing 104 people and injuring more than 200.

Fires ripped through Mati, burning some 135,000 hectares of forest and destroying dozens of homes and businesses.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 2020 saw the country’s highest number of recorded fires since at 88, but the devastation to land was worst in 2023, when 174,773 hectares were burned.

So far this year, a total of 24 wildfires have ripped through Greece, with Crete and the eastern Aegean island of Chios among the locations affected in recent months.

What to do if your holiday is affected

If you find yourself at the site of a wildfire while on holiday, follow instructions from local authorities, and make sure to keep any essentials – passport, keys, medication, phone – with you at all times.

If you’ve booked with a tour operator or airline, they should be your first port of call, and can help you to find alternative accommodation or flights, if necessary.

For those preparing to travel, it may be possible to cancel your trip for a refund, but only under specific circumstances. This includes if there is a wildfire within a certain distance of your accommodation, or if there’s an official travel advisory from the Foreign Office warning against travel – which, as it stands, there is not.

As Grant Winter, compliance officer at specialist travel insurance provider Goodtogo, tells Metro: ‘No airline is obligated to refund you for a flight you choose not to take.’

So, although you should always prioritise your safety, keep in mind that you’re likely to lose some – or even all – of your money if you cancel.

How dangerous are wildfires?

Very. And with fast winds and dry plants both in abundance throughout Greece, these fires can spread faster than you can run from them.

Burns are the biggest killer, but dehydration and heatstroke also pose a risk to anyone in affected areas, along with toxic particles of burned matter that are carried on the wind and can enter the bloodstream, which has been linked to myriad health conditions including asthma, cancer and respiratory disease.

Survivors face the trauma of losing homes and businesses too, and studies have shown that people who live through wildfires show increased rates of depression.

Essentially, they shouldn’t be taken lightly.

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