The story of Kostas Selimis and his island could make a great movie, or at least a great documentary on Greek red tape, as the poor bus driver fought for 24 years to get a property that was given to him as a gift by the rightful owners.
The 57-acre islet of Hydroussa is indeed a very precious piece of land. It is only one kilometer away from the coast of Voula, 2.5 kilometers away from the Vouliagmeni Asteras resort and only 3 kilometers from the cosmopolitan seaside neighborhood of Glyfada. In other words, it is only one kilometer away from what is locally known as the Athenian Riviera.
An ideal destination for a short trip by boat, Hydroussa has two beaches; each about 100 meters long, with crystal clear waters, while the rest of the island is perfect for walks or hiking.
The story of the island’s ownership goes back to 1941, during the German occupation of Greece. Under a 1941 Minister of Agriculture decision, Hydroussa was sold to Miltiadis Alamanis by a family that had previously owned it since the 19th century. The owners used to lease the islet for animal grazing.
In the 1950s, the Greek state tried to take the islet away from Alamanis, disputing the minister’s decision that was made during the Nazi occupation. The new owner fought many legal battles to keep Hydroussa in the Alamanis family name and finally in 1962, the Supreme Court dismissed the state’s claims to the property.
Tired after years of fighting the Greek state to keep their property, the Alamanis family decided to hand it over to Selimis for free.
It was Selimis’ turn to start fighting the Greek state in order to utilize his own property. He fought for 24 years trying to legalize the concession. His dream was to turn Hydroussa into an eco park for children and nature lovers, away from the madness of the concrete city.
Selimis needed 47 licenses and permits to finally become the rightful owner of Hydroussa. Meanwhile he worked as a bus driver, spending thousands of euros from his meager earnings to lawyers and bureaucratic fees.
Selimis and his partner Nektarios Nikolopoulos founded the company Hydroussa Development in order to start exploiting the islet.
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