Undermined Cliff Path

You can clearly see here how severely this cliff coast has been eroded. The seawall just above sea level, in particular, shows a distinct indentation. This cliff coast is moving a little inland every year. Therefore, caution is advised on the path, as it too has been eroded in many places and is at risk of collapse. So, stay a safe distance from the edge.

The east coast of Koufonisia (along the popular hiking trail towards Pori and Gala) consists of relatively soft, layered sedimentary rock that weathers easily.

This cliff has a pronounced exposure to the Meltemi and winter storms. The east coast takes the full force of the wind and waves. The hydraulic pressure of crashing seawater, combined with salt crystallization, erodes the rock just above the waterline. Often, a walking path still appears very solid from the top because it is covered with soil or vegetation, while the rock directly underneath has already been hollowed out to a depth of several meters.

For soft to moderately hard sedimentary rocks, the average retreat is around 10 to 30 cm per year. However, cliff erosion rarely occurs gradually or regularly. The sea throat (the indentation at sea level) steadily erodes the rock face. As soon as the load-bearing capacity of the overlying block is lost, a large piece of rock collapses into the sea all at once. In such cases, the cliff edge locally slides suddenly 50 cm to well over a meter inland after a single severe winter storm. Consequently, large "slabs" of limestone deposits are often seen along the cliff coast, bearing witness to such collapses.

Pascal Brackman