This oil painting of Fig Tree Bay depicts multiple people enjoying a day at the beach on the sand and in the water, with a row of fig trees in the background.
Most of the fig trees were cut down to make way for the building of resorts and the influx of tourists, as well as the sunbeds needed to accommodate them. Currently, only a few trees remain, scattered at and around the entrance to the bay. On a busy Sunday at the beach, they are utilised as a free umbrella for those who arrive too late to securely purchase a spot of shade. Despite cutting down most of the fig trees, the bay’s name has remained.
There is an uninhabited islet (small unnamed island) easily reached by swimming, and covered with low-level local vegetation. Once a year, an unknown individual places a Greek flag on the islet, a disconcerting reminder of some people’s perception of the island.
PNT-00920 > Peter Collins, Fig Tree Bay – Agia Napa, Oil on Canvas, 61x61 cm, [s.d.].
The 'Sneak Peek' series is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
