Setting foot on Italy’s protected pink-sand beach could cost you €500

Stricter enforcement expected after warning that ‘the beach is again in danger’

Spiaggia Rosa, or Pink Beach, is one of the most beautiful shorelines in the world (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Travellers hoping to sink their toes into an inviting stretch of pink sand off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, are being warned they face a hefty fine for doing so.

The Italian coastguard is taking extra steps to protect Spiaggia Rosa – Pink Beach – this year, with visitors facing fines ranging from €500 (£428) up to €3,500 (£2,993).

The colourful sandy stretch – considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – is found on Budelli Island, part of the Maddalena archipelago. The sand gets its bright hue from the shells of micro-organisms that live in the shallows, which are crushed by currents and mixed with the sand.

People are forbidden to step foot on the beach, though the coast can be seen from the sea while on boat trips. While the ban was first introduced more than 30 years ago, it’s going to be enforced with greater rigour due to fears the beach could be ruined.

Fabrizio Fonnesu, director of the Maddalena archipelago national park, told The Times: “The beach is again in danger as people arrive by boat, clamber up the beach, then post photos.”

The higher fines are for those who take sand from the beaches. In 2021, a couple were fined €1,000 (£855) for filling a plastic bottle with sand – a violation which now carries a €3,500 penalty.

“We expect 1,200 boats to visit the park every day this summer and too many people are removing sand for souvenirs, which couples with increasingly violent storms to create erosion,” Mr Fonnesu added.

The move comes as more areas of Italy take steps to manage the influx of tourists it receives each year. Elsewhere in Sardinia, the small village of Baunei has put in place restrictions on the number of visitors to its beaches.

Speaking to CNN, Stefano Monni, the mayor of Baunei, said: “We can no longer afford thousands of daily sunbathers all squeezed in one spot as in the past, it’s unsustainable.”

Many of the beaches across the island have introduced entrance fees, such as Cala Goloritze, which levies a €6pp (£5.15pp) charge.

On the mainland, the Trentino-South Tyrol region has capped the numbers of overnight visitors at 2019 levels under new rules that also prohibit new guest houses, Airbnbs or hotels from opening unless an existing one closes down.

Earlier this month, Florence announced a ban on new short-term rental accommodation in its historic centre.