Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Milo Boyd & Nicola Roy

Italy travel warning as tourists could be fined £427 for setting foot on pretty pink beach

Anyone visiting Italy this summer has been warned that they could face a hefty fine for walking on one of the country's most famous and picturesque beaches.

Spiagga Rosa, or Pink Beach, boasts beautiful natural pink sands that glow in the sun and make for the perfect photo opportunity - but it should only ever be admired from afar, on organised boat trips.

It's strictly forbidden to step on the beach, as authorities have said it's now in danger of being destroyed by holidaymakers keen to take a walk there and snap some pictures.

The Mirror reports that tourists could find themselves massively out of pocket if they don't obey this rule, which is never ideal on holiday.

Fabrizio Fonnesu, director of the Maddalena archipelago national park, said: “The beach is again in danger as people arrive by boat, clamber up the beach, then post photos, which allow us to fine them up to 500 euros (£427)."

The beach is located on Budelli Island just off the coast of Sardinia, and the sand gets its unusual hue from the shells of the Pink Miniacina microorganism.

It first came under threat from tourists in 1980, leading authorities to clamp down on visitors who were caught stealing sand, which caused the colour to fade.

It's now illegal to do this, and people can face fines of up to 3,000 euros (£2,565) if they’re caught stealing sand to keep as a souvenir or sell online.

Venice is also considering measures to cope with the volume of tourists (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This isn't the only Italian location clamping down on inappropriate tourist behaviour this summer.

Italy’s Trentino Alto Adige region has introduced caps on cars after the region became overran by the number of visitors.

Venice has also considered introducing a fee for day trippers to try to cope with huge volume of tourists.

Portofino on the Italian Riviera is another one of the many beautiful towns in the country which attracts massive crowds of holidaymakers year upon year.

Full of pastel-coloured houses, high-end stores and decadent seafood restaurants, it's the perfect holiday destination - unless you love to take a selfie or two.

The local government has introduced no-waiting zones to stop tourists from 'lingering' for too long in popular beauty spots. If you are caught with your phone turned face-wards in certain spots you could be fined up to 275 euros (£242).

Mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, said selfie takers had been causing "anarchic chaos", including massive traffic jams and blocked streets.

The rule was introduced over the Easter weekend and will remain in place until the holiday season ends in October.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.