Italy limits visitors to summer beaches

In addition to limiting the number of visitors, local authorities also charge entrance fees to some beaches and visitors must make reservations 72 hours in advance.

Authorities on the island of Sardinia, home to pristine beaches and clear waters, are planning to strictly limit the number of visitors to its popular beaches each day.

Cala Goloritze beach. Photo: Alamy — Cala Goloritze beach. Photo: *Alamy*

Baunei, a village in the east of Sardinia, has limited the number of visitors to its four most beautiful beaches along its 40-kilometer coastline overlooking the Gulf of Orosei. Baunei Mayor Stefano Monni said dozens of beaches in the area were unable to accommodate the thousands of visitors who crowded in each day, making tourism and the environment unsustainable.

Cala dei Gabbiani and Cala Biriala beaches are currently limited to 300 visitors per day. Cala Goloritze is limited to 250 visitors and the largest beach, Cala Mariolu, is limited to 700.

Bathers at Cala Goloritze pay an entrance fee of 6 euros per person. They must book at least 72 hours in advance through an app called Cuore di Sardegna (Heart of Sardegna).

The fee covers beach supervision, parking, and restrooms. Mayor Stefano Monni says the beaches are kept tidy because of the cleaners. Visitors can make additional donations if they want.

At Cala Mariolu, one of Sardinia’s most popular beaches, there is a fee of one euro per passenger. “We must protect this paradise and its fragile ecosystem,” Monni added. In previous years, the beach saw more than 2,000 tourists a day, while the village of Baunei welcomed around 300,000 visitors each summer.

Baunei isn't the only Sardinian holiday spot trying to keep numbers down this summer.

Stintino, a fishing village on the north coast, is taking strict measures to protect its pale pink coral beach, La Pelosa, which is also one of the country's most beautiful and crowded.

In high season, the sand here is often a maze of towels and tourists. "We have limited the number of tourists coming to La Pelosa to 1,500 per day, with an entrance fee of 3.50 euros," said Stintino mayor Rita Limbania Vallebella. Previously, on hot days, there were as many as 38,000 swimmers.

“This is really shocking. It destroys the natural habitat and leads to sand erosion. I can’t stand seeing tourists throwing rubbish on the sand, something they would never do back home,” Vallebella said.

Anh Minh (According to CNN )

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