The lush peachy sands of Spiaggia Rosa (which literally means ‘Pink Beach’ or ‘Rose Beach’ in Italian) in Sardinia look very inviting indeed. The beach, which is often ranked amongst the best beaches in the entire world, gets its unusual orangey-pink hue from the remnants and shells of dead microscopic organisms.
Dare to sink your toes into Spiaggia Rosa’s enticing sand, however, and you’ll now be slapped with a massive €500 (£428, $546) fine. And that’s a minimum – fines can go all the way up to €3,500 (£3,000, $3,825). Which is a pretty steep price to pay for sunbathing, to say the least.
The reason for the ban is overtourism, specifically tourists stealing sand from Spiaggia Rosa to take home (some people, eh?). While stepping foot on the beach will cost you €500, it’s those caught pocketing sand that now face that lofty fine of €3500.
Technically the ban on setting foot on the beach has been in place for over 30 years, but it’s now being much more seriously enforced. It’s worth noting that you can still visit Spiaggia Rosa, but that you have to stay off the beach. Generally only accessible by boat, it’s on Budelli Island and about 12 kilometres off Sardinia’s west coast.
While it might seem extreme, the ban has been fundamental in restoring the beach’s natural pink hue after years of degradation. And if you’re desperate to frolic on some pink sand, fear not. There are plenty of other beaches around the world with a peachy hue, from Pink Beach on Indonesia’s Komodo Island to Elafonisi in Greece. Though if you choose to visit those instead, please don’t try and take the sand home – or they might end up off-limits too.
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