Italy's beaches in change: entrance fees and visitor limits threaten!

Italy's beaches in change: entrance fees and visitor limits threaten!

Tuerredda, Teulada, Italien - Vacation in Italy is very popular with German travelers, but mass tourism is increasingly burdening the popular seaside resorts. Residents complain of overcrowding that noticeably affects the holiday experience. Municipalities react with strict regulations for access to beaches. Fewer and fewer coastal sections are free of charge and freely accessible, many are now in private hands or are subject to visitor limits to minimize the excessive stress on nature.

In particular in Sardinia, bathers now have to reserve for access to beaches via app. From July 2025, access to the popular Tuerredda beach in Teulada will be connected with costs of one to two euros. Here a maximum of 1,100 people are allowed to linger daily, divided into 371 on beach baths and 729 on the open beach. As soon as this limit has been reached, the bathers have to choose another beach, which makes the situation difficult for many vacationers.

new regulations and visitor limits

A variety of beaches in Italy has now introduced similar regulations. Beaches such as Cala dei Gabbiani, Cala Biriala, Cala Goloritzè, Cala Sisine, Santa Maria Navarrese and La Pelosa are particularly affected. The introduction of beach fees has already led to criticism and protests among locals. The “Freie Sea” initiative in Naples calls for unrestricted access to the beaches.

in 2023 could be a record year for traveling in Italy, which means additional stress for the popular holiday destinations. Municipalities like Baunei in Sardinia have already taken measures to limit the number of visitors. In Cala dei Gabbiani and Cala Biriala, only 300 people per day are allowed, while in Cala Goloritzè a maximum of 250 visitors are given access, combined with an admission fee of 6 euros. For Cala Mariolu, up to 700 bathers are allowed to occur per day.

fees and their use

The beach visitors are asked to reserve their place 72 hours in advance via the "Cuore di Sardegna" app. The fees can be paid both online and in cash at the entrance to the Cala Goloritzè. The income from these fees flow into the financing of parking spaces, surveillance systems and maintenance measures. Similar regulations also exist on the beach Spaggia della Pelosa, where only mats have been allowed since 2021 and threaten fines of up to 100 euros in violations.

Visitor limits are currently also being introduced in Sicily, for example at the Isola dei Conigli, where 350 visitors will receive access per morning and afternoon for a fee of 2 euros. This measure serves to protect the fake karett turtles that nest on these beaches.