Sardinia Introduces Entry Fees and Umbrella Ban to Protect Beaches After Wildfires
Sardinia's Punta Molente beach has new rules this summer: an entry fee, visitor limit, and umbrella ban except for families with children or seniors, aiming to preserve the environment after last year's wildfires.
In Sardinia, Italy, authorities are imposing strict visitation restrictions on beaches damaged by wildfires. Officials overseeing Punta Molente beach in the southeast said last summer's fires severely damaged the beach, dunes, and parking lot. To prevent further degradation, a maximum of 150 people will be allowed to visit the beach at any one time.
Villasimius Mayor Gianluca Dessi signed an order introducing a €10 entry fee for those arriving by car and €5 for those arriving by boat. Additionally, until October 31, no more than 70 cars per day will be permitted, and advance reservation is mandatory.
One of the most controversial measures is the ban on beach umbrellas, with exceptions only for families with children under 10 or those accompanying seniors over 65. The official statement highlighted that Punta Molente's ecosystem is both the most valuable and the most fragile in the municipality.
This is not the only Sardinian beach with restrictions this summer. Local reactions vary; one resident sarcastically commented on the town website, wondering if soon the only way to visit the beach would be to rent children or seniors, and suggested that a complete closure for several years would be more helpful.
