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In the wake of record crowds flocking to top European destinations, many sites are implementing fees and visitor limits.
Among the countries leading in the use of cash and caps for crowd control is Italy.
In Sardinia, several swaths of sand require booking and a small fee.
La Pelosa, one of the most photographed beaches in Sardinia, has a 3.50 euro entry fee per person, and visitors are required to book their spot in advance during peak season (June to September).
Daily numbers are capped at around 1,500 visitors, and as of now, the beach is fully booked through September.
Meanwhile, Su Sirboni beach allows 786 people a day, and Cala Brandinchi caps the max number of peeps at 1,447.
For beaches that do not offer advance reservations, visitors must plan to arrive early to avoid being turned away when the spot reaches capacity.
In addition to the total number of visitor restrictions, other spots are imposing time limits.
From March to November, Cala Goloritzé beach has a cap of 250 people at a time.
Cala dei Gabbiani has a 90-minute time cap, and beach slot prices range from €2 to €7 ($2.29 to $8). Bookings can be made through the Heart of Sardinia website.
In mainland Italy, around 33 percent of the coastline is currently leased to private beach clubs, where visitors face steep fees for the privilege of sunbathing.
While Italian law permits picnics, many of these clubs refuse to allow visitors to bring outside food or drink, making a day of dolce vita cost-prohibitive.
In Puglia, there was a recent outcry over BYO energy, as many critics argued that outside food and drink threaten the region’s “image of excellence” and encourage littering.
However, Antonio Decaro, the governor of the region, fully supports maintaining equitable, affordable access to beaches.
“We are working to make the sea, more and more, an experience of freedom, for Apulians and for those who come from outside to discover this region. The sea is a common commodity; it cannot become a luxury,” he said in a Facebook video.
If you want to protect your skin while you fill your gullet in Puglia, that will cost you too.
According to a recent study, the prices of sunbeds and umbrellas across 222 Italian beach resorts have increased by 24 percent over the last five years.
Sardinia, in contrast, has banned umbrellas and parasols from its beaches. Only those under 10 or over 65 are allowed to bring umbrellas. These bans were implemented after umbrellas threatened the effectiveness of evacuation measures.
While some folks, and certainly beach clubs, are out to make a buck, others are invested in preserving the environment and/or ensuring someone’s summer experience is not marred by having to share it with a mob of other visitors.
This year, France reinstated visitor quotas for the Calanques National Park, including access to the popular Sugiton beach, setting a daily cap of 400 visitors.
Travelers must secure a free online reservation in advance through the official Calanques National Park booking platform, and only those with a valid digital reservation will be granted access.
Located between Marseille and Cassis, Calanques National Park has implemented a reservation requirement and visitor quota to balance tourism demands with the responsibility to protect the park’s fragile ecosystem.
Seven years ago, in Spain’s Cíes Islands, the regional government also introduced a daily cap on visitor numbers. Prior to the cap, thousands of people would descend on the beaches each day, putting the local environment under immense strain.
Now, from May to September, only 1,800 visitors per day can visit the islands. Before departing, each visitor is required to obtain a QR code from the government’s website and pay. In the off-season, the cap falls to just 450 people per day.
“There were just too many people before,” José Antonio Fernández Bouzas, the park’s director, told The Guardian. “But now people understand the need for the cap, and they respect and appreciate it. We need the access controls to protect the area, but they also mean that people can enjoy their visits.”
