French tourists used to flock to this rosy beach in droves. But no one has set foot on these spectacular sands in nearly three decades
For those ever in search of the most unique holiday backdrop, a pink sand beach is the ultimate prize. Unfortunately for would-be visitors, one of the only two pink sand beaches in Italy has barred access to all tourists for life. Though this was not always the case.
Located in the extreme north of Sardinia, near the Bocche di Bonifacio, sits Budelli Island. Budelli is part of the Maddalena Archipelago, most famous for the Spiaggia Rosa, the Pink Beach. Arguably one of the most picturesque beaches in the Mediterranean, the Pink Beach is named for its shell-pink sand. The sand gets its colour from the high concentration of red-coloured, shelled microorganisms that are ground by the waves and transported to the beach.
Why are tourists banned from the Pink Beach?
Tourists were welcome to Budelli Island’s pink beach as recently as 1998. Until that time, Budelli Island was often frequented by French tourists from nearby Corsica as well as foreign tourists docking from cruise ships and private boats. Trouble emerged when these droves of tourists began stealing the sand.
After nearly three decades of foreign tourists collecting the rosy sand as a souvenir, the Pink Beach had almost completely lost its colour. That is when the Italian government stepped in, classifying the beach as a Zone A site—prohibiting tourists from accessing, passing through, resting or bathing in the water of the island. No one is allowed to even walk along the beach, but this has allowed the beach to naturally regain its iconic pink hue.
Is there a way to see the Pink Beach?
Absolutely. While the beach is still closed to the public and highly protected, there are multiple ways to glimpse the natural wonder. Travellers who take a boat trip to Budelli Island and around the archipelago can glimpse the beach from the Mediterranean. Access by sea is possible until about 70 metres from the shore.
Alternatively, travellers can enjoy an aerial view of the beach from either the limestone cliffs of Mount Budello or by taking a small plane over the island. And after the eviction and recent passing of the Budelli Island’s beloved caretaker, Mauro Morandi, who documented the beauty of the island for social media, the Maddalena National Park collaborated with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to install a surveillance camera that constantly monitors the beach.
Who owns the island today?
Budelli Island was acquired by the National Park Authority for its enduring protection in 2016. Prior to the National Park acquisition, the island was privately owned. The last individual to lay claim to the island was New Zealand businessman, Michael Harte, who purchased the island at auction for nearly 3 million euros. After protest from locals over the island’s foreign ownership and the overturning of a 2014 ruling allowing the sale of the island, the Italian government passed legislation that enabled a state buyback.
