Summer yes, summer too, dermatologists insist on the importance of protecting ourselves from the sun’s rays with creams, hats and umbrellas. At Punta Molentis, one of the most popular beaches in Sardinia, bathers will however have to make do with the first two tools. If they want to plant an umbrella in the sand they will have to meet a series of requirements, beyond paying the 10 euros it costs to access the cove: the parasols will only be available to families with children or people who have already turned 65 years old.
The rest have to burn.
What has happened? Villasimìus is a commune of Cagliari, in the Italian region of Sardinia, where just under 4,000 people live. Despite this, it has been making headlines for days in the media throughout Italy and the rest of Europe, including headlines within the scope of The GuardianCNN o The Telegraph.
The reason is not so much the spectacular nature of its beaches and their attractiveness at the gates of summer (that too), but rather the effects of that pull: given the avalanche of visitors, the local authorities have decided to prohibit the majority of bathers from using umbrellas on the sandy beach.
No umbrellas? More or less. What they have decided in Villasimìus is that the majority of the population cannot bring their private umbrellas to Punta Molentis. This privilege is restricted to only two groups: families with children under 10 years old and adults over 65. The large group between 10 and 65 years old that remains in the middle will have to make do with protecting themselves from the sun of the Sardinian coast with caps and a good sunscreen.
Not only that. In a statement posted on its official website, the commune of Villasimìus details other measures that bathers must take into account: the number of vehicles and people that can be simultaneously in the area is limited, as is the influx of bathers arriving by boat. The rules also include time guidelines and a warning: those who go to the beach should know that there is an “environmental ticket” of 10 euros for those who travel by car. If you go by boat the fee remains at 5 euros.
But… Why? The authorities insist on the need to protect the natural environment and remember the serious forest fire that the region experienced last summer, when dozens of tourists had to flee in boats. The flames spread so quickly that they burned cars parked in the area, blocked land escape routes and caused serious environmental damage, environmentalists warn.
“The Punta Molentis ecosystem is one of the most valuable in our territory, but also one of the most fragile. The forest fires of 2025 and exceptional weather phenomena have reduced the capacity of the dunes and put habitats and biodiversity to the test,” warns the commune. “It is necessary to limit the human impact and ensure the protection of heritage for future generations.”
Part of the rules disclosed by the Villasimìus authorities.
What do people think? The Government argues that it wants to protect the environment and preserve the natural wealth of the beach. Neither one nor the other seems to have convinced bathers, who were quick to use irony to question the ban on umbrellas. “How wonderful, a beautiful day at the beach and 20 hours in the emergency room for burns. I think they’ve tried this ordinance before and it turned out badly,” a social user comments sarcastically.
At stake would not only be the environmental wealth of the coast. A spokesman for the Villasimìus town council assured CNN this week that behind the veto of the parasols there are also security reasons: they want to reduce their number to avoid situations like those in 2025 being repeated.
“It is fundamentally because of that fire and the difficulties we had in evacuating the beach due to the large number of umbrellas installed that the city council has established this rule,” they acknowledge from the Italian commune, recalling that in that area there are no paid ‘beach clubs’, so “people place the umbrellas next to each other, blocking access, causing risks and obstructing the view of the sea.” The Telegraph It specifies that parasols can be rented in the bathing area.
Does it only happen in Sardinia? Villasimìus’s decision has attracted attention because it is unorthodox, but the truth is that the use of umbrellas (and other beach equipment) on the sandy beaches has not only generated controversy there. In Italy, ‘beach clubs’ have generated debate after, according to Altronconsumo calculations, the rental of sun loungers and umbrellas has skyrocketed by 24% in just five years.
Beyond Italy, in Greece they have just expanded their list of “virgin” sandy beaches where the rental of umbrellas is prohibited. Here, in Spain, the use of furniture on beaches (and that includes everything from parasols to tents and windbreaks) has also generated debate in recent years.
Images | Heather Cowper (Flickr) and Villasimius SRL
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