A social media influencer from Dubai has been fined over £1,500 (€1,800) for trespassing on a forbidden Italian beach with pink-tinged sand, after the local authorities spotted her Instagram posts about the transgression.
The incident came to light after the influencer shared photos and videos of her roaming on the banned beach off Sardinia, on the tiny island of Budelli.
The Italian coastguard protects the Spiaggia Rosa beach, whose colour derives from its delicate ecosystem, and fines for trespassing on the beach were recently raised higher, now ranging from €500 (£428) up to €3,500 (£2,993).
Large sign boards inform visitors that the beach is off-limits but the Dubai-based influencer allegedly ignored them, reported the Italian press.
The influencer, who goes by the social media name of @Rogeriaguiadubai, is of Brazilian origin and is reportedly living in Dubai. Her Instagram account has more than 35,800 followers. The social media post from her account showed her footprints in the sand of the popular beach as the audio of Édith Piaf’s La Vie En Rose played. She is also seen arriving on the beach using a rubber dinghy.
Despite breaking the rules she also added a location to her social media post, which read “Spiaggia Rosa – Budelli”.
According to local reports, the videos of the incident upset locals and a complaint was lodged with the coastguard of La Maddalena archipelago who were able to track the influencer down.
The account was made private on Saturday.
Spiaggia Rosa is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sand gets its bright hue from the shells of micro-organisms that live in the shallows, which are crushed by currents and mixed with the sand.
People are forbidden from stepping foot on the beach, though the coast can be seen from the sea while on boat trips. While the ban was first introduced more than 30 years ago, it was enforced last year with greater rigour due to fears the beach could be ruined.
“The beach is again in danger as people arrive by boat, clamber up the beach, then post photos,” Fabrizio Fonnesu, director of the Maddalena archipelago national park, had said last year.
A set of higher fines is also in place for those who take sand from the beaches. In 2021, a couple were fined £855 (€1,000) for filling a plastic bottle with sand – a violation which now carries a £2,960 (€3,500) penalty.