The Italian beach is no longer what it was just a few years ago in the summer of 2026. Numerous coastal municipalities have introduced new regulations banning smoking under beach umbrellas, imposing heavy fines for taking away sand and shells, and regulating day-to-day beach life more strictly than in previous years. For those travelling to Italy this summer and autumn, keeping up with the most important rules has become almost as essential as sun cream. Here is an overview of what applies where, what penalties may be incurred, and what visitors to the Italian coast should bear in mind today.
Smoking bans: Pesaro, Rimini and the Roman coastline
The most far-reaching smoking bans are in force in Pesaro on the Adriatic coast of the Marche region. As the Italian daily La Sicilia documents in its overview of the new summer restrictions and the official announcement from the Comune di Pesaro confirms, municipal ordinance No. 609/2026, in effect since 1 April 2026, prohibits smoking across the entire municipal beach area, regardless of whether one is under a beach umbrella or at the water's edge. The ban applies to conventional tobacco, e-cigarettes and the newer heated tobacco products. The only exceptions are the bar areas of the stabilimenti and specially designated smoking zones that concession holders may establish. Fines range from 25 to 500 euros and are enforced by the Polizia Locale and the environmental inspectors of the municipal authority, with increased checks at weekends and during the peak season.
In Rimini the rules are somewhat more nuanced but equally strict. As the Comune di Rimini states in its official announcement of the Ordinanza balneare 2026, the municipal bathing ordinance, in force since 16 May 2026, prohibits smoking along the waterline and throughout the entire area of the stabilimenti balneari, that is, the privately managed beach establishments. Smoking is permitted only in specially designated gazebos or relaxation zones provided by the respective concession holders, which must be located well away from children's play areas and rows of beach umbrellas. The maximum fine is likewise 500 euros. Rimini's bathing season runs until 20 September 2026. Along the Roman coastline, between Ostia, Castelporziano and Capocotta, the ordinance signed by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri prohibits smoking within the first five metres from the water, a so-called fascia di rispetto, where the highest density of beach users is found. The regulation applies for the bathing season from 10 May to 30 October 2026 and also covers e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Sand, shells, stones: the most expensive souvenirs
A second key theme of the summer regulations concerns the removal of natural materials. Anyone wishing to take home a handful of sand, a colourful pebble or a shell as a memento risks considerable fines depending on the region, as the authorities regard the preservation of the natural coastal balance as a priority. The strictest rules apply in Sardinia, where Article 40 of Regional Law No. 16 of 28 July 2017 prohibits the removal of sand, stones and shells, with fines ranging from 500 to 3,000 euros . As the Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore documents in its travel guide to the regulations, checks at the island's ports and airports, particularly in Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero, have been significantly stepped up in recent years, with routine X-ray screening of luggage by the Corpo Forestale and the Vigilanza Ambientale.
Other regions have also adopted similar rules. In Sicilia, Tuscany and Campania, various coastal municipalities have introduced their own ordinances restricting or completely prohibiting the collection of sand and stones. Fines typically range from 100 to 1,500 euros and are enforced consistently, particularly in protected areas such as the Cinque Terre National Park, the Tuscan Archipelago and the Amalfi Coast. As the Italian daily Il Giornale summarises in its overview of beach regulations for 2026, in addition to the smoking bans already mentioned in Pesaro, Rimini and Ostia , municipal beach smoking bans carrying fines of up to 500 euros are now also in place in Cagliari, Olbia and Villasimius in Sardinia, in Jesolo on the Venetian Adriatic coast, in Sanremo and Santa Margherita Ligure in Liguria, and in Savona, where such rules have been in force since 2017. Those who find shells, sand or pebbles on the beach are advised to leave them in place and capture the memory with a photograph instead.
Beach Litter 2026: the reasons behind the regulations
The new rules have a concrete rationale. As the environmental organisation Legambiente documents in its current Beach Litter Study 2026, more than 50,000 cigarette remains were collected and catalogued along 653 survey transects on the Italian coastline, with an average of 77 cigarette butts per hundred metres of shore. Together with plastic packaging and discarded drinks bottles, this paints a picture of the Italian coast that many municipalities are seeking to change through targeted regulations. The bans are therefore less an expression of a new culture of prohibition and more a response to measurable environmental damage, with the aim of keeping the coastline sustainably accessible for tourism and local residents alike.
Further local regulations
In addition to the smoking bans and nature conservation rules, there are a number of further regulationsthat are applied with varying degrees of strictness depending on the region. Alcohol bans apply at night in many coastal resorts with a lively nightlife, with sales of alcoholic drinks for consumption off the premises prohibited from 10 or 11 pm. In some towns with a coastal setting, such as Sorrento, Tropea in Calabria or Villasimius in Sardinia, dress codes apply outside the beach area. As the Italian daily Il Giornale documents in its overview of municipal dress code ordinances, travellers who walk through town centres or between bars and restaurants in swimwear or bare-chested risk a fixed penalty of between 25 and 500 euros. Barbecue bans, noise regulations and wild camping prohibitions are also more strictly enforced during the summer months.
For travellers wishing to make sense of the current situation along Italian coastlines , a useful rule of thumb is as follows: in privately run stabilimenti balneari , the rules of the concession holder and the local municipality apply, whilst at freely accessible beaches it is the municipal bylaws that govern conduct. Those who are unsure will often find signage at the entrances to public beaches indicating what is prohibited and what fines may apply. In case of doubt, it is worth checking the website of the relevant municipality or asking the lifeguards of the Guardia Costiera directly.
Practical Advice for Travellers
In practice, navigating the new beach regulations can be reduced to a few key principles . Those who smoke should always look for designated areas or finish their cigarette before reaching the beach. In Pesaro, Rimini and along the Roman coastline, the risk of an on-the-spot fine is very real. Anyone wishing to take home a memento would do well to opt for photographs, locally purchased souvenirs or items from craft shops, rather than packing natural materials taken from the sea or the beach. On Sardinia, even a colourful pebble in one's luggage can lead to an awkward conversation at the security check.
When it comes to clothing , a degree of restraint is also expected outside the beach and the stabilimenti balneari . In towns such as Sorrento, Tropea or Villasimius, travellers are advised to put on a T-shirt and suitable clothing before heading into the centre. For those spending time along the Italian Adriatic coast, for example in Milano Marittima, or enjoying an Aperitivo by the coast, the usual standards of conduct set by each establishment apply. Those who take the new regulations seriously, without feeling constrained by them, can continue to enjoy the Italian beach experience, with the added benefit of contributing to the preservation of the coastal landscape.
