The pink sand beach on Budelli, in a protected marine park within the archipelego of La Maddalena, has been off-limits to visitors for more than 30 years under rules designed to protect its fragile ecosystem.
Despite the rules, an influencer known as Rogéria, who is reportedly famous for posting videos of her trips to hard-to-reach, exotic places, visited the restricted beach to film it for her 35,000 followers on social media.
But photos and videos published following her trip sparked fury among environmental campaigners, as well as Sardinian residents, many of whom said they had never visited the beach themselves due to the ban.
Sbarca sulla spiaggia Rosa a Budelli e posta il video, multata un'influencer brasiliana che aveva violato il parco di La Maddalena #ANSA pic.twitter.com/zKg3wFLJ4q
— Agenzia ANSA (@Agenzia_Ansa) June 13, 2024
Officers from Sardinia’s coastguard were able to identify the location and the influencer’s boat based on the video footage, reported Italian media on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Did you know…? You can be fined €3,000 for taking sand from Sardinia’s beaches
Police tracked down the influencer in Dubai, where she is based, and handed her a €300 fine for disembarking on the protected beach, plus a €1,500 fine for sailing on a catamaran without authorisation to enter the waters of the La Maddalena national park.
The island has been uninhabited since 2021, when its sole occupant, elderly Mauro Morandi, was evicted following a decades-long dispute over his right to live there.
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