Topless ban for men too Italian vacation resort enacts tough bathing rules
An Italian coastal community near Genoa no longer wants to see half-naked bathers near the beach. Anyone who leaves the beach in swimwear is threatened with trouble from the local authorities.
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- In the Italian seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure, swimwear will only be allowed on the beach in future.
- The consumption of alcohol in public places will also be fined.
- The rules for bathers are now being tightened in many Italian seaside resorts.
On the beach of the fashionable Italian seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure, between the towns of Portofino and Rapallo, tourists can relax and unwind. Holidaymakers loll under the parasols in their swimwear. Crystal-clear water invites you to jump into the cool water.
Quite a few holidaymakers like to eat gelati or local snacks in their swimwear on the nearby promenade to satisfy their hunger on the beach. So far, everything is normal - or so you might think. In Santa Margherita Ligure, however, the freedom of movement ends just beyond the shore. In the coastal municipality, it is now forbidden to walk around bare-chested in swimwear outside the beaches. This also applies to men. Going topless on the promenade or in the alleyways of the village can be expensive.
The municipality has decided to implement the wishes of its citizens. And they no longer want to see bathers in bikinis or swimming trunks in their little town. In future, appropriate clothing must be worn when leaving the beach. Mayor Guglielmo Caversazio justifies the clothing requirement in the Italian media: "The only reason for the ban is to promote order and decency during the summer months."
In southern Italy, this regulation is already being implemented in several seaside resorts. In Sorrento, Tropea and Cagliari, tourists who walk outside designated bathing areas in a bikini or swimsuit are fined up to 500 euros.
Alcohol can be expensive
The municipal authorities are also tightening the thumbscrews when it comes to their guests' liquid indulgence. In future, the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public or publicly accessible places between 9 pm and 6 am will be prohibited. Even carrying alcoholic beverages in any kind of container is punishable during this time.
The exact amount of the fine has not yet been determined. In the seaside resort of Lignano on the Italian Adriatic coast, bathers who do not comply with the alcohol ban are now fined up to 500 euros.