Italians turn away from private beaches amid debate over rising prices
Going to the beach and renting cabins, loungers and parasols – usually at the same location – has long been an ingrained habit of Italian summer holiday culture.
But this year's season began with a notable fall in beachgoer numbers after private resorts along Italy's two long stretches of coastline recorded a decrease of between 15% and 25% in June and July compared with the same period in 2024.
The problem is not so much the weekend, when beach resorts are often congested, especially those close to cities such as Rome, but during the week. Those who do go are also spending less on food and drink.
Fabrizio Licordari, the president of Assobalneari Italia, an association representing beach clubs, blamed the decline on the high cost of living and its consequences on spending power.
'Even with two salaries, many families struggle to reach the end of the month,' he told Ansa news agency. 'In such circumstances, it's natural that the first expenses to be cut are those for leisure, entertainment and holidays.'
The drop in attendance, however, also coincides with increases in the cost of private beach resorts and the growing rebellion against their dominance of Italian shorelines, which has left very little space for free beaches.
The cost of renting a sunlounger is a recurring topic of discussion, and rightly so – on average, it costs 17% more than it did four years ago, according to figures this week from the consumer group Altroconsumo. On beaches in the Lazio region, for example, it is difficult to rent two loungers and an umbrella for less than €30 (£26) a day. That rises to about €90 in the popular resort of Gallipoli in Puglia.
The actor Alessandro Gassmann stoked the debate after sharing a photo of a beach with deserted loungers on his Instagram page and writing alongside it: 'I read that the season is not going well. Maybe it's because the prices are exaggerated and the country's economic situation is forcing Italians to choose free beaches? Lower the prices and maybe things will get better.'
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Maurizio Rustignoli, the president of Fiba, the Italian beach resorts federation, argued that reports of high price rises were 'misleading' and that, where they occurred, it was by only a small percentage. He added that people in return benefited from services including security and lifeguard supervision.
But the consumers association Codacons said going to beach resorts had become 'a drain' on people's finances and accused the concession owners of 'shedding crocodile tears'.
The beaches might be losing custom, but areas in the mountains, especially the Dolomites, have had a significant rise in visitor numbers, with some areas fearing overtourism. According to a report this week in the newspaper Il Messaggero, more Italians are venturing to the mountains for their holidays, partly as a way to escape increasingly hot summers caused in part by the climate crisis.
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Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Santorini v Mykonos: which is better?
There's a reason why Santorini and Mykonos are Greece's most celebrated islands. These Cycladic siblings are only 60 miles apart, yet their similarities — direct flights, rocky landscapes, sugar-cube architecture — are much less pronounced than their distinctly different natures. So which one is for you? Santorini's claim to fame is being the ultimate romantic island, thanks to its one-of-a-kind views across the midnight-blue waters of a sea-filled volcano. Mykonos, on the other hand, is more about sandy beaches and a see-and-be-seen, all-summer-long party scene. Whatever kind of holiday you're after — be that a honeymoon, a solo trip, a romantic escape or a knees-up with friends — both islands deliver. Each has beaches (mostly golden in Mykonos, black in Santorini) where family-friendly appeal meets lively beach clubs, and there are fascinating ruins from ancient civilisations to discover. True, Mykonos has more edge, but Santorini wins at wineries — and in terms of dreamy scenery, it's utterly peerless. If you're torn between the two, this guide should help you find your way to whichever one ticks your boxes. And if you still can't decide? No worries: with ferry connections between the two taking only a couple of hours, it's super-straightforward to visit both islands in a single (and incredible) wish-list trip. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Winner Mykonos From a tourism perspective, both islands shut down for the winter; but in the summer months they're positively booming. Though Santorini's selling point is its sweeping volcanic caldera, there are beaches here too, mostly made of black pebbles or sand that shelve into the Aegean Sea, with the biggest and best being the east coast resorts of Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos. A notable exception to the dark-sand rule is Red beach, which sits beneath crimson cliffs and is best accessed by catamaran. In short, the beaches are memorable but not the main attraction. Mykonos, on the other hand, is all about the beach. Beyond a handful of wilder shores such as sleepy Agios Sostis or hidden-away Fokos up in the north, the best beaches are strung along the south. From Platis Gialos to Paradise, laid-back beats drift over the sand, while several (notably Psarou and Super Paradise) have see-and-be-seen beach clubs. Renting loungers and parasols can be shockingly expensive (especially the row nearest the sea); but for sensational swims mixed with all-day buzz, there's nowhere quite like Mykonos. Mykonos is at its loveliest — and most crowd-free — at the end of the season, when the weather remains warm and you'll have many of the beaches to yourself. Visit on a cruise from Athens: Silversea offers stylish autumn sailings that calls at both Mykonos and Santorini, with plenty of time for getting your toes in the sand. Short on time? Take a shorter, scenic cruise in Mykonos, with swimming stops at some of its beaches. • Discover our full guide to Greece Winner Mykonos Mykonos isn't the archipelago's only party hotspot. Santorini's main town, Fira, has a lively summertime bar scene. Things get particularly busy in the early evening, when crowds converge on the rim of the caldera to soak up sunset views. The best spots of all are the bars and restaurants with bijou rooftop terraces; come back later at night and the party vibe spills into the streets. For for a more relaxed experience, head to Oia and aim for Santo Pure or Canaves Epitome, whose sophisticated sunset lounges feel far removed from the hubbub of the village. Sunset is also peak hour at bars on Mykonos, especially in the capital, Mykonos Town. Come early if you want to grab a table at the most popular places along the Little Venice waterfront. It gets crowded, but you'll never forget the views of the landmark windmills bathed in the golden hour's glow. Fancy something less hectic? The open-air bar at Deos Mykonos, a luxurious hilltop hotel with views across town to the windmills, is outstanding. Whichever you choose, remember to pack plenty of stamina: Mykonos Town is an all-nighter kind of place. Winner Santorini Beyond its sunset-facing bars, Fira has plenty of decent restaurants for sampling Greek cuisine (be sure to try fava, a typical mezedakia dip made with Santorini-grown beans). The next villages along the caldera, Firostefani and Imerovigli, also have great spots for dining and are generally more relaxed than Fira. Further round again, the clifftop village of Oia has the most in-demand tables at fine-dining establishments where open-air terraces cascade down the caldera. Among them, the modern Greek cuisine at Adami is a hit. In keeping with its reputation for conspicuous consumption, Mykonos has plenty of fancy restaurants, several with Michelin stars. Fine dining is a feature at the best hotels, but be careful at some of the beach clubs, where prices can be astronomical. Mykonos has some of the most expensive restaurants in Greece, but with more affordable spots in town (Leonidas is a favourite for souvlaki), dining out doesn't need to blow your budget. For a fun but sophisticated supper in a secret garden in Mykonos Town, book ahead at the enduringly popular Interni Restaurant & Bar. Winner It's a tie: both islands have brilliant hotels Santorini's signature is its cave-house architecture. Carved into the cliffs' softer layers, many are now luxury hotels with rooms and suites (often with private plunge pools) facing out across the flooded caldera. They're unique — and the setting is so special that these are among the priciest hotel rooms in Greece. Perivolas in Oia is a standout, as is whiter-than-white Canaves Ena; or try Kivotos in Imerovigli, which goes against the grain with its all-dark interiors. Hotels beyond the crater need to be stunning to draw guests away from those views. Seek out the exceptional Sandblu Resort near Kamari Beach, or the all-villa Santorini Sky in hilltop Pyrgos. Similarly, if you're looking for larger rooms than most cave hotels can accommodate, Santo Pure — on the island's gentler slope yet within walking distance of Oia — is outstanding. Santo Pure offers ample space and a resort-style ambience with sensational sunset views. Read our full review of Santo Pure Read our full review of Canaves Ena Read our full review of Santorini Sky • More great hotels in Santorini Not to be outdone, Mykonos also has plenty of top-notch hotels: and because they're not crowded along a caldera, they tend to offer more in terms of facilities and space. You could choose to stay somewhere close to the action like Theoxenia or Semeli Hotel, both in Mykonos Town; or a five-star retreat above the beach, such as Myconian Ambassador. The once overlooked east coast is becoming increasingly popular; a chic option here is Numo Mykonos, near Kalafatis beach. Alternatively, shun the crowds altogether at super-stylish the Wild Hotel by Interni, which epitomises bohemian chic and sits above its own private cove. You'll love the laid-back vibes and breeze-free beach at the Wild, near Agia Anna. Read our full review of the Wild Hotel by Interni • More great hotels in Mykonos Winner Santorini Sunset is a highlight when you visit Santorini, whether it's viewed from an Oia hotel suite's pool, a cliff-edge Imerovigli restaurant or even at sea on a sunset cruise; but there's much more to do here besides. A vineyard tour will uncover the secrets of Santorini's assyrtiko grapes; the hike along the crater from Fira to Oia is fantastic; or check out Akrotiri, an ancient settlement that, like Pompeii, was smothered by volcanic ash. Tour the site, then see its treasures in Fira's archaeological museum. Sunsets are just as spectacular in Mykonos; favourite spots to watch them include Mykonos Town's Little Venice and windmills, or the lighthouse at Armenistis. Summer winds bring ideal conditions for kitesurfing, especially at Ftelia and Korfos. There's history on the neighbouring (uninhabited) island of Delos, which makes for delightful day trips; or step back into less ancient times at Rizes, a working farm that serves up homegrown produce. And while those with kids tend to holiday on cheaper isles, the beaches of Mykonos are that bit more family-friendly than Santorini's. Trafalgar's two-week Best of Greece tour takes in the country's most memorable spots, from Athens to historic Meteora. You'll have five days to explore Santorini and Mykonos, staying at stylish boutique hotels. Learn all about (and taste) Santorini's indigenous wines on a half-day tour. • Best things to do in Santorini• Best things to do in Mykonos OK, so both isles are pretty evenly matched in terms of their standout appeal, but if we have to pick an overall winner, there's only one contender. Although Mykonos may be marvellous, next-door Paros is rapidly catching up with its profile and party scene; but Santorini's geographic splendour is impossible to replicate — and that alone is enough to hand it the crown.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Sunbed romps, boob contests & filthy foam parties – my VERY wild years working 18-30 hols… & which resort was the worst
YOU SPOTTED them at the airport first. Anyone going on an el cheapo 18-30 holiday back in the 80s and 90s started their trip at the bar. By the time they were on the early hours flight, at least one would have puked and someone else snuck off with one of the air hostesses. 12 12 12 A Club 18-30 was a rite of passage in the 80s and 90s. As soon as the plane landed the holiday reps - who gave an X-rated meaning to customer satisfaction - commandeered their holidaymakers marching them straight onto the shuttle coaches. No matter what time of day or night it was, boozy shots were handed out. Coaches packed with young adults - just about old enough to vote - would be whizzed off to the dingiest of hotels for a week of sun(burn), sand, sea and lots of shagging. Throughout my 20s I worked as a TV executive, overseeing shows in Mallorca's Magaluf, Greece's Malia and the worst of the lot, Ibiza's San Antonio, which should have been renamed Orgy-on-Sea. All were 18-30 hotspots and make no mistake, Brits took over any resort they landed in. Now, almost a decade after Malia outlawed these boisterous holidays, The Sun revealed how tourism bosses are desperate to get us back. Known as 't*ts & tequila' tourism, 18-30 holidays were a cheap and cheerful way for skint youngsters to travel abroad and have some good old fashioned fun. It cost peanuts to get sozzled on San Miguel or Sangria. The beaches were always full. Young Brits would use the sunbeds for tanning by day and have sex by night. The locals might have moaned about cleaning up afterwards - but back then the mantra of the era was 'we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time.' The kind of behaviour my generation indulged in would send most of the snowflake generation into fits. These were never holidays for the 'gram. No one was posting thirst shots or TikToks - instead they were hellbent on having a good time. For us Gen Xers, a holiday on the Med was the peak of the year. Nothing, NOTHING could spoil it for us. Suitcase lost? Oh well, we'll just wash our knickers on repeat. Flight delayed? More drinking time at the airport! We didn't do a Gen Z and complain on Twitter/X about every unanticipated spit and cough. And we definitely didn't threaten to leave bad social media reviews if there wasn't any fresh mint for our (paid for by our parents) Mojitos. As for a spreadsheet or – even worse – an app to work out who owed what at the end of the hols? Who wants to party in the sun with the Grinch? An 18-30 holiday transformed the virgin geek into a sex god. Turned the chubby bestie who no one would look at twice back home into a come-hither sex goddess. And a banana boat inflatable zipping along the Med's waters sorted out the wimps from party animals. The 18-30 ethos was pretty much that everyone was there for cheap alcohol, sex and maybe a tan. It was Butlins spliced with booze and sex. The hotels were at best described as basic. I saw cockroaches. Dorm beds that had stains in them. Unsafe balconies that give modern day health and safety reps the willies. The pools were about as clean as a jacuzzi after a rugby team had celebrated in it. But no one cared. No one was ever up for brekkie so who knows what was on offer. Menus were pictures of fast food and everything came with chips. The majority of teens on the holiday were usually on their first fortnight away from home. At the start of any 18-30 holiday the reps gather holidaymakers to sign up for everything from booze cruises, bar crawls, toga nights, foam parties and outings to a water park. This was how the reps made their dosh. When you're on an 18-30 holiday, signing your daily responsibilities away to someone not much older than you is obligatory. Randy contests 12 12 Take the first night excursion I filmed. It was a hot July night in the late Nineties. Two hundred holidaymakers poured off four coaches at an open-air nightclub in the middle of the countryside in Ibiza. While everyone is being counted off their bus, a hedgerow nearby rocks violently back and forth. Two minutes later, a flustered couple steps out. He does a fist pump to his mates and she pulls down her boob tube, flashing her breasts at her girlfriends. The same guy went on to have sex with five other women that evening. Everything you've ever heard about the reps is … true. Yes, they did keep a running score about who shagged the most women over the season. In every resort I have filmed at, the reps have kept score of the number of women they had sex with. Did the girls know this? Absolutely. Did they care? No. It is primal. Sex on holiday isn't about love and happy ever after. More than once I heard it described as an itch that needed to be scratched. They also scored extra points for a woman with the biggest boobs or 'minger'. Gen Z-ers - I know! This was not the era of wokeness. To be a holiday rep you need the drinking stamina of an elephant and the energy of the Duracell bunny. Many burnt out or got kicked out and sent back to the UK. But they earned every penny. If they weren't at the police station sweet-talking the release of someone from jail, they were at the local hospital getting someone else stitched up. 'Era of the wet T-shirt' 12 The party games were notorious. Sex underpins the 18-30 experience and the games designed by the reps encourage it. Whether it is passing a water-filled condom down a line using only your thighs, or timing who can put the condom on an oiled courgette the quickest. Forfeits included wearing a condom on your head or getting a jug of sangria poured over your boobs. This was the era of the wet T-shirt competition. My theory is the more that a girl says 'no way', the more likely you are to see her on stage, arms in the air, egging the crowd on with her soaked top clinging to her braless boobs. Foam party nights were an excuse for exhibitionist sex. Cleaners would moan about the amount of mislaid pairs of knickers they'd clean up afterwards. My life as a Club 18-30 rep By Thea Jacobs WHEN Jane Barrett turned 18, her parents refused to let her head out on a notorious Club 18-30 holiday - so a year later she got a job working for the package holiday brand in Mallorca. Her time in the party destination was certainly eye-opening and a reason Jane, from Yorkshire, believes she did well in life. Now a CEO, she did two years for Club 18-30 in 1987 and 1988 and here recalls her wildest moments from the summers of mayhem. jane tells The Sun: "It was the worst job in the world but also the best job in the world. The way female reps were treated was appalling. We were bullied and subjected to misogynistic behaviour all the time. "I had groups of lads shouting at me 'get your t*ts out' and blowing up condoms with their nose. I'm sure they all thought it was very inventive, but I saw it all the time. "And the male reps were just like dogs on heat, but what bloke wasn't at that age? "You worked 10am until 2am seven days a week. It's the only job I've had where people would sneak off to the nightclub loos to get a five-minute nap in a stall. We were exhausted. "But most of my job was making sure people had a really fun time and being there if anything happened like flights being cancelled or needing to go to the bank. "In my first year in 1987, I was asked by a hotel member of staff to go and check how many people were in a room, as they thought there were too many. "I knocked on the door, and it opened, inside were five guys and three girls all completely naked. I was naive back then, so I was really shocked. "I just turned to the hotel worker and said I thought there were too many people in the room but didn't know what else to do. "When taking people to events on a bus, I'd have them climbing over seats to be on the correct side as we went up a hill. We did bar crawls wearing clothes inside out. "We did the classic fizz buzz drinking game to get people wasted and the sexual innuendo games. It was all in good fun. "The hotels tended to be absolute dumps, but people would get drunk and smash them up so I understand why they didn't want to put the groups in nice places. "One room I was given had no windows and was in a basement, it was gross. "I became really close with the other reps, and we had this tradition of going to a Wimpy Burger at the end of the night. "People just had a wild time and it was all good fun. I think kids these days are missing out. People could be free because there were no smartphones. "It was just bonkers, and no one got seriously hurt on my watch." It was routine to see kids drinking until they vomited … and then they'd start drinking again. I lost count of the number of kids I filmed with who ended up phoning their parents for a cash transfer. And if you weren't at a bodega downing shots in the day time, then at night you'd be on a bar crawl. Shot girls would sell all sorts of disgusting alcohol heavy-drinks. There was none of this mocktail this or a matcha tea that. Even on a girl's night out it was all goldfish cocktails and vino collapso. Admittedly, by the end of each bar crawl it wasn't unusual to see couples attempting to have sex against the bar, someone crashed out on the pavement in his urine-stained jeans or a girl face down in a goldfish-sized cocktail bowl of her own vomit. It was rare to find 18-30 holidaymakers sunbathing by the pool before noon or on the beach at all. Most were usually sleeping off hangovers. That's why at departures you always knew when someone had been on an 18-30 holiday. They'd return home either without a tan, sunburnt or with their eyebrows missing because they'd forfeited them in a drinking game. Yeah, they'd circled the drain of shame after consuming way too much sangria and other psychedelic-coloured cocktails, but they had the best of memories. There was no adulting, life-ing or social media involved. And what teenager can truly say that nowadays about their favourite holiday? 12 12
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Tourist faces £1,200 fine after visiting one of the Europe's most historic sites
A BRIT was caught stealing precious stones from one of Europe's most historic sites - and now he faces a hefty punishment. Italian authorities found the man after he left the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, in Italy, with a backpack containing five stones and a brick, which had been taken directly from the historic site. 4 4 4 The 51-year-old Scot is now facing a hefty fine of up to €1,500 (£1,293) and a six-year prison sentence for taking the precious fragments from the archaeological site. The man was spotted by a tourist guide, near the Basilica, picking up the pieces from the pavement and placing them into his bag. The guide then alerted the park management team and the security guards, who alerted the Carabinieri (part of Italy 's armed forces). Officers then found the man, outside the excavation site, and upon looking in his bag discovered the five stones and fragment of a brick. The precious items were taken off the man and returned to the park. The director of the Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegem, said: "Congratulations and thanks to the attentive tour guide, to our excellent custodians and security staff, and to the Carabinieri for this collaborative effort to protect our heritage." On the visitor website for Pompeii, it states that it is forbidden to "get too close and touch objects, frescoes, furnishings, etc" and to "deface floors, walls, antique furnishings, frescoes, benches, statues, fountains, counters and any other surface". Visitors also cannot eat in certain areas or be bare-chested. Pompeii was an ancient Roman city that was destroyed following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Ancient Pompeii home unseen for 2,000 YEARS finally unearthed Buried under layers of ash, the city was preserved and today the site offers tourists from across the globe the chance to see what Roman living was like. Though, for many centuries, Pompeii remained hidden and was only rediscovered in the 18th century following excavations in the area. Every year, around four million people visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site. And as a result of becoming so popular, in November 2024 the park introduced a daily visitor cap of 20,000 people. To access the city of Pompeii and several of the other archeological sites like Boscoreale and Oplontis, it costs £19.01 per person. Back in 2022, another tourist was labelled a "barbarian" by locals after he was caught riding his moped through Pompeii. At the time he was promptly stopped and arrested for riding around the 2,000-year-old ruins and was later charged with "unauthorised access". What is there to do in Naples? SUN reporter Lauren Clark visited Naples, which is close to Pompeii, and here is what she thought... Naples is one of the few Italian cities that you can still very much enjoy on a budget. From pizza and football to castles and negronis, Lauren Clark serves up a slice of what the city – rich in culture and cuisine – has to offer. Naples, capital of the Campania region, is considered the birthplace of pizza — and you will be spoilt for choice, with award-winning margaritas served up for just £3 at the many restaurants on its bustling streets. One of the city's main selling points is that it's very walkable, with the main attractions easily accessible. From the city's waterfront you can get a good look at the still-active Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum with its 79 AD eruption. Another must-do is Napoli Sotterranea (entry £11.08), where you can explore a labyrinth of tunnels revealing 2,400 years of history, from Greek aqueducts to Second World War bomb shelters. Bargain hunters may want to eschew the A-list favourite island of Capri for the neighbouring, more affordable tiny island of Procida. The waiters at Trattoria da Nennella, in the Quartieri Spagnoli neighbourhood, spontaneously erupt into song and dance. There is also a Yorkshire town that's been dubbed the 'Italy of England' with historic viaduct and river boats. Plus, easyJet is launching a new flight route to an 'underrated' Italian seaside city with stunning golden beaches. 4
