A Dubai-based influencer has been fined €1,800 for trespassing on a restricted pink-tinged beach in Sardinia and sharing videos and photos of her visit on social media.
The woman arrived by dinghy at Spiaggia Rosa, a beach known for its pink sand on the small Sardinian island of Budelli. Despite numerous prohibition signs, she allegedly ignored them, according to Italian media reports.
Tourists have been banned from walking on the beach and swimming in the sea there since the 1990s due to frequent sand theft. However, visitors can still explore the island by boat during the day and walk along a path behind the beach.
The woman, originally from Brazil and residing in Dubai, posted the content on her Instagram account @Rogeriaguiadubai, which has over 35,000 followers. One of the videos features her footprints in the sand with Édith Piaf’s “La Vie en rose” playing in the background.
The trespassing incident, which reportedly occurred a few days ago, caused outrage among locals in Sardinia, leading the La Maddalena archipelago coastguard, which includes Budelli, to investigate further.
Authorities traced the woman to Dubai and issued her a fine of €1,800, comprising €300 for violating the ban and €1,500 for using an unauthorized vessel to reach Budelli. She had rented the dinghy, and the rental company owner was unaware of her plans to visit the island.
The influencer’s Instagram account is set to private. The media has reached out to Rogeriaguiadubai for a comment.
Budelli is uninhabited, although it was home to Mauro Morandi for over 30 years. Morandi, likened to Robinson Crusoe, arrived on the island in 1989 after his catamaran broke down en route to the South Pacific. He became the island’s unofficial caretaker until 2021 when, at 84, he was forced to leave by the authority managing La Maddalena National Park.
